Birds at Sydney Olympic Park – 3 January 2023

I decided to spend a day on the west side of Sydney Olympic Park seeing what birds were around. I started at the Narawang Wetlands and Newington, then walked down the path to Woo-la-ra, then I continued to the river path on the Parramatta River where I had lunch. Then I walked back the same way.

At Narawang Wetlands, I spent a fair bit of time looking for Black-backed Bitterns. Several had been photographed the previous day, but on my visit they were not active at all while I was there.

Here is a Little Pied Cormorant –

Australian Swamphen

Dragonfly – Graphic Flutterer –Rhyothemis graphiptera

Here are some  nesting Noisy Miners –

I then set off walking north. It was quite hot. On top of Woo-la-ra there was a welcome breeze, but few birds. Walking to the Parramatta River, I saw a few birds –

Silvereye

Superb Fairy-wren

Brown Quail

At the Parramatta River, I walked a short way towards Newington Armory, and found ashy seat to have lunch and watch the river. On the far side, I could see a White-bellied Sea Eagle perched in the mangroves.

It eventually took off. Here it is flying high with two Ibis’s

Then it was joined by a juvenile Sea Eagle.

The juvenile did fly closer.

And was then harassed by a Raven –

It did one unsuccessful dive for a fish –

And here is the adult perched on the far side –

Walking back over Woo-la-ra, I photographed a Golden-headed Cisticola –

And then an Osprey suddenly flew over and away –

Back at Narawang Wetlands, there was a Grey Butcherbird feeding its young from its butchery.

A Little Pied Cormorant was again sitting on the same pole –

Australasian Darter

Turtle

Despite a lot of scanning the reeds with binoculars, there was no sign of any Bitterns.