A while back, Bob had suggested a walk around the loop track at Manly Dam, and it was finally time to give it a go. Bob picked me up at Gordon Station and he drove to Allambie Heights, where we parked near a Tennis Court behind the shops. Nearby was a track into the Manly Dam precinct (official name “Manly Waringah War Memorial State Park”).
As well as doing the circuit walk, we wanted to look for an Aboriginal engraving site Bob had seen many years before. Continue reading
Sue joined me at Sydney Park for a few hours of bird watching.
During our visit, we saw the usual birds – including the Dollarbird and a Buff-banded Rail.
When we arrived, we spotted a new duck – Continue reading
Another visit to Mason Park Wetlands at Homebush, and again in the hope of seeing the Spotted Crake.
Again, I failed to spot the Crake and had to make do with the other resident birds. Here are some – Continue reading
I had recently had two good visits to Birdwood Gully at Springwood to photograph the birds and the fungi, and I was keen for another visit. Sue was also keen to join me, so we travelled up to Springwood by train and were soon down the gully. A hot day was forecast, and this eventuated, but it was a lot cooler in the shade of the rainforest in the gully. But the fungi was poor and it was too hot the birds to be active.
This was about the only waxcap we found. Hygrocybe sp. –
Here is a Polypore with lots of small Springtails and a gnat – Continue reading
I joined the Sydney Fungal Studies Group Inc and also members of the Wolli Creek Preservation Society and visitors to survey the fungi in Wolli Creek Regional Park. The group met in the morning at Girrahween Park at Earlwood, and then started looking for fungi.
We moved downstream towards the Flying Fox camp, and then made our way back to Girrahween Park where we had lunch, and after some discussion, we finished off.
We found reasonable amount of fungi, but not as much as we were hoping for I think. A lot of what we did see was looking a bit dried out. Continue reading
I was joined by Sue and we spent a few hours at Sydney Park looking for birds. It was a warm day, and a lot of the birds were fairly quiet.
Here are some that we saw – Continue reading
My friend Valerie, had visitors staying from France, and she had organised a picnic day at Audley in Royal National Park. It turned out to be a very wet morning, so we picnicked early in the large shelter shed at Wattle Flat, then, when it had stopped raining, we could wander around looking for birds.
In the group were Valerie, Maurice and Eva – the two visitors from France, Brian and Faye, Sue and myself. Continue reading
This proved to be another vain attempt to spot and photograph the Spotted Crake.
The birds I did see and photograph were not surprisingly not too different to those I had seen two days earlier. Continue reading
A wet day was forecast, but didn’t eventuate, so a planned picnic could go ahead. It was going to be held at Callan Park.
I walked to the park from Marion St Light Rail Station. Early on, I heard an aerial commotion, and looked up and spotted a Brown Goshawk flash past – Continue reading
In the afternoon after the Tempe Bird Survey I visited Mason Park Wetlands at Homebush. Recently a Spotted Crake had been observed there and I was keen to see it. It is the one remaining species of Crake that I have not seen or photographed.
My visit was interesting, even though I did not spot the Crake. It had been apparently observed earlier that day.
I did manage to get some nice shots of Black-fronted Dotterels. In the first one you can see how small they are compared to a Silver Gull – Continue reading
