Day 23 of lockdown. I decided on a bike ride to Barton Park and back.
As usual, I took cameras with me and photograph some of the birds I saw along the way. Along the Cooks River, I stopped to photograph a Great Egret through a gap in the mangroves.
I detoured to the junction of the Cooks River and Wolli Creek at Waterworth Park. I stopped to watch a White-faced Heron –
I had also been looking for Sacred Kingfishers, but had not spotted any. Then suddenly, one flew past at high speed.
It flew across to the far side of Wolli Creek. So I keep on with my ride. I cycled around Tempe Reserve, and watched this Little Pied Cormorant –
It then caught a nice fish.
After it flew off, I kept on my way and soon arrived at Landing Lights Wetland at Barton Park. I started by watching a White-faced Heron.
I talked to Sarah, another bird photographer, who I met at the wetland. We compared notes on what we had seen.
Moving on, I photographed this Superb Fairy-wren –
There were about eight Pied Stilts at the Wetland. Here are two of them –
Another Superb Fairy-wren on the higher area –
And I think this is a Tree Martin –
On previous visits, I had seen a large flock of Red-browed Finches. This time I spent a bit of time trying to get close for some photos.
I think there would have beneath least 50 in the flock.
Here is a Silvereye –
And a Yellow-rumped Thornbill –
One of the Welcome Swallows –
And a White-plumed Honeyeater –
A White-faced Heron flew past –
And a last bird for Barton Park, a New Holland Honeyeater –
I then headed for home. On the Cooks River, just before Illawarra Road, I bumped into Daniele, another bird photographer that I have often seen at Barton Park. I had told her this location was a good place to see Sacred Kingfishers. She had seen one but it had flown off. But we soon spotted it –
We stayed watching it for a while, but the light was too poor for effective photography – especially for shots of it flying.
