Photographing Birds at the Northern Beaches – 1 August 2019

I spent a full and very pleasant day at the Northern Beaches area photographing birds. I travelled up by the B-line bus and then used local buses to move from site to site.

My first stop was at a sporting field, where I wanted to photograph Ospreys at their nest. When I arrived, I could just see one Osprey in the nest. I assumed it was sitting on eggs. I thought it worth waiting a while to see if the other Osprey returned with a fish. While waiting, I started taking some photos of the Welcome Swallows wizzing around looking for fish.

And then a Kookaburra flew past.

Unfortunately, I got a bit carried away, and missed the Osprey returning. I had been expecting to hear alarm calls from the other birds when the Osprey returned but either I missed them or there were none. When I looked up at the nest, there was the other Osprey with a nice fish sitting on the light near the nest.

Having missed the action, I left the park and made my way to the next location – the sea cliffs. Here, I soon located a nesting Peregrine Falcon. I think it was the female at the nest. I waited hoping the male would return, perhaps with some food. While I was waiting, the female did take off and fly around, then land, and take off again. This provided some nice photographic opportunities, but I thought I was unduly disturbing the nesting bird, so I left the area.

I then made my way to the next site – Dee Why Lagoon. It was fairly quiet for birds. A Willie Wagtail was hunting for insects –

I continued towards Long Reef. At the Golf Course, a Nankeen Kestrel was resting on a pole. I was able to get reasonably close, and then waited to see if it would take off.

I did, eventually, but not in my direction. But it did fly around a bit.

There was also a Pipit in the grass.

Way out to sea, a whale was breaching.

I then walked down to the rock platforms of Long Reef. The tide was low, so I was able to walk out to near the furthest point. There were the usual Silver Gulls, Terns and Cormorants.

There were also a fair number of smaller birds. Its hard to get close to them without spooking them, and then they fly away. Its best to walk fairly close very slowly, and then wait hoping the birds will get closer to you in their foraging. I think they were Grey-tailed Tattlers and Ruddy Turnstones.

I then walked back towards Dee Why Lagoon. Near the surf club, a male Superb Fairy-wren was strutting around showing off its breeding plumage.

I was lucky to spot a pair of tiny Black-fronted Dotterels near the beach end of the Lagoon.

The last bird I photographed was a Great Egret.