The Duck Pond at Centennial Park in Sydney has been deserted by many of its usual residents; for example not one Hardhead was counted at the last survey - normally the count might be over one hundred. However there are still a few ducks present including this Grey Teal family. And a few days ago a party of six Plumed Whistling Ducks stayed overnight, en route to who knows where.
Grey Teal family feed at the Duck Pond, Centennial Park, Sydney.
Thursday’s survey of the Duck Pond, Randwick and Busby ponds in Centennial Park, Sydney confirmed that the water birds are still extremely scarce in the eastern suburbs. Counts of individual duck species of one or two were made where over one hundred is the norm for these ponds. Presumably they are still enjoying the rain and floods; reports from colleagues of thousands of waterbirds seen out west are reassuring. After the surveys we checked the regular residents and found one of the two Powerful Owls, the nesting Tawny Frogmouths and Common Koels.
Male Common Koel
Female Common Koel
The male Tawny Frogmouth sits on the nest while the female stands guard nearby and provides food. One of the two chicks can just be seen at the bottom of the male’s front on the left.
A moment later the chick has opened its mouth in hope of food. It is an impressive size for such a small bird!
Birdwatchers celebrate the arrival of the first Latham’s Snipe after the long flight from Japan and mainland Asia. The Snipes head north during the Australian winter to breed. They return for the Australian spring and summer, first returners arriving late in August to early September. Their flight time from Japan can be as short as three days! They are found in the vegetation and on the shore around wetlands such as found in Sydney’s Centennial Park, feeding on both plant material and worms, spiders and insects.
This Latham’s Snipe was the first sighted back in Sydney’s Centennial Park after returning from the northern hemisphere breeding season. It was seen in the park’s “Duck Pond” which as expected from the name usually supports large numbers of ducks: Pacific Black Ducks, Hardheads and Grey Teal as well as regular visits from Pink-eared and Freckled ducks. This year nearly all the ducks have gone, presumably to the flooded areas in the west of NSW.
There are seven sub-species of Silvereye recognised in Australia plus the ‘Capricorn White-eye’ which some think should be a separate species. The sub-species can be difficult to separate, made more so by the migration of some birds. A helpful pamphlet on bird identification is published by the Australian Bird Study Association Inc. on their website. Link to “Silvereye” pamphlet
This Silvereye was photographed at Sydney’s Centennial Park last week. After considerable discussion it was concluded that this bird was from the resident Sydney population, the South-eastern Silvereye belonging to the Zosterops lateralis westernensis sub-family. The key identification criteria were its tawny flanks and its yellow chin.
Also photographed in Sydney’s eastern suburbs last May, this bird was identified as the Tasmanian Silvereye, Zosterops lateralis lateralis. This was based on its rufous brown flanks and its grey chin. Many Tasmanian Silvereyes migrate north in the late summer and can be seen as far north as Queensland. They “island hop” across Bass Strait and join flocks of other Tasmanian and local birds.
This Western Silvereye was photographed in Albany on the southern coast of Western Australia. It has a distinctive olive-green back compared to the grey back seen on other sub-species.
Related to the Silvereye is the Yellow White-eye, Zosterops luteus, a mangrove dweller seen across the north of Australia. This Yellow White-eye was photographed from the famous Streeter’s Jetty in Broome, WA.
Pelican landing on the Randwick pond in Centennial Park, Sydney.
Pelican on its “Final Approach” for landing
“Flaps and Landing Gear” down
“Touch Down”
“Brakes On”
“Reverse Thrust”
A successful “Landing”
Photos from a visit to Sydney’s Centennial Park last Thursday.
Male Superb Fairy-wren in the reeds at the Willow Pond
Female Superb Fairy-wren at the Willow Pond
Pacific Black Ducklings at Musgrave Pond
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo near the new Kensington Bridge that connects the park to the light rail station.
Dragonfly at the Willow Pond
The Tawny Frogmouth is an enigmatic bird of the night, difficult to find in daytime, typically well camouflaged amongst the branches of a tree, imitating a broken tree branch or loose piece of bark. There are three species of Frogmouth in Australia, the Tawny Frogmouth (50 cm) seen Australia wide, the huge Papuan Frogmouth (60 cm) seen in Cape York and the Marbled Frogmouth (46 cm) seen in the very north and the south east corner of Queensland.
This female Tawny Frogmouth is roosting close to the nest where her partner sits with two young chicks, not far from Sydney’s busy Oxford street in Centennial Park.
Frogmouths eat insects, spiders and frogs and even small birds and mammals. They tend to nest in the same area over a number of years. In Sydney’s Centennial Park there are three pairs nesting at the moment.
The male bird supervises the two restless chicks. Tawny Frogmouth nests are flimsy and look quite precarious as the chicks get larger. This pair have chosen a medium sized Malaleuca tree for their nest.
Another family of Tawny Frogmouths in Sydney’s Centennial Park. The chicks are older and have left their nest.
This Tawny Frogmouth nest is anchored by a single pine cone, wedged between two branches of a pine tree.
Another pleasant morning taking photos in the park. Always something new to see and subjects that are not easily disturbed by people, dogs or photographers.
Grey Teal Ducks seem attracted to the Musgrave Pond, a relatively small pond at the Queen’s Park end of Centennial Park. There are often Chestnut Teals here as well.
A group of Crested Pigeons was congregating close to the Ian Potter Children’s Wild Play Garden, currently closed down because of Covid.
A Dusky Moorhen, also on the Musgrave Pond in Centennial Park.
During this long lockdown in Sydney’s eastern suburbs we are fortunate to have Centennial Park nearby. Despite record numbers of people taking their daily exercise, the birds carry on as normal. As spring arrives so do Olive-backed Orioles, Figbirds, Channel Billed Cuckoos and Common Koels which have all been sighted in the park. A number of the regular inhabitants are raising families.
At the Willow Pond Black Swans have successfully raised a family of five, three of whom are seen here.
This photo illustrates the attentive parenting that has ensured the survival of all five chicks against predation by foxes, cats and ravens
In the Lachlan Swamp Malaleuca Forest the resident Tawny Frogmouths are nesting again. A single chick has been sighted to date. The female pictured here rests close to where the male is sitting on the nest.
A Powerful Owl family has successfully raised two chicks, the four family members still roosting close to the nest during the day.
Photos taken over the last few weeks in Sydney’s parks.
Brown Quail at Centennial Park, Sydney
Spangled Drongo photographed at Randwick Environment Park, Sydney
Superb Fairy-wren at Sydney Park in Sydney
Little Pied Cormorant at the Duck Pond in Centennial Park, Sydney
Powerful Owl with possum at Centennial Park, Sydney
The sight and sound of over one hundred Little Corellas rising together as one is a sure sign that some danger is present. This time in Centennial Park, Sydney it is a Brown Goshawk that is stirring up the park’s inhabitants.
A Brown Goshawk is on the chase at Sydney’s Centennial Park. Brown Goshawks are seen quite often in the city’s Eastern Suburbs.
It is a good question as to who is chasing who. Currawongs and Ravens were protesting the Goshawk’s presence while these Rainbow Lorikeets pass quickly by.
Musk Lorikeets range across the south-east corner of Australia and are regular Autumn visitors to Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. They are usually feeding high in flowering eucalypts or malaleucas and the height combined with their rapid movement makes them difficult subjects to photograph.
These Musk Lorrikeets were photographed at Frog Hollow in Centennial Park, Sydney last week, feeding on flowering eucaplyts.
The Musk Lorikeets stay high at the very top of the canopy, perhaps thus avoiding competition with the more aggressive Rainbow Lorikeets feeding lower on the same trees.
Musk Lorikeet at Frog Hollow in Centennial Park, captured in a rare moment of repose.
The parks are quiet in the heat and our bird number count is down. Rumour has it that the water birds have left for inland waters this year; Kensington Pond at Centennial Park had only one solitary Eurasian Coot that had to join a flock of Pacific Black Ducks for company. The total species counts at Centennial Park were only one or two down on normal but total numbers were well below average. The morning’s survey was enlivened by two Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos squabbling with an agitated Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.
Although I associate Yellow-rumped Thornbills more with the open fields of the country they are seen quite regularly at Randwick Environment Park. Here two birds were foraging amongst the litter in the parks well maintained gardens for insects and the occasional seed.
The lake at Randwick Environment Park is bone dry, it has only had fleeting partial water fills since the drought. More worryingly the creek is running at a trickle. The count included a solitary magpie, even the Noisy Miners were down to two. There were more birds on the bushy side of the park, including Yellow-rumped Thornbills, New Holland Honeyeaters and Superb Fairy-wrens.
Randwick Environment Park is a surprising oasis of green in Sydney’s east. The flat area pictured was a well populated lake and water bird refuge before the drought.
There is always something to see in the city’s parks and bush reserves and always something interesting to photograph. The photos below are from around Sydney the past two weeks.
Magpie-larks, also called Peewees after their distinctive call, are seen throughout country Australia, on the ground at the road-side searching for insects. They are just as at home in the city parks and gardens, this Magpie-lark is resting on a park bench.
The Long-billed Corella is a native of South Australia but in Sydney released cage-birds have joined with flocks of Little Corellas. They are easily distinguished from the Little Corellas by their distinctive coloured throats and of course their long bills.
This Powerful Owl is avoiding attention, a world removed from the dog-walkers and dogs on the path directly below the tree it is roosting in.
Even when you know which trees the Tawny Frogmouths are roosting in they are extremely hard to see, well camouflaged to hide in their favourite Melaleuca trees.
Brown Quail have been noted from time to time in Centennial Park, Sydney, but it is quite a few years since the last sighting. A single bird was reported a week ago and now two birds have been confirmed, residing on the grassy banks of one of the park’s ponds.
It was 5pm, raining and the camera was safely in its waterproof bag when these two Brown Quail appeared for their photograph.
The parks around Sydney are good places to photograph birds. Sometimes the birds are not the rarest or the most exotic. But this is made up for because the birds are tamer and you can get closer. And the open spaces have good light for photography. Not to mention that parks provide a handy place to get outdoors and take some pictures!
This odd gathering of birds was seen in Sydney’s Centennial Park.
Even the much maligned Noisy Miner can look quite handsome in a certain light.
This close up view gives a new perspective on a young Superb Fairy-wren.
Sydney’s Centennial Park was busier than ever during Covid 19 isolation and still has more joggers and walkers than before. It is always a tonic to see the amazing range of birds that take refuge in this popular park in the middle of the city. At the moment the park’s many ponds are full but as noted recently they are short of ducks - perhaps due to rains falling further west?
Few ducks but the park’s other waterbirds still abound - including this Australasian Grebe captured in the last of the day’s sunlight.
After drought, bushfires and rain, birds are breeding at unusual times. There was a family of Black Swans with three young on the Duck Pond, under the very close supervision of both parents.
Birdlife’s Powerful Owl Project has revealed several hundred Powerful Owls across the Greater Sydney area and Centennial Park usually has at least one pair in residence.
Powerful Owl in Centennial Park, Sydney last week.
Australia’s top birding organization Birdlife is asking birdwatchers to do more surveys in response to the bush fires. They highlight the importance of knowing what is happening to bird numbers, not only in burnt out areas, but across the rest of the country as well.
Last weekend I surveyed my two regular Eastern Suburb sites. The past week’s 200 – 400 mm rain has extinguished most of the fires across NSW and in the city it has filled ponds in local parks and brought a flush of green to the previously desiccated bush. The pond at Randwick Environment Park was full for the first time since early 2018 and the count there showed a handful of Pacific Black Ducks, three Eurasian Coots and an Australasian Grebe in addition to the regular Magpies and Red Wattlebirds.
At the Kensington Pond in Centennial Park there were ducks, coots and an Intermediate Egret gracing the waters. In the slither of Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub that lines the northern bank were Red Wattlebirds, New Holland Honeyeaters, Superb Fairy-wrens with Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos in the adjacent Maritime Pine trees.
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo at Kensington Pond, Centennial Park, Sydney
At the Fly Casting Pond, a Freckled Duck, one of three that have been in residence on and off over past months, was showing signs of breeding plumage with its bill reddening at the base.
Freckled Duck at Fly Casting Pond at Centennial Park, Sydney
Bushfires have dominated our attention in New South Wales these past weeks. In the meantime the drought that makes these bushfires so fierce and unrelenting continues, with one hundred percent of the state drought declared and most of the state in severe drought. It is a shock to see how dry our city parks are, the ponds of Centennial Park are all but empty and much of the bush showing stress, some shrubs and trees are dying. The park’s rainfall for the last three months is 50 mm, less the 20 percent of the average.
Large mud-banks formed as water levels drop are attracting a number of birds of interest, as seen at today’s Birding NSW excursion to Centennial Park. On the Duck Pond unusual visitors were Latham’s Snipes, Little Terns, Black-winged Stilts and Black-fronted Dotterels. At the Model Yacht Pond were Chestnut Teal, Freckled Ducks and Australasian Shovelers. Other birds of interest included Figbirds, Topknot Pigeons and Royal Spoonbills.
Royal Spoonbill at depleted Fly Casting Pond, Centennial Park, Sydney
Eastern Barn Owls have often been seen in Sydney’s Centennial Park over the last five years; during the day they roost underneath the foliage of Canary Island Date Palms. Numbers in the park seem to be increasing, with a peak count of five birds seen last year. Powerful Owls and the Southern Boobook are also seen in Centennial Park.
The Barn Owl is one of the world’s most widespread birds, found across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. They are well adapted to agricultural areas but their numbers may be increasing in the city too.
This bird was seen on last week’s winter survey, the first sighting for several months.
Eastern Barn Owl roosting under crown of a Canary Island Date Palm