Birds at Barton Park and the Cooks River – 19 May 2019

On recent trips to Landing Lights Wetland at Barton Park, I had observed on some occasions a pair of Black-Shouldered Kites. Checking past visits I had seen these birds only in the afternoon. I was on the lookout for them again, so set out after lunch this visit.

Its a nice bike ride along the Cooks River Cycleway to Tempe and then on the cycleway that goes to Botany Bay. At Barton Park I stopped at Landing Lights Wetland. Looking around the main pond did not reveal too many birds – a few ducks, moorhens and coots and the usual Black-winged Stilts. The Dotterels seem to have moved on. What I did see where quite a few Golden-headed Cisticola. There were also a lot of wasps around. Perhaps the Cisticola were eating the wasps? Here are some of my photos of the Cisticola –

And some of the wasps –

Some of the other birds at the Wetlands –

I then continued to Muddy Creek. Here there were a few Cormorants.

Then a raptor flew over –

It was a Brown Goshawk. I climbed up to the higher level and tried to see where it had gone. It had perched in a tree then suddenly took off. I took a few more photos before it left the area.

But then one of the Black-shouldered Kites appeared, so I concentrated my efforts on photographing it.

It flew off a few times to hunt. It would hover in one spot scanning the ground for prey, but also keeping a lookout for other birds.

It did manage to catch some mice –

It then left the area, so I went back to the wetlands. Here are some more photos –

On my way home, when riding along the cycleway on the south side of the Cooks River near the Rowing Club, I stopped to photograph an Intermediate Egret hunting for fish.

Also nearby was a Caspian Tern, a rare bird for the area –

Then the Egret caught a rather large fish. It was amazing to watch it struggle to get the fish down.

This had been a very rewarding afternoon.