Day 55 of lockdown. I decided on another bike ride along the Cooks River to Tempe and then to Barton Park and back. The tide would be low in the morning, so that should be good time to look out for Sacred Kingfishers.
I was also on the lookout for Ospreys. The day before, while I had been at Sydney Park, a friend Michael had seen an osprey at Wolli Creek near Waterworth Park. Another friend Ben, from the Tempe Birdos, had been seeing one quite regularly near Tempe Reserve for the past month or so.
I certainly found a few Sacred Kingfishers along the Cooks River. I spotted two near Gough Whitlam Park. Here are some photos –
This is the second Kingfisher –
I then continued downstream. I saw no more Kingfishers. At Barton Park, as usual I first visited the Landing Lights Wetland. Here is a Yellow Thornbill –
Then an Osprey flew over and had a look at the Wetland, before turning away.
Unfortunately it didn’t come very close or return.
The Pied Stilts had reacted by taking to the air. They settled back down.
I dint spend too much time at Barton Park. Here is one last bird – a New Holland Honeyeater.
On my way home, I stopped off at Tempe Reserve, and waited a while to see if the Osprey flew over. It didn’t. I ddi bump into Ben, who was walking his dog, and he told me he had spotted it perched low down the day before.
Here us a Great Cormorant, perched in the Alexandria Canal.
A Little Pied Cormorant was fishing –
I then visited Waterworth Park, were I spotted my third Sacred Kingfisher.
But it soon flew to the far side of the river.
A few last shots of Little Pied Cormorants –
