I spent the afternoon at Barton Park photographing birds. On many previous trips I had been fortunate to encounter some raptors at the park. This trip was no exception.
I cycled to the park, and when I arrived I started at the Landing Lights Wetland.
I photographed some Golden-heaed Cisticolas, and then was looking to see what else was around, when I thought I saw a raptor on one of the light poles in the sporting fields above. Binoculars confirmed it was a Black-Shouldered Kite. But nearby, on another pole was a Nankeen Kestrel. So I made my way to the upper level.
I started with the Black-shouldered Kite, which was closer. I had my camera ready waiting for the bird to take off. Eventually it did –
It then flew away from the area. So I then looked for the Nankeen Kestrel. But it too had left its pole. I looked around a bit more and saw it had landed on another pole. It took off as was walking towards it.
It then landed on another pole. And again it took off –
I could see it a long way away, so I looked for other birds. I found a Red Wattlebird –
And some New Holland Honeyeaters hunting for insects –
And some Superb fairy-wrens –
By this time the Kestrel had returned –
I then started talking to another birdwatcher who had arrived. His name was Greg, and he gave me some good tips for some of the other birds in the Park. He had seen a Brown Goshawk earlier, so we looked for it. The best I could do was a couple of photos as it flew past –
After this I went back down to the lower level – to the Landing Lights Wetland, and finished with some photos of the Black-winged Stilts –
And a flying beetle –
