I had told Sue about my great encounters with the Pacific Baza at Sydney Park, the previous day, and she was keen to see it again, so we arranged to meet there in the afternoon.
We did meet up near the Chimneys, and then soon located the Baza – again due to the kerfuffle of the other birds. Here are the culprits – Continue reading
Around this time last year (actually a bit later in the year), I had made a number of trips to Rookwood Necropolis to photograph the birds there. Many thanks to Simin for suggesting this location, as I had not been there for a few years before that. The highlights last season had been seeing a flock of Scarlet Honeyeaters, and some Spotted Pardalotes close up, and then watching a family of Brown Goshawks chicks fledge and grow up.
So, I wondered what smaller birds were around, and would the Brown Goshawks be nesting again?
When I arrived, I walked to the spot where I had seen the Brown Goshawks last year. I soon spotted one – Continue reading
The Pacific Baza at Sydney Park continues to provide great photographic opportunities. At present it confines itself to the Park, so is not too hard to find. Especially with the pandemonium of the resident Noisy Miners trying their best to move it on.
Here is a selection of photos – Continue reading
On this day, a Tuesday, I visited two places. The first was Barton Park, which includes the Landing Lights Wetland. The birdlife was relatively quiet, so I proceeded later to Sydney Park, where I photographed the Pacific Baza again. I will put that visit into a separate post.
Here are some of there birds I saw at Barton Park –
Superb Fairy-wren
White-faced Heron Continue reading
It was the opening day of the new extension of the Metro – the line between Sydenham and Chatswood. I was keen to try it out. I met Sue at Sydenham, and we spent quite a few hours on the line, travelling all the way to Tallawong, then back, visiting many of the new stations along the way. Later in the evening, I met up with John and his two boys for a trip up to Chatswood and back.
I met Sue at 10 am at Sydenham. This was after the crowded peak hour, and well after the first train, packed with ferroequinologists much earlier. Continue reading
I joined Sue for an interesting session of bird photography at Sydney Park. We were mainly wanting to find the Pacific Baza – which turned out to be very easy – we just had to listen for the pandemonium caused by Noisy Miners.
The Baza can be a difficult bird to photograph in the forest parts of the Park, where is hunts for food. But it does a lot of short flights as it searches for food, and provides plenty of opportunities. And every now and then it flies across an open area. Continue reading
This was an outstanding day for bird photography at Long Reef Aquatic Reserve in the Northern Beaches. I arrived around 11 am and stayed till around 4 pm. It was low tide when I arrived, so I was able to walk out onto the rock platform and photograph the overwintering migratory birds. Then when the tide rose, I concentrated on the Ospreys.
First, out on the rock platform – Continue reading
Sue and myself visited Malabar Headland and enjoyed a great day. This visit – both the Peregrine Falcons made an appearance – and they performed!
On the walk out from Maroubra, we spotted a Nankeen Kestrel perched on Magic Point. Continue reading
I had suggested to Bob that we visit the new track that goes from Bald Hill down to Stanwell Park, to the south of Royal National Park. This will form part of a greater walk from Kurnell, all the way along the coast, with a ferry trip from Cronulla to Bundeena, then the Road Coast Track, and then down Bald Hill, and back along the Wodi Wodi Track to Sublime Point and beyond. The Bald Hill section had been completed, so we should check it out. And then we could visit some nearby railway tunnels.
The trip worked out very well. We ended up doing the new track (it didn’t take long), then returning via the old Otford Tunnel, and then back along another track to Bald Hill. Then we headed to Helensburgh and visited three more disused tunnels – the Metropolitan Tunnel, the Helensburgh Tunnel and the Cawley Tunnel. Then we had time left over to visit two heritage horse troughs near Audley in Royal National Park. Continue reading
I was keen to see more of the Pacific Baza at Sydney Park, so I made an afternoon visit. But while I was there, it was raining – light rain, but continual, so I was walking around under an umbrella. And the birdlife was very subdued. Even the Noisy Miners were quiet for once. So, I did not spot the Baza. Nor did I see any Buff-banded Rails, which were my next target birds.
White-faced Heron
