Two days earlier I had seen two good raptors at Barton Park – a Brown Goshawk and a Grey Goshawk. I wondered if they were still around, so decided to make another visit. The Brown Goshawk seems to live in the area. The Grey Goshawk is rarer. its the first time I have seen one in my local area. As it turned out – I sae neither of these birds, but I did see two different raptors – a Nankeen Kestrel and a Black-shouldered Kite.
I spotted the Nankeen Kestrel through binoculars when I arrived in the early afternoon. It was perched on one of the lights at the old sports ground. I made my way up there. Unfortunately it was on the most remote light – the one you cannot walk to the base of from outside the ground. So I had to make so with some distant shots. It was hunting in the sports ground.
I was hoping it would com closer. But it never did. All of a sudden a Black-shouldered Kite turned up and I never saw the Kestrel again.
The Kite was a player – it put on a good display as it hunted above the open ground to the north of the sports field. It would scan the ground while hovering, but it also remained very vigilant – looking around in case another bird might attack.
It must have got tired. It perched on a light for a while, then took off and flew away.
Here are some of the other birds –
Willie Wagtail
Superb Fairy-wren
The next birds were perched on boats at Muddy Creek.
Little Black Cormorant
Australasian Darter
I tried to get the Darter and a rainbow in the same shot.
I then headed back to Landing Lights Wetland. Here is a White-faced Heron –
Then a large storm was approaching.
It was starting to rain. But the the Kite made another appearance. It looked quite spooky with its red eye showing and the storm clouds behind it.
It would have like to stay, but there was no shelter. I retried to a nearby bus shelter, and later met up with Digi Dave was was on his way home. When the rain stopped, we made another visit to the wetlands – but the Kite was gone.