I wanted to make a visit to Malabar Headland National Park during the week, but looking at the NPWS Alert Page showed that it would be closed most days due to nearby shooting at the adjacent rifle range. Its a shame it is closed during the school holidays, when it could be enjoyed by family groups. The only day open after the long weekend would be the Tuesday.
So that was the day I made my visit. The weather was not ideal – a bit windy. But it turned out to be a very good day – especially for whales. Quite a number cruised past the headland on their way south – some of them breaching quite close.
Australasian Figbird
On my way out I saw a number of birds – a pair of Australian Figbirds and a family of Superb Fairy-wrens.
A little further along, I saw a Nankeen kestrel fly past. It had a lizard in its talons. It was flying north, perhaps to a nest on the headland north of Maroubra Beach?
And there were certainly plenty of lizards out –
There was also a pair of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos.
Off Magic Point was a pair of whales very close – but I missed the best photo. I had put my camera down to have a banana. They looked like a mother with a calf.
Some of the wildflowers were past they best, but others like the Flannel Flowers were just starting to bloom.
Closer to Boora Point. I looked for the Peregrine Falcons I had seen on my previous visits. I hope they would be hunting and exchanging food again. This time there only seemed to be one around, at least for most of the day. And it was not very active. It was mainly sitting on one ledge and not doing much flying.
I stopped for lunch nearby, so I could keep an eye on the Peregrine Falcon. It did get a bit restless a few times, and I thought it may takeoff, and after a number of false alarms, it eventually did. I flew around for a bit and then landed in the same spot.
It did startle some Starlings nearby.
Meanwhile, one time when I looked down at the sea, I saw a whale straight below – only a metre or two from the cliffs. It submerged, but the water was shallow enough for me to see its outline. It came to the surface a few more times and I was ready with my camera.
It was perhaps too windy for there to be a lot of honeyeaters and others small birds active, so I stayed near the Peregrine Falcon. Later in the afternoon, it did take off and make an effort to hunt. It made a number of dives for prey – some fa out to sea, some near the cliffs and others in the heath, and it was hard to spot. But it always seemed to return to its same roost, and without catching anything.
I too grew restless and walked out to the point. On my way back, I saw some whales breaching not too far out.
Another of the birds that came close was a gannet –
Malabar headland is always a nice place to visit. The rocks are also very nice –
On my way back to Maroubra, I spotted a raptor hovering over the rifle range. I think it most likely a Black-shouldered Kite
And at the carpark a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike –
Wonderful pictures