Day 15 of lockdown. The previous two days had been wet so I was keen to get outdoors for some exercise. So I walked down to the Cooks River. This time, I walked upstream to the Boat Harbour and Cup and Saucer Creek, then went downstream all the way to Tempe Reserve.
It was a very good day to observe Nature.
At the Boat Harbour, I soon spotted the pair of Tawny Frogmouths.
On the other side of the river, I looked for the Tawny Frogmouth pair that often roost near Younger Avenue. This time I could not spot them. I did see this pair of Laughing Kookaburras –
Further downstream, here is a Little Black Cormorant –
Below Illawarra Road, I bumped into Micheal from the Greenway Birdos. He was photographing this Blue-tongued Skink –
And just downstream was a Sacred Kingfisher.
I watched it grab a crab –
I continued downstream, At the Billabong at Gough Whitlam Park, I saw this Little Pied Cormorant –
I then headed downstream to Waterworth Park. I was looking for the Sacred Kingfisher that I had seen here recently. It didn’t seem to be around this time. I saw this Little Pied Cormorant hunting for fish –
It caught a nice fish –
I was waiting an Australasian Darter. I was hoping that it would take off.
But I was soon distracted. This time by a Pied Cormorant that had just caught a fish.
Back to the Darter. It didn’t look like it was going to take-off.
Here is a Royal Spoonbill on the far side.
Then the Australasian Darter stared moving. Was it going to take off? No. It lower itself into the water.
But, in a very short time, it shot out of the water with this nice fish.
Darters have to swim to the bank to release a large fish off their beak. It went to the far side, and soon swallowed the fish.
Next, more action. The Pied Cormorant caught another nice fish.
The a storm seemed to be approaching, so I started walking back towards Gogh Whitlam Park.
On the far side near Tempe Station, I could see a Little Egret –
Walking upstream, just before Illawarra Road, I again spotted a Sacred Kingfisher. I watched it for a while.
I though it might catch some crabs, but instead, it sat on perch for a while. Then it coughed up a pellet.
Having expelled undigested best of crab shell, it was not free to feed. It soon caught crab.
Then soon caught a second crab.
Now crab 3.
A few minutes later, crab 4.
Now crab 5.
Crab 6 –
Crab 7 –
Crab 8 –
This was amazing to watch. Eight crabs caught and eaten! Time for me to walk home for alate lunch.