More Sydney Olympic Park Photos

The 300 hectares of bushland and waterways of Sydney Olympic Park demonstrate how nature can be nurtured even in the middle of a sprawling city. In addition to the waterbirds there are many birds of the bush and grassland, for a grand total of over 200 bird species in the park.

This juvenile male Superb Fairy-wren sports an unusual and beautiful livery, soon to change to the spectacular blue coat of the adult male Fairy-wren.

Red-rumped Parrots are often associated with the open farmlands of the west, but are here quite at home in the fields of Sydney Olympic Park. The dozen or so nest boxes provided for them at the Archery Centre are well used. Last week I counted eight birds in just a few minutes.

This Olive-backed Oriole was singing for quite a while before being spotted and photographed in the mangroves on the shores of Homebush Bay.

At the Waterbird Refuge this young Common Koel was calling for its foster parent, a Red Wattlebird waiting nearby. Unfortunate Red Wattlebirds are often selected by Koels to host their offspring.

An Australian Raven feeding down on the salt marsh of the Badu Mangroves, on the eastern side of Sydney Olympic Park. There appeared more than adequate food available for the group of five feeding.

The Waterbird Refuge at Sydney Olympic Park

Located on the shore of Homebush Bay, the Waterbird Refuge at Sydney’s Olympic Park is home to hundreds of waterbirds. One sees Chestnut Teal ducks, Grey Teal ducks, Pacific Black Ducks, Black-winged Stilts and Red-necked Avocet in large numbers, along with Black Swans, Pelicans, Royal Spoonbills, Black-fronted Dotterel and various Egrets. Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and Bar-tailed Godwits are seasonal visitors.

There were over 100 Red-necked Avocet on the Wildlife Refuge last week. But numbers of ducks of all species were lower than normal.

Striated Heron are often seen in the Homebush Bay mangroves, just outside of the Waterbird Refuge.

There were a number of Black-winged Stilts nesting and chicks feeding at the water’s edge.

This Black-winged Stilt was keeping close to its chick seen in the photo above.

There were about twenty Chestnut Teal in the Wildlife Refuge but this pair was seen from the bridge across Haslams creek.

Narawang Wetland at Sydney Olympic Park

Spring brings a new round of Sydney Olympic Park spring surveys and this year the early morning start is eased by the quick trip westward in the new WestConnex tunnel. This year’s sites include the garden-like Narawang Wetland close to tidal Haslam’s Creek. These small ponds are home to a surprising variety of water birds such as Latham’s Snipe, Baillon’s Crake and Buff-banded Rails in addition to the usual Purple Swamphen, Dusk Moorhen, Eurasian Coots and a variety of ducks. In the marshes are Australian Reed-Warblers, Golden-headed Cisticolas and this week a Tawny Grassbird.

Australian Reed-Warbler

Brown Honeyeaters predominate in the bushes surrounding the wetland along with Red Wattlebirds, Little Wattlebirds, New Holland and White-plumed Honeyeaters.

Brown Honeyeater

Sydney Olympic Park Spring Survey

It’s the second to last week of the Sydney Olympic Park Spring Survey today. So another trip down Paramatta road, not so bad before six in the morning but even so it is a hassle. The survey starts at 6.30 am and it is a beautiful morning.

The Spring Survey is held on eight consecutive Tuesdays with over forty five sites surveyed each time. Again this bird survey has a long history, starting in 2004. When the Homebush area was reclaimed for the Sydney Olympics in 2000 a large area, 300 hectare, was set aside as parkland and for bush regeneration, resulting in a large area treed and landscaped and well served with paths for walkers, runners and cyclists. Habitats include estuarine and freshwater wetlands, remnant eucalypt forest, saltmarsh meadows and woodland bird habitats.

We have been assigned the Waterbird Refuge this year, a pond and mudflat separated from Homebush bay by narrow bushed causeways on two sides. The Refuge is tidal and the water level is controlled to retain a balance between deeper water and mudflat.

Not so many birds today, two weeks ago we counted over 600 individuals. But still an amazing number of Black-winged Stilts, Red-necked Avocets and Grey and Chestnut Teal ducks. In particular, Sharpie numbers are still up - over 40 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers for the second week. No Godwits today, they will be feeding on the mudflats outside the park.