Australia - Perth - Thompsons Lake Nature Reserve - Raptor's Delight!

The birding has continued at pace combined with a sporting event calendar which has meant I have been slow in processing my zillion photographs. Well that’s how many it seems like when I’m going through them! I am also getting to grips with the regular species which allows more time to look for that something special that may be lurking in the scrub!

Trips to see Perth Glory beat Sydney FC 3-1 in the soccer. A great atmosphere! The first Glory goal coming from a perfect passing movement resulting in a clinical finish smashing the back of the Sydney onion bag! The game was over at half time with glory 3-0 ahead!

Perth Heat comfortably beat Geelong – Korea 15-7 in the baseball a comfortable victory in a game that could go on forever!

Perth Wildcats lost to Cairns Taipans 79-81 in the basketball. Missed baskets cost them but they were twelve points down several times in the game. The atmosphere in the stadium was crazeee with the MC and morph man going nuts to get the crowd going in support of the Wildcats… “DEFENCE” three claps “DEFENCE” three claps. The kids (and this big kid!) in the crowd were loving it. Fantastic entertainment!

Back to the birds Thomsons Lake NR was loaded with wildfowl and shorebirds which meant the birds with a nervous disposition were sent skyward when a raptor passed overhead. The best offering of the morning was a Wedged Tailed Eagle which wasted no time crossing the skyline.

A Square Tailed Kite made a couple of appearances and caused some commotion down below. For my part it helped to mix the birds up with the possibility of something different showing near the shoreline.

The second picture gives an upper-wing profile of the structure of this bird.

Willie Wagtail was regular around the reserve. I will post a picture in a later blog. A White Necked Heron was snuck up upon despite some sogginess underfoot.

A Sacred Kingfisher was spied en route to another open section to this huge area in an area of dense trees.

I still have a couple of photographed passerines to identify but my mornings tally was around forty species. To end this series a Kangaroo which was one of c20 bouncing mammals I saw on the reserve.  I would not mess with one a huge powerful mammal who would win any heavyweight boxing title!

I saw one jogger during my time and navigation is left to the individual to use whatever means to negotiate the fenced reserve. No signs! But well worth a visit if you are in town!