I took part in the bird survey along the Greenway – from Taverners Hill Light Rail Station to Hawthorne Light Rail Station.
Here are some of of the birds we saw –
Red Wattlebird
Australian white Ibis
Spring is in the air – and that means birds are breeding. Here is a Magpie Lark on its nest –
And nearby was a Willie Wagtail nest –
The second Magpie Lark visited the nest –
At the Willie Wagtail nest, the adult bird got up off the nest and revealed a chick –
The adult suddenly dived down –
The adult returned with some food for the chick.
Then the parent went around to the far end of the chick.
What is it doing? It is pulling out a poo from the chick. It wants to keep the nest clean.
Further along ,we heard some alarm calls and looked up. We spotted a Collared Sparrowhawk. It was flying high overhead.
And a hunting Willie Wagtail –
One of the group spotted this nest.
It was a Noisy Miner nest. Here is an adult bird bringing in some food –
I have been told that Noisy Miners have communal nests, and any adult bird can feed the chicks.
Further away – an Australasian Figbird –
White-faced Heron
Little Pied Cormorant
As usual, the group finished with coffee and chat at the cafe near Hawthorne Light Rail Station.
Note – special care is needed to photograph birds when they are nesting. Many birders consider it unethical to photograph birds in the nest – as it is critical time for the birds and any interference can have adverse effects on the birds. I was using a telephoto zoom lens at 600 mm for my photos -so I was well away from the nests. And the photos were taken in places frequented by many passers by.