Malabar Headland – 25 November 2020

The juvenile Peregrine Falcons on Malabar Headland are growing fast, and I was worried they would soon leave the area, so I decided to make another visit. This one was a lot better in terms of getting photos of the two juveniles flying together.

Like the previous visit, it started off quiet. I did not see any Falcons for the first hour or so, and was getting a bit anxious, thinking they may have left the area.

And at this time of the year, there are not usually any whales to look out for as an alternative activity. I was thinking of using the downtime to have an early lunch, when the two juvenile Peregrine Falcons suddenly appeared. I have no idea where they had been before this.

They then put on a good show – flying together in a series of manoeuvres.

They did fly further away at times, and I was not sure whether to walk after them or stay and hope they would return. They generally did return.

The air show lasted quite a while, on and off between 11:39 and 12:23. When they disappeared, I walked around the nearby cliffs to see if I could locate them, but had not luck. Now was time  for lunch.

After lunch, I again looked carefully around the nearby cliffs and could not spot them. So I decided to start for home, as it had already been a very god session of bird photography. I also though they may be near Magic Point or Dead Man’s Gulch which I would pass on my way to Maroubra.

Here is a Copper Skink –

And I ddi spot another raptor, a Swamp Harrier flying over the nearby Rifle Range.

Then I spotted an adult Peregrine Flying past.

And one of the juveniles appeared.

They were both enjoying the thermals and air currents in Dead Man’s Gulch.

Then I saw that both the juveniles were in the area. One was on a ledge, eating a bird.

After a while, it flew off with the bird.

I walked back towards Boora Point, to see if I could locate where the juvenile had taken its meal. But had no luck spotting it again. However when I returned, the parent and the other juvenile were flying again.

The adult had a small bit of food in it talons. As it flying it took a bite.

This was some sort of educational game for the juvenile. It flew after its parent.

They flew away and I could not see what happened. Later they came back.

This was repeated a few more times. The adult would take a bite.

And the juvenile would fly after it. I am not sure if the adult dropped the food for the juvenile to catch mid air, but that is what I think happened.

They eventual left the area, so I started walking for Maroubra Beach again.

I was nearby back at the beach, when I looked back at Magic Point. I was watching a boat pass the point, when I saw another bird perched on a boulder. I walked all the way back to Magic Point, and then look under the cliffs to see if I could spot the bird.

It had been a long way off when I first saw it and I thought it may be an Osprey or Sea Eagle. But it also could have been a Cormorant. When I did spot it, I was pleased that it was an Osprey.

I may have been too close , as it soon flew off, but it did not fly away. It made some large circuits along the cliffs and then over the  water. It was hunting.

It swooped low a few times, but one time it did enter the water.

It had caught a nice fish.

It landed further along the cliffs and then enjoyed a nice fresh meal.