Birds at the Northern Beaches – 3 June 2019

I had a very pleasant and interesting day at the Northern beaches photographing birds. I started by catching the B-Line Bus to Warriewood, and walking out to the Wetlands and then through Irrawong Reserve to Irrawong Falls and then back.

Scarlet Honeyeater

Here are some of the birds I photographed.

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Scarlet Honeyeater

Red-browed Finch

Fan-tailed Cuckoo

White-browed Scrubwren

Whipbird

Bell Miner

Spoonbill

Grey Fantail

Eastern Spinebill

On my way back through Warriewood Wetlands, the weather started looking ominous. I check the rain radar, and could see a big storm was approaching. So I started walking faster towards the eastern end. On the boardwalk, I met up with Phillip, another bird photographer that I know. I warned him about the storm, and we then sought shelter at one of the under shelter picnic tables in the park near the entrance to the Wetlands.

The storm hit as we had lunch and soon passed over. We then travelled in Phillips car towards Narrabeen Lagoon. At the sporting fields, we could see the Osprey Nest. Below the nest, one of the Ospreys was eating a fish.

Not far away, on another light, was a Black-shouldered Kite. So we had two photographic subjects.

Then the osprey, took a flight, carrying the half eaten fish.

It flew to the top of the nest. We could not see what was going on, but later looking carefully at the photos, it seems that the Osprey swapped nest sitting duties with its mate (which was out of sight). The mate flew off with the rest of he fish and settled on the lower part of the light.

Meanwhile the Kite was being picked on by local Noisy Miners –

The the second Osprey finished the fish and flew up to the top of the nest, then took off for a longer flight. It flew towards the Lagoon.

We then left, and drove down to the Lagoon. As I was getting out of Phillip’s car, I spotted the Osprey flying back –

At the rock pool, there were not a real lot of birds around –

So we headed back to the carpark. On the far side of the Lagoon, we saw a Caspian Tern –

We then headed down to Long Reef. The birds there were quite good. We saw a number of Sooty and Pied Oystercatchers –

And Cormorants and a Darter and Heron –

We spent some time photographing a flock of Welcome Swallows hunting for insects –

Of the less observed birds, we saw a few Double-banded Plovers –

And a pair of Grey Tattlers –

There were also quite a few Ruddy Turnstones –

Far out to sea, I spotted a White-bellied Sea Eagle hunting for fish.

It caught one and flew back with it, unfortunately not in our direction.