Nielsen Park is on the southside of Sydney Harbour, towards the entrance. It is a lovely, little jewel of green tucked away in the affluent suburb of Vaucluse where remnant and regrowth bush comes down to the shores of one of the most beautiful harbours in the world. This was my first birding trip to this part of the Sydney Harbour National Park. I was not disappointed with the trip, which turned into a bit of cuckoo appreciation day, as I saw two species. I also enjoyed seeing, as well as listening to, the juvenile Grey Butcherbirds make their melodious call. I hope you enjoy the pictures.
A view of the western, rocky shore side of Nielsen Park
I regularly hear Eastern Koels (Eudynamys orientalis) in Canberra but I have not been lucky enough to see one yet in the bush capital. So when I heard one at Nielsen Park I really hoped I would be able to see it. Fortunately, I was able to track the male down, identifiable by its black plumage, high in a eucalyptus tree, on the eastern side of the park. Interestingly there were two Australian Magpies perched on the branches below it. The koel is not a brood parasite to magpies so I am unsure if they were keeping an eye on it or if the positioning was a coincidence. The koel was continuously calling, while looking around. It adjusted its position a few times while I was looking, but always stayed high up in the tree. These birds practice brood parasitism against Red Wattlebirds, which I did not hear until I was over on the western side of the park, away from where this koel was.
The male Eastern Koel high up in a tree, with black plumage and red eye
I am a sucker for a Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) photograph as I love kingfishers. This kookaburra was in very dark shadows so I had to really compensate with the exposure to get this picture. I was happy with the way the photograph turned out.
The Laughing Kookaburra watching something intently
While photographing the kookaburra above I heard the unmistakeable call of Channel-billed Cuckoos (Scythrops novaehollandiae), the largest cuckoo in the world. I had heard them fly from across the harbour to Nielsen Park where they were now happily perched in the high canopy of some very old native fig trees, eating the fruit. The shot is not the best, as I had to point the camera directly up, while trying to photograph the bird in the canopy with the sun behind it. I was happy this one at least turned its head a little so the size of his almost ‘hornbill-like’ beak was apparent. There were four birds, who seemed to be in two pairs. Regularly they would fly a loop around the park calling as they were flying. These birds practice brood parasitism against currawongs, who always seemed to call out loudly when these cuckoos were flying their loops. These cuckoos also target magpies and members of the crow family when laying their eggs.
I followed a marked trail through the park over the hill called Mount Trefle. The path wound through some tight growth meaning it was hard to photograph the birds I was hearing, as they tended to fly above the low canopy I was under. Coming around the southern side of the track I was treated to a lovely calling chorus by three juvenile Grey Butcherbirds (Cracticus torquatus). The bird in the photo below, the same one on the left of the photo at the top of the post, seemed to really enjoy the rising sun. At one stage it had its head craned to the side so it looked like the underside of its bill was being warmed by the sun.
A juvenile Grey Butcherbird enjoying the rising sun
Early in my walk I came across this bright fungi. Looking at the photograph later I noticed pairs of orange and black coloured beetles on the underside of the fungi. At the end of my walk I saw these large attractive flowers but a quick search of the wed did not help my identify them, although they were coming from trees I believe were a form of native fig.
Some colourful fungi
Some attractive flowers of what may be a native fig tree