On Saturday on the weekend I had gone on a trip along Wolli Creek to check to see if any fungi was out. Things were very dry and I didn’t even bother to take out my camera.
Riding back home, I decided to go along to Cooks River to check out the wetlands. I had heard from the Cooks River Facebook Page that some stinkhorn fungi had been observed along the river somewhere. Early on my ride, I found a lot of them in the re-established bushland near Ewan Park. But they were all well past their prime. They were Phallus rubicundus. I am hoping that they will appear again the next time it rains.
Phallus rubicundus
At the Cup and Saucer Creek Wetlands I noticed some very young Purple Swamphen chicks on the foreshore of the lower pond. They were being escorted by one of their parents.
I was pleasantly surprised to see a turtle sitting on a rock in the lower pond.
On the Sunday, I went back to the river, and had a nice ride between the Cup and Saucer Creek Wetlands and the Tempe Wetlands. It was the Tempe Wetlands that provide the most photographic opportunities. The Grebe chicks that I had photographed on previous trips in the middle pond were now much larger – and two of them were swimming around by themselves and diving for food. Some much larger Eurasian Coot chicks were also out. Their beaks were only just starting to take on their adult hues.
More Grebe chicks were in the lower pool – these were a long way off and appeared younger.
On my ride home, near Tempe Station, I noticed some parrots in the grass enjoying the grass seeds. There were two pairs of parrots. They were unfamiliar to me, so I took a few photos and back at home had no trouble identifying them as Red-Rumped Parrots.
Update – 30 March 2015
A little rain – and a few more fungi emerge –
And its not much further on to the Cup and Saucer Creek Wetland –
Hi David
Just found your blog. Love it. I ride along the cycle way 2 or 3 times a week and love seeing the birds. But I don’t know the T e mpe wetlands. Where are they please? I might take a different route to take a look.
I used to ride past the Tempe Wetlands on my way to work for years too without realising they are there. They are easy to find. From the Cooks River Cycleway at Tempe – cross the Princess Highway, and keep going through the park towards the airport. The wetlands are hidden away on the left (north) – just behind a carpark. They are next to the Golf Firing Range which is high on the hill. There are three ponds at the Wetlands – and tracks going around them.