Mudlarks – Cooks River Bird Survey – 12 August 2025

Posted on August 16, 2025 by Dave Noble

I took part in the early morning Mudlarks Bird Survey, along the Cooks River. This month, the group surveyed downstream, from the Lang Street Bridge to Marrickville Golf Course and Wave Rock, and then back.

Here are some birds saw – Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Sydney | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Looking for Fungi in the Lane Cove Valley – 11 August 2025

Posted on August 16, 2025 by Dave Noble

I was hoping that after recent rain, there may be a lot of fungal fruiting bodies about. So I visited a site in Lane Cove National Park, then a made a visit to Ferndale Park at Chatswood.  I found very little fungi out.

This is about all I found –

This one was extremely tiny. Probably Gliophorus psittacinus group –

Macrotyphula juncea Continue reading →

Posted in Sydney | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Malabar Headland – 10 August 2025

Posted on August 11, 2025 by Dave Noble

After a wet start to the day, I thought that I may get off the bus at Maroubra Beach, and then have to get on another and head home due to rain. But when I arrived at the Beach, the weather looked reasonable, so I decided to keep to my plans to visit Malabar Headland. However, Sue, who I was planning to meet at the beach, had got quite wet earlier and so decided to stay home.

My principal aim of the visit was to photograph Peregrine Falcons, and at this I was reasonably successful. It did rain from time to time during  my stay, but the Headland does offer some shelter in sandstone overhangs. Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Sydney | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Wolli Creek Bird Survey – 10 August 2025

Posted on August 11, 2025 by Dave Noble

The Wolli Creek Bird Survey that I have been attending recently, had been postponed from the previous Sunday due to poor weather. The weather this Sunday was not the best, but, after some early morning electronic chats, we decided to go ahead, with a later start.

Currawong

We set off from Girrahween Park, but before we had gone too far along, it started raining, and the rain got heavier. So we retreated to one of the under shelter picnic tables back at Girrahween Park. As the rain radar showed the rain looked like lasting a while, we called the survey off. Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Sydney | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Wolli Creek – Fungi and Orchids – 9 August 2025

Posted on August 11, 2025 by Dave Noble

I decided to make a visit to part of Wolli Creek Regional Park to see if any late season fungi had appeared after recent good falls of rain. I did not find much out.

Gliophorus sp.

Continue reading →

Posted in Bushwalking, Sydney, Wildflowers | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Another Visit to the Cooks River – 8 August 2025

Posted on August 9, 2025 by Dave Noble

I joined Valerie and Sue for another walk along the Cooks River. We started at Beaman Park (from Wardell Road),and continued down to Gough Whitlam Park, where we hoped to stop for coffee at the newly reopened cafe.

Here are some photos – Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Sydney | Tagged | Leave a comment

Walking at Blackheath – The Beauchamp Crack, Clifftop Track and Braeside Track – 7 August 2025

Posted on August 9, 2025 by Dave Noble

I had suggested a walk at Blackheath to Bob, where we could see the new landslide on Carne Wall and also do circuit around the Braeside Track from Evans Lookout, perhaps linking it with Popes Glen. Some of these tracks had had recent track work, and it would be good to see how they were. Bob suggested that we could also visit the Beauchamp Crack. This sounded like a good plan, so we started from Evans Lookout.

At the carpark we encountered a Lyrebird foraging nearby. Continue reading →

Posted in Blue Mountains, Bushwalking | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Back to the Raptors of Long Reef – 6 August 2025

Posted on August 9, 2025 by Dave Noble

I spent another day at Long Reef. Again I concentrated on photographing the raptors – Ospreys and a Sea Eagle.

The seas were very big – Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Sydney | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

More Cooks River Birds – 5 August 2025

Posted on August 9, 2025 by Dave Noble

I returned to the Cooks River – between Illawarra Road and Gough Whitlam Park to continue with the bird photography from the previous afternoon.

When I walked down, I did not see any Sacred Kingfishers in their usual perches.

Here are some Little Black Cormorants – Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Sydney | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Cooks River Birds – 4 August 2025

Posted on August 8, 2025 by Dave Noble

After my very poor fungi walk down Wolli Creek in the morning, I decided to pack my bird camera for an afternoon walk along the Cooks River to see what birds were around.

I walked downstream from Illawarra Road to Gough Whitlam Park, and then back upstream. A short way down the path, I spotted two birders. They had spotted a Sacred Kingfisher. I was ready with my camera. Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Sydney | Tagged , | Leave a comment