Some birds of Long Reef Point NSW
Long Reef Point near Dee Why, Sydney
A few days ago my wife and I spent a little while at Long Reef Point at Dee Why, a suburb of Sydney. This spot is known for its sea-birds, but at this time of the year only a few resident species can usually be found. Most of the waders have long since flown to warmer climes in the northern hemisphere.
The only water birds I was able to identify with my binoculars and the zoom on my camera were as follows:
Little Pied Cormorant
Little Pied Cormorant
Great Cormorant
Silver Gull
Crested Tern
Sooty Oystercatcher (see photo below)
Australian Pelican
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
That’s not a great list by anyone’s estimation, but about the best I could do in the short time I had. Other birds seen in the vicinity, including the adjacent golf course, were:
Willie Wagtail
Common Myna (see yesterday’s post)
Variegated Fairy-wren (see post from 2 days ago)
Australian Raven
Welcome Swallow
Masked Lapwing
Spotted Turtledove
Noisy Miner
Rainbow Lorikeet
Red Wattlebird
Little Wattlebird
Grey Butcherbird
Again – not a great list but about what I expected for this time of the year, and for the weather conditions which were dull and overcast.
Next time we visit family in the summer months I must take out time from looking after the grandchildren and visit this spot again.
Long Reef Point near Dee Why, Sydney
Sooty Oystercatchers, Long Reef Point near Dee Why, Sydney
This is not a minor threat
Common Myna
Yesterday I wrote about a pleasant time my wife and I had visiting Long Reef Point north-east of Sydney CBD. One small, disturbing element of our visit was the number of Common Myna birds in the locality. This introduced pest species is quite a threat to our native bird species, competing directly with them for nesting sites and food. Many people are also annoyed by their strident calls.
The particular individual shown in today’s sequence of photos seems to have taken a dislike to me – or my camera – and appears to be advancing towards me in a threatening way. I am pleased that it caused me no harm and left my camera intact.
Common Myna
Common Myna
A flash of colour on a dull winter’s day
Male Variegated Fairy-wren
My wife and I are currently visiting family in Sydney. Yesterday we were free from helping out with the grandchildren for a few hours, so we packed a picnic lunch and headed out to a few potential birding spots.
One of the places I was keen to revisit after many years was Long Reef Point next to the Long Reef Golf Course, Dee Why north-east of Sydney CBD.
It was a cool, dull, overcast day and the birding was quite slow. Despite this I made quite a nice little list of local resident birds but few photos. While there I realised it was the wrong time of year. Most of the migrant wading birds had long flown north to Asia for our winter. Wise birds.
During our visit, my wife and I sat quietly on a rock at the top of the point reaching out to sea from the mainland. Watching the waves come in can be very good for the soul, and very relaxing. We were pleased that it was a calm day; on windy days one could easily get blown off the cliff onto the beach or rocks below.
As we sat quietly a family of Variegated fairy-wrens came to visit within a few metres of where we sat. Despite the fact that wrens move incredibly quickly, I was able to get several good shots, shown on today’s post. The one below of female is quite delightful. It looks for all the world like she is scolding us for intruding on their territory.
Female Variegated Fairy-wren
Male Variegated Fairy-wren