This was a pleasant and interesting day. My main purpose was to visit the Warriewood Wetlands and the nearby Irrawong Reserve. But, as it was quite windy, I broke my journey home, by making a quick visit to where I had seen the nesting pair of Peregrine Falcons to see if they were active. They were!
First at the Warriewood Wetlands there seemed to be a lot of nesting birds. I saw a few chicks, inkling some that looked recently hatched. Other birds were building nests.
Purple Swamphen chick
Chestnut Teal
Right below the boardwalk at one spot, I noticed a Dusky Moorhen. Nearby was a chick differ in the reeds. It looked like there were more chicks under the adult bird. I watched them for a while.
One part of the Wetlands there are abundant Bell Miners.
There are also a few honeyeaters around.
Lewin’s Honeyeater
Further along, I spotted an Eastern Yellow Robin hunting for food. I sat quietly and watched it catch some small insect. It then flew to a bush, vanished for a while and then flew off without the insect.
I had a look in the bush and spotted a nest. Another Robin sitting in the nest. It had been given the insect. It then got up and fed the insect to one of its a babies underneath it.
Then it settled back on the nest.
At Irrawong, it was fairly quiet, so I moved back to the Wetlands. The Moorhen with the chisk I had seen earlier, had now moved the chicks away from the nest. One parent was feeding the chicks, another was nearby.
I then walked around another section of the wetlands. A lot of lizards were out, and a few birds –
I spotted a Turtle at one of the pools –
The Warriewood Wetlands are an interesting Natural area. Its a shame to see many of the visiting locals ignoring the council rules by taking their dogs along the boardwalks or riding bikes through. Particularly when there are many nesting birds.
It was mid afternoon by this stage, and I was about to head home. But when I got to the bus stop, it was quite windy. I wondered if it would be worthwhile to visit the spot where I had seen the nesting pair of Peregrine Falcons on the sea cliffs. So I got off the bus a few stops down Pittwater Road, and walked out to the cliffs. On the coastal path, I could hear a Peregrine Falcon calling – always a good sign.
Further out I met two other bird photographers, Micheal, a local (see his magnificent photos here) and David, visiting from USA. I spent an hour or so there. An amazing experience. It was windy, and you had to be careful near the cliffs and with the wind buffeting your lens. But three Peregrine Falcons were going crazy in the conditions – having a great time swooping and stooping. It was one of the parents and the two surviving juveniles.
The young pair seemed to relish the flying conditions, often flying high, then diving in a stoop well below the cliffs line, then swooping back up, and sometimes completing a roll at the top of their arc. Incredible to watch and photograph.
At one point, one of the young birds suddenly had some prey. It had, what looked like a pigeon, in its talons. It flew past with its prey and landed on the cliffs to eat.
The adult and the other chick were still flying around near where we were. More amazing aerobatics.
While this was going on, the first of the juveniles was busy with its prey –
And some more of the two other birds –
It then looked like the first juvenile had finished its meal.
This was an incredible display of Nature to witness and record.