I spent a very rewarding morning at Tempe Wetlands and the adjoining Tempe Reserve wandering around with my camera.
Australasian Grebe with chick
Things started off pretty quietly. At first, I didn’t see or hear too many birds. It had been raining lightly. But patience was rewarded, and as I quietly walked around the three pools at Tempe Wetlands, I gradually spotted more birds. Here are some Black-faced Cuckoo Shrikes –
I saw a few chicks.
Dusky Moorhen
Eurasian Coot
I was looking for out for the Grebe I had seen nesting earlier. On my previous visit, I had seen one parent with two chicks. I found the parent, but this time there was only one chick.
Patience was again rewarded. The grebes were a long way off in the big middle pool, but later in the morning they swam a lot closer and I was able to get some nice photos.
Another birds I saw at the Wetlands was a juvenile Olive-backed Oriole –
One visitor, that I had not seen at the Wetlands before was a Australasian Darter. I initially saw it perched in a bush.
It later dropped into the pool and swam underwater. I was ready with my camera when it surfaced. But it seem to surface too close to a Eurasian Coot with chicks and was encouraged to leave.
Some of the other birds at the Wetlands –
Willie Wagtail
Willie Wagtail
Red-browed Finch
Superb Fairy-wren
I next, left the Wetlands and walked along the track to the wastelands near the container terminal. All I spotted were were a few insects.
I wondered around the foreshore at Tempe Reserve. I didn’t seen too many birds except for pigeons and starlings on the grass. Some of the birds I did see where three Red-rumped Parrots enjoying the grass seeds –
And a single Welcome Swallow wizzing around –
And a Pelican cruising high overhead –
In the salt marsh, the tide was up and it was full of water. An Egret and a White-faced Heron were hunting –
My time was just about up. I returned via the Wetlands again, and was almost ready to walk to the bus stop, when I spotted a Sacred Kingsfisher. I have seen these before at the Wetlands, but not often.
It had just started raining again, so time for me to go home for lunch. It had been a very nice morning.