After there Greenway Bird Survey, I headed home for an early lunch, and then headed out agin – this time to Newington, where I again visited the Narawang Wetlands hoping to get more photos of the Australian Little Bitterns.
As soon as I arrived, I could not help noticing that the mosquitoes were very abundant. I had repellent which I applied liberally, but I later found them biting me through my shirt. They were annoying.
But, no sooner than I arrived and started looking around the pool for the quite small Australian Little Bitterns (Black-backed Bitterns) , when I looked up and saw one flying from one side of the pond to the other. I quickly pulled up my camera and took a sequence of photos –
This was an adult male, and it had flown into the area close to where I had seen the two babies on my previous visit. This was a nice start.
Then an Australasian Darter flew overhead –
Looking to see where the Little Bittern had gone, I spotted a Little Grassbird –
I had heard these birds recently, so it was satisfying to photograph one this time.
Then I saw some commotion within the reeds. It was the adult Australian Little Bittern.
It was whenI got home and checked my photos that I saw there was also a juvenile Little Bittern –
The chick seemed to call the parent back.
And then the adult extracted itself from the reeds and flew off down the pool.
After a bit more patient waiting, I could see the chick –
When the chick went out of sight, I started having a look around for other birds. And I was also keen to get away from the very persistent mosquitoes.
Here sone of several Brush Turkeys –
And this Noisy Miner was about to grab a spider –
And a Buff-banded Rail was busy foraging –
I also had a look for the Latham’s Snipes I had seen and heard last visit, but there was no sign of them.
Back at the Bittern pool, I saw this Little Pied Cormorant –
And another flew past.
Then I could hear a kerfuffle from the local birds. I looked up and spotted an Osprey flying high up.
It had a fish.
This Australian Swamphen was trying to get rid of a sticky seedpod –
Then I spotted a single Australian Little Bittern chick –
It seemed to be waiting for a parent to return with food. I waited a fair time to see if a parent would fly in again, but while I was there, no food was delivered.
I did stay and watch for a fair while, but was eventually driven off by the mosquitoes.