It had been a while since my last visit to Nurragingy Reserve at Doonside. My last trip there had been fairly quiet and I thought it about time I made another visit.
I caught a train to Doonside and made the short walk from the station to the Reserve. I made my way to the ponds where I had seen a pair of Azure Kingfishers on some of my previous visits, and like my last three visits I could not see them. I looked along some of the other pools and the creek – but I had no luck. Perhaps they had left the area?
I did hear the call of a Sacred Kingfisher however. I thought I saw one flash past me.
I then did the long loop walk through the bush areas. I did see a few honeyeaters – but got no good photos of them. The most interesting set of photos was of a Red Wattlebird. I saw it trying to get something out of a branch. It was an Inchworm. The bird succeeded in pulling it out then flew off with it.
Luckily it landed at a spot where I could still photograph it. The Inchworm was in the bird’s beak, but it had enough length to wrap itself around the beak and almost form a knot. The bird seemed confused and dropped the worm.
Back at the pools, I heard the Sacred Kingfisher again, but whenever I got close to it, it flew away before i could spot it, and I could hear the all again from another location. Walking around I did spot a Tawny Frogmouth in a nest. I could see it had at least one chick with it. The nest was not too high up, but it was difficult to get a clear view because of branches in the way. I returned to look at it a few times on my visit – and it looks like the parent has two chicks in the nest.
While I was having lunch, I again heard the Sacred Kingfisher. This time I saw it perched in a tree and it had a moth in its beak. It then flew off, too fast for me to see where it went. I then heard it again, this time with no prey.
Not long after this it appeared again with another insect in its beak. It looked like it was bringing food to its young. These kingfishers normally drill holes with their beaks into termite nests high in trees . Nurragingy does not have such termite nests in trees, so I looked for a hollow.
I also spotted its mate perched in a more distant tree with some food in its beak.
This gave a good indication the nest was close. I watched the first one, but again I did not spot where it took the food.
I waited quietly for the Kingfishers to return. One did, this time with a cicada. And this time I did see where it took it – to a small hollow. It didn’t stay at the hollow too long and soon flew away, and without the cicada.
It perched nearby allowing a few more photos.
I then left that area and visited the main duck ponds. No Spoonbills and only one Cormorant. I also saw an Egret, but it flew off before I could get close. But there was a family of Dusky Moorhens. Their chicks looked quite young. The parents and their chicks seemed used to people and I was able to get series of photos.
I then headed over to where I had photographed the Kingfishers. Again I could hear their calls. More patient waiting, and one appeared again with a small lizard. Now I knew where the nest was I managed to get a series of photos of the lizard being delivered. From my position I could see at least one chick in the nest.
One last photo of a pair of Galahs –
