I made another visit to Barton Park hoping that there Nankeen kestrel that I had seen on my previous trips would still be around. Well – I found two Nankeen Kestrels.
When I arrived at the park, I first visited the Landing Lights Wetland – but things seemed relatively quiet. Here is one of the Pied Stilts –
As I was leaving the wetlands, I saw a distant juvenile Black-shouldered Kite. I went back closer to where it had been flying, but it had left the area as far as I could tell.
And there were some Australian Wood Ducks in the pond –
Then I headed to the old sporting fields. I soon spotted a Nankeen Kestrel on one of the lights –
It then flew off to one of the fittings under the eve of an old building.
I waited, ready for it to take off.
But it didn’t. I seemed very content to stay where it was. It spent a long time preening.
Later it started reacting to something.
It was reacting to a Willie Wagtail that had come a bit close.
Then a second Nankeen Kestrel arrived.
The first one reacted to it.
And then it faced towards the bricks.
Perhaps it had faced away, as a behavioural sign to allow the second one to approach? The second one had joined the first.
The first one was a lot bigger than the second.
It was interesting to watch their interaction. Then the second one flew off.
The first one then moved a few metres to a second fitting –
Then all of sudden it flew down to the ground level. It must have seen some prey. Perhaps a lizard?
It looked but could not find what it had bene looking for, then it flew off to a pole.
Time for some more hunting.
It had soon found a cricket type insect –
Then it got another –
It then flew off. I visited some other parts of the park, and came back later. This time the old sporting fields there were lot of birds on one particular bit of cage –
They were mainly pigeons, starlings and Common Mynahs.
A few more birds in the park –
Red-browed Finch
New Holland Honeyeaters
Superb Fairy-wren
