I spent an interesting day in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney photographing birds. I travelled by train to Gordon and they caught a 197 bus to Ingleside. I then walked out to the Chiltern Trail.
It was relatively quiet. I was after honeyeaters – but not too many were around, or if they were they were quiet. Here are some birds I photographed – a New Holland Honeyeater, A Eastern yellow Robin and a Fairy-wren.
I walked to the end of the trail and visited the waterfall below it in McCarrs Creek. It was flowing nicely after recent rain. I will have to return with a tripod and more suitable lenses someday. There is another waterfall upstream as well, not far upstream of the West Head turnoff.
I then walked back up the Chiltern Trail. At its start on Chiltern Road, I met another bird observer and we had a chat. Then as he set off down the trail, I walked back to Mona Vale Road. I then crossed it and walked down Manor Road and Wattle Road to Ingleside Road. There, I turned left and walked past a conference centre and crossed a creek. Not far past this is Ingleside Park. There I could follow a good track to Irrawong Falls. This track passes through a very nice bush area – but does not seem to be well known except perhaps to locals. It does not seem to be marked on any of the usual maps. Nor is there a map at the local council website. But there are maps on signs and the start and end.
The track was very pleasant walking. At one point I spotted a Swamp Wallaby.
I also saw a raptor – but it was too fast for me to photograph as it flew out of sight. I did manage to get a poor photo of a Dollar Bird flying past.
Irrawong Falls were nice.
Again, this is a place I will have to return to so I can photograph the falls properly. Below the falls, the track continues through nice bush and then with one road crossing I entered another track into the Warriewood Wetlands.
Oriole
I spent an hour or two in the wetlands. I stopped for lunch and one place, and ended up in doing a circuit walk. There were quite a few birds out, the most vocal being Bell Miners –
I also spotted a number of Golden Whistlers – male and female –
And some of the other birds –
Sacred Kingfisher
King Parrot
Lewin’s Honeyeater
Lewin’s Honeyeater
Laughing Kookaburra
White-browed Scrubwren
Great Egret
Little Pied Cormorant
And a lot of Water Dragons were enjoying the warm sun –
I then walked a short distance past a shopping complex to Pittwater Road and caught a BLine bus back to the city.