Day 30 of lockdown. Another exercise bike ride – and again along the Cooks River Cycleway to Tempe and then to Barton Park and back. As usual I took my camera and recorded some of the birds I saw along the way.
And, as usual, I kept a lookout for Sacred Kingfishers. None near Illawarra Road, but at Gough Whitlam Park, I was walking along looking in the mangroves when two flew out all of sudden and took off up the river. I saw where one landed and was able to get a few photos.
It then flew upstream. I got back on my bike and kept going on my way. I dint see any Sacred Kingfishers near the Wolli Ck junction at Waterworth Park, so I crossed over to the north side and kept going. After crossing the river again at the Princes Highway, I looked for Kingsfishers at Cahill Park. None there. But in the creek I photographed two Egrets – a Little Egret –
And a Great Egret –
Bothe Egrets were fishing, and doing quite well.
Then they were joined by a White-faced Heron –
Back on the bike, I continued to Barton Park. At the Landing Lights Wetland, I ran into fellow bird photographer Simin from the Mudlarks Bird Group. She was just finishing her exercise bird watching walk.
The wetlands were a bit quiet, but the hinterland was a bit better. Here is a Yellow-faced Honeyeater –
And one of many Yellow Thornbills –
There were about eight Pied Stilts in the pond. Here are two –
I then headed up to the top area. Some kids had been riding around on trail bikes so I was not that hopeful that many birds would be around. Here are two Superb Fairy-wrens –
A number of Welcome Swallows were hunting for insects –
A Red-browed Finch –
A Fairy Martin –
This Welcome Swallow is just about to grab small insect –
There was also quite a few Red-rumped Parrots feeding on the grass –
All of sudden they took off.
No raptors were around, but the kids on the trail bikes had returned. I beat retreat too. Back on the low level – here is a New Holland Honeyeater –
Back at Cahill Park, one of the Egrets was perched in a tree.
Here is a Royal Spoonbill on the mudflat –
A White-faced Heron was hunting in the creek.
On the rest of the ride home, I looked for Kingfishers, but had no luck.