I spent an enjoyable but quite tiring day cycling along the Cooks River to Botany Bay, then along the foreshore cycleway to San Souci and then over the bridge to the Taren Point Shorebird Reserve and the nearby bird observation platform at Woolooware Bay.
It was tiring because I had to ride into strong headwind on the way back along Botany Bay and it was a hot day.
On the Wyalong the Cooks River, I checked out the Striated Heron nest that I had recently observed a few times. Now there were two chicks.
At
Gumbramorra Creek I stopped to photograph this Intermediate Egret –
And a Little Pied Cormorant –
The nest stop was the Landing Lights Wetland at Barton Park. Here are some Pied Stilts –
And some Masked Lapwings –
The main pond was fairly shallow. These conditions suit Dotterels. I looked carefully and could not spot any at first. But after while I noticed a Black-fronted Dotterel –
Then it was joined by two more.
I looked again for them on my return journey, but I could not see them.
Up in the air, high up and very distant, I spotted circling raptor.
It was then joined by another. I think they may be Brown Goshawks.
On the way down, I had seen the local Osprey perched near the airport from the Kogarah Golf Club carpark. I got a a slightly better view from Barton Park –
Then I cycled out to Botany Bay and cycled along to the Captain Cook Bridge and went over it to the Taren Point Shorebird Reserve. Out i the sand I could see quite a few Pied Oystercatchers –
And one Crested Tern –
And there were four Bar-tailed Godwits –
Back on the bike, I continued to the nice shelter at Wollooware Bay. Here I stopped and had lunch in the shade.
On the artificial island I could see a Silver Gull chick –
Out on the rocks was a single Eastern Curlew –
And one Pied Oystercatcher –
Out near the Curlew was a Bar-tailed Godwit. It later foraged closer to the platforms.
And later, an army of Soldier Crabs emerged from their holes.
There were hundreds of them.
A Silver Gull took interest.
Two juvenile Silver Gulls had flown over from the island. One grabbed a crab.
It dropped the crab, and soon picked it back up.
The adult joined in.
But they didn’t eat any more.
Some Pelicans flew in and started feeding –
Before leaving, I again scanned the rocks, and saw a new arrival. I think it is a Grey-tailed Tattler –
The ride home was very hot and quite tiring riding into a strong headwind. Stopping off at Landing Lights Wetland again to look for the Dotterels, I saw a family of White-faced herons arrive.
