VIEWS AT ROYAL NATIONAL PARK, AUTLEY, NEW, AUSTRALIA

   We visited and birded at Royal National Park this past Friday, Oct. 13, 2017.  It is about an hour drive from Sydney.  The park is beautiful and the birding was great.  We had a great birding guide - Bob Hynson.  He knew the hotspots, was great at spotting birds and really knew his birds.  Sharon and I were with our friends Bill and Eleanor Marr.

DAY & NIGHT VIEWS OF AND FROM SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

   

SOME ART AT ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

SULPHUR-CRESTED COCKATOOS, ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - 10/12/2017

   We can ID this cuckatoo as a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo by its large size and white body with long yellow crest.  Both cockatoos have been banded.

   The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 613.

SHARON & GEORGE AT MRS MACQUARIE'S POINT, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

PIED CURRAWONG, ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

   This is one of the currawongs that was badgering the Powerful Owl in the previous post.  We can ID this currawong as a Pied Currawong by its generally black color; long, heavy gray bill; tail pattern of long white at base followed by black followed by thin white at tip and some white on wing (can see some of this in first photo).

   The Pied Currawong is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 612.

POWERFUL OWL, ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

   This owl was in a tree being actively badgered by two or three currawongs.  We believe the owl was probably close to the currawongs' nest and they were trying to get it to fly away.  We watched this for about 20 minutes and the owl did not go away.

   We can ID this owl as a Powerful Owl by its large size, upperparts dark (couldn't determine color) mottled and barred with whitish, underparts white and barred darker, tail barred white, and large yellow eyes.  The lighting in the tree was very poor so it was difficult to determine co,irs.

   The Powerful Owl is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 611.