Birds at Tempe and the The Cooks River – 8 October 2022

The day was originally going to be bushcare at Lion Island, but the wet weather forecast meant that was postponed. And on the morning, there was a gap in the rain – so I headed to Tempe to join the Tempe Birdos for their monthly survey.

This month I was in the group surveying the wetlands. Here are some of the birds we saw –

Dusky Moorhen juvenile

Australasian Figbirds

Red Wattlebirds

Australasian Figbirds

And here is a Wood Ear Fungus –

Little Pied Cormorant

Dusky Moorhen

Superb Fairy-wren

Here is a Pied Currawong sitting on a nest –

Grey Butcherbird

Dusky Moorhen

After the survey, we headed over to Tempe Reserve and joined the group surveying there for morning tea and a chat.

I was on my bike, so I cycled home via the Cooks River. I wanted to check out the Tawny Frogmouth nests and look out for other birds.

Here is the Tawny Frogmouth nest at Gough Whitlam Park –

I saw no Sacred Kingfishers along the Cooks River, but the tide was fairly high at the time.

At Marrickville Golf Course, I looked at the Tawny Frogmouth nest near Bruce St.

I am not sure, but it may be the white feathers of a chick just visible?

I then continued up the river to the Boat Harbour. I could not see any Tawny Frogmouths there. Nor at the Dog Area upstream.  But there the Grey Butcherbirds were nesting and I got dive-bombed.

I saw this Eastern Long-necked Turtle at the Cup and Saucer Creek Wetlands.

And here are two Dusky Moorhen –

Chestnut Teal

I could not see any Tawny Frogmouths or their nests on the true right bank. Just downstream of Younger Avenue I encountered some swoopy Magpies.

And a bit further downstream, I was looking for a Willie Wagtail nest. I could hear a pair of Willie Wagtails flying around furiously. They seemed to be trying to drive off a Currawong. Then I saw that the Currawong had  a baby bird in it beak. It flew off with it to the other side of the river with the Willie Wagtails in pursuit.