Nurragingy Reserve – More Kingfishers – 27 January 2021

I was keen to return to Nurragingy Reserve to try and get some better photos of the local Kingfishers. On this trip – I had no trouble finding them – but had less luck with the photos. It was easy to get photos of them perched on branches and rocks, but I was after photos of them in flight and in particular fishing. It turned out to be a very dull overcast day – and the light was far too poor to get action shots.

I think I saw four Azure Kingfishers – probably two parents and their two chicks. The chicks however only appeared very briefly and I was not able to get photos of them. But the adult birds were hunting a lot of time, perched looking for fish to prey on.

They did move around a fair bit however, hunting at different pools, and most of the time only one was present.

This was perhaps the best sequence I could obtain of one diving for a fish –

The birds are very fast. My camera was shooting here at 20 frames per second – so this sequence is only 7/20 of a second.

Here the Kingfisher has moved to another pond –

There were also some other Kingfishers around. Here are two Laughing Kookaburras –

And one of a pair of Sacred Kingfishers. I think its mate was sitting on eggs in a nest.

I then did a walk around the perimeter fire road. Here are some of the birds –

Red Wattlebird –

Striated Thornbill –

Scarlet Honeyeater –

Red-browed Finch –

Yellow-faced Honeyeater –

Rufous Whistler –

White-browed Scrubwren –

Eastern Spinebill –

On previous visits I had seen a White-winged Chough on a nest. It was still there.

I later saw it looking to see if any eggs had hatched –

Now some of the waterbirds back at the main ponds.

A Little Pied Cormorant –

White-faced Heron –

Now, back to the Kingfishers. They were still around. Here is the Sacred Kingfisher –

And the next two photos show two different Azure Kingfishers –

One flew off, but I found it later at another pond –

On previous visit, I had seen these Wood Duck family before. Three of their chicks are still alive –

I made another circuit of the perimeter. Here is a Grey Butcherbird –

It was quiet this time. I did spot this Deer –

And a few more photos. Mainly one of the Azure Kingfishers –

And an Intermediate Egret –

And this Azure Kingfisher has caught a small fish –

I was also looking out for Blue-faced Honeyeaters and Pacific Bazas – but did not see either on this visit.