After the Mudlarks Bird Survey, I continued walking down the Cooks River to see what birds were out. At the Princes Highway, I caught a bus down to Barton Park and spent most of the rest of the day there. This turned out to be a very good day of bird photography.
Below, Illawarra Road on the Cooks River, I spotted a Sacred Kingfisher. I watched it for a while.
A bit further downstream. I spotted a Striated Heron in the mangroves.
And at Waterworth Park, I soon located a Tawny Frogmouth. It seemed to be roosting in the same spot I had seen it previously.
I went to the junction of Wolli Creek and the Cooks River, but could see no more Kingfishers.
At Gumbramorra Creek, the tide was low, and four birds were hunting. A Great Egret, a Little Egret and two White-faced Herons.
And at Fatima Island, there were two Little Pied Cormorants and an Australasian Darter.
At the south end of the footbridge over the River near the Princes Highway, I thought I saw a Sacred Kingfisher, but it flew away before I could get a photo. Another Little Pied Cormorant was drying its wings –
On the sand bar in the river at Cahill Park, there was a single Caspian Tern amongst the Silver Gulls.
Now at Barton Park. In the Spring Street Canal a Royal Spoonbill was feeding.
And in the Landing Lights Wetland there were quite a few Chestnut Teals. Here is one –
At the end of the Spring St Canal, I met up with Danielle, another bird photographer. She had her camera pointed at an Osprey perched on the mast of one of the boats in Muddy Creek. I soon pointed my camera that way too –
We watched the Osprey for a fair while, hoping it would take-off. It seed content to stay where it was. I sat down and had my lunch. Here is a passing Crested Tern –
Then, all of s sudden, the Osprey took off and flew away.
Danielle and myself then turned our cameras to a nearby Striated Heron hunting at the end of the canal.
At one point, a Great Egret flew over.
Back to the Striated Heron –
I then headed to the old sporting fields to look for more raptors. I soon located a Nankeen Kestrel.
It was perched on one of the lights and busy eating something it had caught.
After it finished it then flew to find more prey.
Then I spotted the Osprey again. I left the sporting fields to walk towards where the Osprey seemed to be flying – the old stadium.
I could to find he Osprey, but I did see a Grey Goshawk perched on a light –
When the Osprey flew away, I decided to head home. On the walk back to the bus stop, I saw a few more birds –
Golden Whistler
Grey Fantail
Yellow Thornbill
White-browed Scrubwren
This had been a very rewarding day of bird photography.