The weather this Saturday was again not the best. There was a light, misty drizzle from the start, which did stop but the overcast conditions remained. The first location I went to had few birds and the cloud cover made it hard to take good photographs. I was thinking about returning home rather than keep walking but I persevered. I figured I would at least get to Red Hill Nature Reserve to see what I could find. The first photo below the map underneath this text gives an idea about the conditions on the day. I am glad I did keep going as I saw six Gang-gangs in one location, the most I have ever seen gathered together. Closer to Hughes I saw a magpie chick that was close to fledging. I hope you enjoy the pictures.
Black Mountain from Red Hill, another overcast, drizzly day
The Gang-gang Cockatoos were the first birds I was able to obtain good photos of this morning. Entering the north-west side of the nature reserve I could hear a Gang-gang calll so I knew they were around. I first saw two pairs in one tree with one male, photo one, making a lot of noise. One male, the “non-dominant one” departed from that tree. Looking at the photos, I saw the male that departed had a single black plume, photo two, which is similar to a bird I had previously photographed in the same area. Unsure if it was the same bird or an indication of a juvenile. This male was joined by a female. I also noticed there was another pair close by giving a total of six birds in three pairs. Most of them joined together in a dead tree to the south-west of where they initially had been, photos five and six. They all joined together to have a “calling” clash with a galah.
While looking at the Gang-gangs I saw this Grey Fantail. There was a second fantail as well but they were moving too quickly for me to photograph both of them.
I spotted this Red Wattlebird on the way home and I like how it was posed on this dead tree branch.
When I arrive back in Hughes I went to see how the Australian Magpie nest was getting on. I was happy to see there was a baby magpie close to fledging. It was still very grey in picture one. It was receiving food in picture two. Picture three gives a good plumage comparison between the adult and baby. The final photograph shows the baby flapping its wings with feathers that still look a little undeveloped. It appeared to be testing itself hopping between branches after the adult bird had flown off again.
These are a selection of Eastern Grey Kangaroos I saw on the hill, with the first three photographs of the same group. The final photograph was further up on the hill. The fence in the background of the last photograph was a perimeter fence for the water tank behind the kangaroo.
