I’d been taking it easy lately, recovering from a cold, but I was keen to get outdoors, so decided to visit Centennial Park to photograph some of the birds there. A few days before I had been to Bicentennial Park, which also is a good place to photograph birds with many quite different species.
One thing I wanted to see at Centennial Park was the Powerful Owl chick or owlet, which I had heard was now out of the nest. This proved to be correct. It is always hard to spot Powerful Owls when the roost – which is always high up in the trees. I went to the trees close to the nest and there I had seen the two parent birds on my last visit and started looking up. Some other visitors to the park where also present – and with all the eyes looking up the parents and the owlet where soon located. Then it was a matter of waiting to see if the birds would look down. Some patient waiting was rewarded. The chick was amazing – a big ball of downy feathers.
It looks like for these pair of parents that this the first successful chick in a few seasons. I heard from other bird observers that two years ago – they had a nest in a different tree and it was not successful for some reason, perhaps predators? Last year they used the same nest as this year – a hollow in large dead tree, and the nest was washed out by rainwater during a big storm.
Three were quite a few other bird photographers around, including Bill and Phillip who I got talking to, and then we later walked around a bit to see more of the birds.
There were lots of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos.
I again located the Tawny Frogmouth nest. No change from my last visit – one parent was still sitting on the nest.
I then prowled around for Barn Owls. Last visit I had observed three. This time I only spotted one.
In one of the open grassy areas, I spent a bit of time trying to photograph the Little Corellas and the Welcome Swallows in flight. The Corellas were easy, but the Swallows are much harder – moving very fast and erratically.
Little Corellas
Welcome Swallows
In the main duck pond, I then photographed the Pink-eared Ducks. These don’t move fast, but are always a ling way from the bank. But after a while they do seem to drift a little closer. And it is interesting to watch them swim together in a circle to create their feeding vortex.
Also at the pool where plenty of other birds – Cormorants, Pelicans, Silver Gulls and more Corellas – Little Corellas and also Long-beaked Corellas.
Little Corellas
Long-beaked Corellas
I finished off trying to photograph some Fairy Martins in flight. They look like and fly like Swallows – very fast close to the surface of the pool, hunting for insects. They can be easily differentiated from Swallows by a white square on their back.
It was now time to head home. It had been a very pleasant day out.
the Peregrine Falcon on perched on the cliff is magnificent. what camera and lens were you using?
Sony A9 and Sony 100-400 GM with 1.4xTC
hi Great pictures. We are visiting from the uk and have never seen a powerful owl. Could you let me know where to look for them in the park?
The owl family seem to have moved away from the nest area. On my last visit I could not locate them. They may be in trees south of the Wisteria Cafe. There is also at least one pair in the Sydney Botanic Gardens (again I don’t know where – but you could always ask some of the staff).