I was keen to make another visit to photograph the raptors of the Northern Beaches, so I made the trip to Rat Park and Long Reef.
I visited Rat park to see how the Osprey nest was going. I thought that the Osprey chicks may now be flying.
From my observations they are close to flying. I saw one fly about metre up.
But during my visit to the park, it was the Nankeen Kestrel that attracted the attention of my camera. It was first perched on a light, and was being harassed by some Galahs.
It then did some nice flying and hunting.
And the Galahs turned up again.
Her you can see the Osprey chicks –
Back to the Kestrel –
There were also some White-throated Needletails flying fast overhead.
Here is one of the Osprey chicks in the air –
And another Needletail –
I left Rat Park and caught a bus down to Long Reef. I first went down to the rock platform for a look. The tide was still quite high. Here are some Sooty Oystercatchers –
After a while, the juvenile Kestrels appeared, or at least some of them did. Perhaps three of the four? Sometimes they were in the golf course, and at other times they were on the cliffs. Often a combination of both.
These young birds now seem to be hunting.
This one has not quite perfected its diving –
These young birds are great photographic subjects.