The Bli Bli Walk

We are up in Queensland visiting Carmel's parents for her Mum's 90th birthday (Monday). I visited the walking track beside the Bli Bli (pronounced: Bligh Bligh) retirement village. It is always a good spot for birds even though it is a popular walking track for the retirees and their dogs.

The Brown Honeyeaters were present as usual, but they were not sitting around to have their portraits taken. Most of them were chasing one another at high speed thought the Casurinas. We have them around Lake Macquarie too but I am yet to photograph them there. They are much more common up here especially in the mangrove areas.

The other bird that attracted my attention was this Sacred Kingfisher. It looks as though it has been fishing in the mud. It was quite happy to sit on this branch while I took several photos.

 The lake below Carmel's parent's villa is filled with birds as usual. There is a Black Swan family of 2 adults and 4 immature swans. Someone must be feeding them because I saw them walk past the back fence early this morning.

The young swans still have their grey colour but are the same size as their parents. I am not sure how long they stick together as a family unit. That would make a useful bit of study if I lived here.

 I flushed a family of 4 Australian Grebes away from the bank today. The adults were not in their breeding colours which made me think for a moment that I had found some Hoary-headed Grebes.

The ones that I photographed in Cooranbong recently still retained their breeding colours.

They did not stay around for long. Once disturbed they headed for the other side of the lake.

There were 3-4 Purple Swamphens around in the reeds and on the lawn. I tried to get some photos of them in good light, but they were quite wary of me and did not let me get too close.