Tempe Bird Survey and some Cooks River Birds – 10 February 2024

It was time for the monthly bird survey with the Tempe Birdos. This time I joined the group surveying at the Wetlands. It was not raining when we started, but that did not last long. We soon put on rain coats or put up umbrellas.

Being a photographer, I winged about the terrible light and generally difficult conditions.

Here are some of the birds at Tempe Wetlands.

Dusky Moorhen

Australian Swamphen

Little Pied Cormorant

We also spotted a few Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes. This one is a juvenile –

A Dusky Moorhen with a chick –

Pacific Black Duck

White-faced Heron

Dusky Moorhen and an Australasian Grebe –

Australasian Figbird

Red Wattlebird

White-faced Heron

After the survey, we met up with the sub-group surveying Tempe Reserve, and we enjoyed a nice morning tea. During morning tea, the weather improved markedly. It was not quite fine, so I decided to walk home via the Cooks River. Here are some birds I saw along the way.

Little Pied Cormorant

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Australian Wood Ducks

The tide was very high, and the salt marshes were full of water. Here is a White-faced Heron hunting in the salt marsh at Gough Whitlam Park –

A juvenile Grey Butcherbird –

Little Pied Cormorants

Eastern Rosella

Magpie Lark

At the Illawarra Road bridge, I heard general alarm calls, and looked up and spotted a Brown Goshawk. It is one i have seen before at Barton Park -with its distinctive damaged talon.

Further upstream, a Little Black Cormorant flew down the river –

I looked in various places for Tawny Frogmouths but had no luck spotting any.

Grey Butcherbird