Bad weather was forecast – the possibility of a thunderstorm. So not rain lasting the whole day. So I decided to travel to Rat Park at Warriewood – North Narrabeen where there is some shelter close to where you can photograph the resident raptors.
When I arrived, there were two other bird photographers there – Philip and Adam (and Adam’s brother). They had been there for several hours observing the Ospreys.
I looked up and spotted a White-throated Needletail flying high above.
I could see the juvenile Ospreys in the nest –
Philip and Adam were waiting for the adult male to return. It was last seen flying towards the sea, and they were hoping it would return with a fish.
Then the rain started. It was quite heavy. It was interesting watching the Ospreys react. The two juveniles started flapping their wings.
One flew up a few metres. It looked like it was trying to fly out of the rain.
Also – one of the adults (the female) was flapping its wings.
This juvenile went on a short flight, and it looked like it didn’t like the rain –
After a few minutes the rain eased off a bit.
But then the real rain started. It got very heavy. We were all fine sheltering under the awning of the change rooms. There was plenty of space and a bench we could sit on. The rain became so intense that it was hard to see the Osprey nest. And the Welcome Swallows that had been flying all congregated with us under the shelter.
One even perched on Philip’s shoulder –
When the rain eased a bi, we could see the Ospreys had bunkered down at the nest.
One tried a short flight –
Then the adult male Osprey returned. It had no fish.
Here are two White-faced Herons on another pole –
The others had to go, and departed when the rain eased a bit more. I was happy to stay.
Then the local Nankeen Kestrel appeared –
I then concentrated on photographing it while it hunted.
I wondered what it was doing now. Then I saw it was washing itself in a puddle.
Meanwhile the Ospreys seemed to be drying out.
The adult female changed position –
The Nankeen kestrel was still hunting –
I saw this insect on the change room wall –
Back to the Kestrel –
No change to the Ospreys. The twi juveniles where on the nest, the female perched nearby and the male on the cross spar.
The Osprey seemed to have a cricket –
And then a Magpie came down to harass the Kestrel –
The weather had improved a lot now, and one of the juvenile Ospreys flew to another light pole.
The second juvenile also took off, but seemed to have not perfected its flying.
It landed near its sibling.
Then the adult female came over close to them.
And then flew back to the nest pole and landed on the cross spar.
And the juveniles returned to the nest.
It had been a very interesting day.