Rookwood and Cooks River Birds – 18 December 2023

I made a visit to Rookwood Necropolis again to see how the young Brown Goshawks were going, and then on the way home, I got off the train at Canterbury and walked home via the Cooks River. This made for a pleasant outing.

This time, at Rookwood, it took me a while to spot the juvenile Brown Goshawks. I listened for their calls and looked in the usual trees that I had seen them perched in before, but had no luck. I wondered if they were spending more time away from their nest area. This is to be expected as they develop.

Wandering around, I did spot some other birds –

Laughing Kookaburra

New Holland Honeyeater

Silvereye

Then I spotted a juvenile Brown Goshawk perched in this spiky tree –

It was quite high in the tree, and every now and then a Misteltoebird would come down and try and shift the Brown Goshawk.

The Brown Goshawk was calling.

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike

Mistletoebird

Back to the juvenile Brown Goshawk –

Then a second juvenile Brown Goshawk arrived. It perched nearby in a different tree.

It too was calling.

It flew over and perched near the first one. Then more calling.

And then the third juvenile arrived.

One left the tree, and then a second left.

I followed one of them.

I then left Rookwood and walked back to Lidcombe Station. On the train home, I got off at Canterbury, and started walking down the Cooks River. Here are some photos –

Welcome Swallow

Great Cormorant

This Great Egret was at the Cup and Saucer Wetlands –

Two Pelicans were on the boom –

I looked at the Boat Harbour for the Tony Frogmouth family – but could not find them.

Further downstream, in the mangroves, I spotted an Olive-backed Oriole nest –

And a Willie Wagtail nest –

I could not spot the Tawny Frogmouth family in Ewen Park. But I did find the ones further downstream in the Golf Course. This family has three chicks.