I spent the day at Sydney Olympic Park photographing birds. I first went to the Narawang Wetlands at Newington, again trying to photograph the Black-backed Bittern. This time, the light and weather was a lot better, but the bird was a lot more reluctant to be photographed – at least while I was there. The only photos I got were very distant ones. I also finished my visit off there, but this time I didn’t even spot the Bittern.
Quite a few other bird watchers were there during my morning visit – and so many pairs of eyes certainly helped with the spotting. The Bittern was upstream, and seemed to go on short flight every ten minutes or so. It would then vanish again in the reeds.
After this, I left the area, and started walking downstream. Here is a Dusky Moorhen with chicks –
And an Australian Swamphen chick –
Further down, a New Holland Honeyeater –
On my walk down, I had spotted a Brown Quail but had missed photographing it. It had scurried away into the grass to quick. But I had better luck on the path up Woo-la-ra. I saw a pair of Brown Quails –
I had lunch on the top of the hill, then continued on to the Parramatta River. On the path, a Willie Wagtail had just caught small cicada –
I had seen a pair of Tawny Frogmouths perched here on a previous visit, near a sign advertising their presence. So I looked around, and spotted two perched close together in a Casuarina. Unfortunately, they were hidden by many branches.
I though this bird was a Figbird, but thanks to Mark Fuller, who identified that it is more likely a juvenile Olive-backed Oriole –
Here is a pair of Red-rumped Parrots at the Archery Centre –
This Striated Heron was hunting from the boom over Haslams Creek –
I visited the bird hide at the Waterbird Refuge at Bicentennial Park, but very few birds were around. I could see some distant ducks and two Pied Stilts.
I then walked through Wentworth Common. Here is a Superb Fairy-wren –
And an Australasian Grebe –
A pair of Chestnut Teals –
I had seen and heard Golden-headed Cisticolas at Woo-la-ra, but this one at Wentworth Common was a lot closer –
I then walked back through the Narawang Wetlands. More Dusky Moorhens –
And a Great Egret –
Back at the Avenue of Oceana, I met different group of bird photographers waiting for the Black-backed Bittern. The group included Phillip, Madeleine and Adam. They had seen the bird but not had much success photographing. I waited around about an hour, but had no luck.
Here is a Dragonfly, a Graphic Flutterer –Rhyothemis graphiptera –
