Barton Park was a good venue for some bird photography.
Here are some of the birds I saw, mainly at the Landing Lights Wetland –
Pied Stilts
One of the Pied Stilts was calling out and flying at me when I arrived. It soon seemed to settle down. I don’t know why it did this, but I suspect it was some form of courtship behaviour. Making a noise and flying at something much bigger than itself was would certainly impress the females. There were no nests in the pond and only one juvenile Stilt – which was a long way off.
There were about 20 Pied Stilts at the wetland and some of them were squabbling. This is the more usual courtship displays I observe.
And some mirrored behaviour –
This one is chasing away a duck –
Later, four juvenile White-faced Herons arrived. Here are three of them –
There were also two Black-fronted Dotterels –
One adult and one juvenile.
Chestnut Teal
Grey Goshawk
The Grey Goshawk did not stay long, it simply flew overhead.
In the hinterland I saw this Brown Honeyeater –
As a bus was about to come past, I left Barton Park and travelled back to Tempe. After a short lunch break I walked towards Gough Whitlam Park. Walking through the carpark at Tempe Station, I saw an Australian White Ibis in Gumbramorra Creek (This now flows down a concrete stormwater drain). It had caught a fish! But with its long beak it had a lot of difficulty trying to eat the fish and eventually it gave up.
In Gough Whitlam Park, I checked out a Striated Heron nest. It looks like the nest has been abandoned and the birds given up for the season.
I located the Tawny Frogmouth nest. It seemed OK.
At Marrickville Golf Course, I stopped to watch some juvenile Welcome Swallows. One was being fed.
The young birds seemed very reluctant to let go of the parent.
And further upstream I saw this Magpie Lark nest –
