Back to the Necropolis – 2 September 2023

The previous Saturday visit to Rookwood Necropolis with Simin and Lennis had been very good for observing some nice birds – in particular Scarlet Honeyeaters. But, we had also seen a Brown Goshawk flying about, and we had all missed photographing it. So I thought a repeat visit could be good. So I arrived in the early afternoon and started wandering around.

I had walked to Rookwood from Lidcombe Station. This is a very short walk, but the tricky part is crossing the very busy road to the Necropolis. Then I made my way to the Serpentine Creek area where we had seen the Scarlet Honeyeaters. When I arrived none were around. I walked down a path alongside the forest, and soon heard and then spotted the flock. But also, there were a lot of Spotted Pardalotes around too, and some had come down low.

I could not reset photographing these beautiful birds.

There was also a Grey Fantail –

And here is a Yellow-faced Honeyeater –

Back to the Spotted Pardalotes. The males are more coloured with white spots.

This one is a female. It has yellowish spots.

Back to a male –

By this time, most of the Scarlet Honeyeaters had moved on, but I soon found them again. It is the males that are the scarlet colour. The females only have a pale scarlet tinge.

And a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike –

Then I heard a Brown Goshawk calling. I walked closer to the sound and eventually spotted the raptor perched high in a tree.

And then it flew over to a pine tree.

And there was a second Brown Goshawk. They mated. Branches made it very difficult to photograph them.

After the finished, the male flew off.

And then the female flew off.

Back to the honeyeaters. Here is another Yellow-faced Honeyeater –

But the Scarlet Honeyeaters were then coming down to drink from the creek. They would perch on small bushes near the brick lined creek and check if it was safe to descend the metre or so to the water for a drink.