I walked a short section of the Coastal Path in the Northern Beaches. I was mainly on the lookout for raptors. I caught a B-line bus to the terminus at Mona Vale, then walked out to the beach.
I scanned the beach and nearby headlands for birds, but there were not too many out. All I saw was a Cormorant and Silver Gulls. I therefore started walking south, along the beach and then over a slight headland and back down to Warriewood Beach.
Further south was Turimetta Head. This had great views and a nice network of tracks. I saw lots of lizards but few birds.
The coastal scenery was nice.
Some of the birds I did spot flying fast overhead were another flock of White-throated Needletails. I had seen the same species the week before at Manly Vale.
So I continued on past Turimetta Beach to Narrabeen Headland.
I stopped off at the lookout overlooking the outlet of Narrabeen Lagoon. This was a good place to stop for lunch. During my break, I met another bird photographer, Andrew, from the local area. We had chat and he gave me some good tips. After he left, I noticed a raptor flying past. I managed a few photos of it, and then went back to my lunch. I thought it may have been a Sea Eagle, but when I again encountered Andrew again, he said it was more likely to be an Osprey. This was correct.
After lunch, I went down to the rock pool below the lookout. Here I saw the Osprey flying overhead again. And then a second one, and then a third one.
They were later joined by a fourth one! They were probably all in the same family – two parents and their juveniles, and probably have a nest further up Narrabeen Lagoon.
The Osprey, stayed around for a while, so I went back up to the lookout for some closer photos. A nice encounter.
