Homebush Bay Bike Ride – 2 April 2020

This was a pleasant and interesting exercise ride from my place, out along the Cooks River Cycleway to Homebush Bay, then visiting some of the birds sites, then a ride back along the same route.

Soon after I started, I has to stop to photograph some of the fungi. What was out were a variety of stinkhorns. Here are some –

When I reached Homebush, I first stopped at the Mason Park Wetlands. Not that many birds were around, but the wetlands looked quite healthy. Here is a Great Egret –

At Bicentennial Park, I stopped for some more fungi –

Then I continued to the ponds. Here are some of the birds –

Great Egret

Black Swan

Pied Stilts (and one Red-necked Avocet )

And a juvenile Pied Stilt –

Superb Fairy-wrens

I then made my way to Wentworth Common. Not much to see there except some Earth Stars –

I continued on to the Brickpit. On some recent past visits, I had seen a Black-Shouldered Kite perched in a dead tree. This time there was an Australian Hobby perched in that same tree. It was a long way off, and it was difficult to see  the birds without binoculars. But it was fairly active – hunting for prey.

I did not see what it had caught. After eating, it cleaned its beak on a stick.

Then it looked around for its next course.

It looks like it has caught a mouse.

As I left the Brickpit, I saw a nice Blue-tongued Skink –

I then made my way back to the ponds of Bicentennial Park and along to Mason Park Wetland again. The main birds I saw in the wetland were some Starlings. But in the canal on the other side was an Egret and a Darter. Here are some photos of the Australian Darter as it took off –

And then I concentrated on the Great Egret. It was fishing quite successfully.

Then I continued my ride home. A nice exercise outing.