Barton Park was not my first choice for a bird photography venue, but with rail chaos, it seemed a good option given that it is easy to reach by bus.
I arrived around 10 am and stayed for about 4 hours. It was relatively quiet during my visit in terms of birds. Landing Lights Wetland was quiet when I arrived. I saw a Double-barred Finch in a tree near the boardwalk. Continue reading
Keith had invited me to join him on a weekend walk in the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area. His intention was to do a through trip involving a car shuffle. This would allow us to see a lot of country.
On the walk as well as Keith, were Wendy, Beth, Kirsten and myself. We parked Wendy’s car on the Wolgan Road, near the Angus Place Colliery and then drove back to Lithgow in Keith’s car, and continued up the State Mine Gully and parked near the top. From there, we started walking along a fire road towards the Lost City. Continue reading
This was a pleasant walk in Royal National Park accompanied by Sue. We caught the train to Waterfall and were soon on the fire road to Uloola Falls.
One of the highlights of walking in Royal National Park at this time of year is that the wild flowers are starting to come out. Continue reading
I made a worthwhile afternoon visit to Barton Park. I was lucky this visit in getting a good view of a Swamp Harrier not long after I arrived.
You never know when a bird like this will appear, and you need to be ready with your camera if they suddenly appear. Sometimes they flash past at speed, too fast to get a photo. This time the bird was a bit more leisurely, so I was able to get some reasonable photos. Continue reading
Last year, I had been unable to visit malabar Headland at this time of the year due to the Covid lockdown, so I was keen to make regular and frequent visits this season. This visit was a bit quieter than the last few, but there was still some good action with the Peregrine Falcons. And there was another visitor – a White-bellied Sea Eagle.
On this visit, I was joined by Sue. We met at Maroubra and walked out along the track. Near Magic Point, we watched this Australasian Gannet hunting for fish. Continue reading
According to my blog, the last time I visited Emu Green was in November 2021. A long time ago! I had been intending to visit this Reserve again, but it had been badly damaged by floods again in the meantime, and other venues had been more convenient. But, now was the time for a new visit.
I caught a train to Emu Plains, then walked to the Reserve. On the way, I checked out the Whistling Kite nest. I could not see any Kites at or near the nest, so perhaps it is no longer being used.
However, the Reserve remains a good place to see raptors. Since my last visit, there has been a massive amount of flood damage – one whole section of road has been washed away. But the council seem to be taking a more active management role – eg planting native trees. Continue reading
I hadn’t been to Long Reef on the Northern Beaches for a while, and it was one of those places I had been meaning to go back to for a while. So with a forecast of reasonable weather I caught the B-line bus to Dee Why, then a 199 bus to the nearest stop. From there it was a short walk to the headland.
I had been hoping the Ospreys would be out. But I didn’t expect to see them even before I got there. Walking past Fishermans Beach, I saw two large birds flying around the cliffs on the north side of the headland. Where they Ospreys? They were soaring, so it seemed likely. I quickly made my way to the carpark, and then climbed up the steps to the nearby lookout.
Yes – two Osprey were circling overhead. I quickly got my camera out. Continue reading
Barton Park has generally been a very good place for bird photography recently – but it can be varied. There are quiet times and busy times. Sometimes you get both on the same day. My previous trip started off very quiet and finished a lot better. On this visit, I arrived around 11 pm and stayed till 4 pm, and it was reasonable most of the time. And like my previous visit, I was able to get some daily good photos of the Swamp Harrier.
At the Park, I met local birder Michael, and also Philip and Madeleine, who I knew from the Northern Beaches. And also Sam was there. There were also a number of other bird photographers and birders at the Park. Continue reading
I spent a pleasant morning with the Tempe Birdos at their monthly bird survey. This month I joined the group surveying Tempe Reserve.
We observed a nice range of birds. Continue reading
Some rain was forecast, so I abandoned plans to go to a distant place for some bird photography and instead chose my local area. I caught a bus to Bexley North, then walked down the Two Valleys Track, along Wolli Creek, to the junction with the Cooks River then walked upstream to Wardell Road and then home.
Along the first section of track, I heard a lot of birds, but most of them seemed to want to stay hidden in the foliage.
