Anyone from Sydney?

25 posts / 0 new
Last post
Cameraman
Cameraman's picture
Anyone from Sydney?

Hi everyone, Is anyboby participate in this forum is actually from Sydney?
-------------------------
Regards,
Cameraman

Gelmir
Gelmir's picture

Yep, I'm from the Northern Beaches.

Cameraman
Cameraman's picture

Good to know that someone is actually from Sydney. Thanks for that comment on YouTube by the way.

Gelmir
Gelmir's picture

My pleasure, I enjoyed your videos. I've got 2 more in the works at the moment, which I should have done by the end of Dec.

Amateur

I'm near Blacktown, that's close to Sydney isn't it?

CapturedByKylie
CapturedByKylie's picture

I'm located in the Hills district.

Windhover
Windhover's picture

Near Penrith.

rosaliathorn
rosaliathorn's picture

Canterbury.

Anonymous

I'm not from sydney but I just came back from a trip to there - I loved absailing in the Blue mountains and Jet Boating.
JET BOATING ROCKED!
Also, at sydney, I saw a Welcome Swallow (i think) and a Chesnut Teal Duck. You don't really see many of them in Melbourne. Well, not where i live

fluffywren
fluffywren's picture

yeah, I am. Lewisham, Ashfield area.

not many realy interesting birds to see in sydney, hey.

But there are a few good spots:
-Sydney Olympic Park
-Newington Armoury
-the Botanic Gardens???

Windhover
Windhover's picture

Fluffy, fluffy,

You really need to acquaint yourself with Sydney and its birds before you say things like that. ;)

Sure Ashfield and Lewisham are great for pigeons or mynas, but Bicentennial Park has over 100 species on record see here:

http://www.eremaea.com/SiteSpeciesList.aspx?Context=Top100Sites&Site=4017

Or one of my favorite local haunts near Penrith where I have seen 80 species in two hours without really trying too hard whilst walking three dogs!

http://www.eremaea.com/SiteSpeciesList.aspx?Context=Top100Sites&Site=14476

Many of my local sites would keep me interested for years! :)

What then exactly is your criteria for an interesting bird? Or what species or groups are you interested in?

:)

Cameraman
Cameraman's picture

I agree with you, Windhover, you need to look more carefully to the surrounding environment. By the way, what is that bird in your profile picture? It looks amazing!
--------------------------------------------
@rosaliathorn
What a coincidence! I live in Hurstville Canterbury area too!

Cameraman
Cameraman's picture

By the way everyone in Sydney, I am presenting a solo bird photography exhibition in Hurstville. Would you guys like to come and have a look?
------------------------------------------
Gallery Address:
14 MacMahon Street Hurstville 2220 NSW
Opening Hours 10am - 4pm Tuesday-Thursday
Alos opening on 24 of April 10am - 3pm (Saturday)
UNTIL 28of APRIL

Windhover
Windhover's picture

Hi Cameraman

I would love to see it, but I am not 100% if I can make it there at present.

I have a question and PLEASE it is not meant to be taken out of context but I am very curious. How could someone hold a solo bird photography exhibition if they need to ask about what is the bird in my avatar, which is the most common bird of prey in Australia? Just curious. Have you a website to share perhaps?

rosaliathorn
rosaliathorn's picture

I have to say Fluffywren, that sitting in my backyard I can count 10 species of bird on a normal day and if I happen to look across the road to Canterbury Racecourse, I can add at least another three species without having to use my binoculars. May I ask, are you originally from somewhere, other than Sydney, where the birds are more 'interesting'?

Hi Cameraman, I didn't think Canterbury to be anywhere near Hurstville. Great timelapse photo you've got there.

Windover...I don't know what your avatar is.
I agree with you about Ashfield and Lewisham. I'm only five minutes drive up the road but the difference is quite substantial. I would think it is because those suburbs are too busy traffic and residential wise for any bird to be comfortable. I lived in Summer Hill for a year and only ever spotted two birds that weren't of the everyday variety.

Cameraman
Cameraman's picture

Hi
@Windhover: To answer your question, I have been given a great opportunity to hold this exhibition despite I am just starting out in the field. Unfortunately all my subjects have been photographed around urban Syndey parks, and I very rarely see birds of prey due to the locations I have access to. Of course, if I was able to see such a huge variety of birds as you do around my area, I would probably know a lot more bird species. My interest is photography, and I tend to discover the species after I've photographed them. I know the birds that I have photographed, but I would like to expand out to more different bird species, thus my question. Perhaps you could tell me where you photographed your profile pic?

fluffywren
fluffywren's picture

Okay, maybe I was being a bit harsh.

It's just that whenever i go away, the birds seem really, I dunno, colourful? and YES, I have been to Bicentennial Park, so don't throw that one at me, please.

And okay, on January first each year, I get about 20 species. My brother and I have an obsession of walking around the block to see as many birds as we can for our year list, which starts on Jan 1st.

Okay, you win. You haff uncovered moi secret identity! I ist not a bird lover, but a Syd hater!

Okay, just kidding. Sydney's alright. I think the main reason I don't like it, is that I love the country, and I don't like the city, and since I live in the city, I don't like the city I live in. Does that make sense?

But yes, Sydney's good for birds, so I won't say anything bad about it again. Happy?

fluffywren
fluffywren's picture

Cameraman,

It's a Nankeen Kestrel...

I agree, that are pretty spectacular.

Amateur

Was in Ashfield on saturday and lucky for me there were about 20 Australasian Figbirds feeding from some berries in a massive tree at Pratten Park, maybe you'll se some?! They were a first for me anyway, i'm kind of the same as cameraman as I know the birds in my local area and on mainland from flicking through my field guide too much but any water birds and any BoP I am clueless on ID's...

Windhover
Windhover's picture

Fluffy,
Not sure what your level of experience is or how good your observation skills are, but even Rainbow Lorikeets are incredibly colorful - all you need to do is open your eyes and be able to observe. :) Other colorful locals are Scaly-breasted Lorikeets, Golden and Rufous Whistlers, Superb and Variegated Fairy-wrens, Azure and Sacred Kingfishers, Rainbow Bee-eaters, etc. All you need is the two attributes in my first sentence to successfully experience beauty AND color in our local bird world. There is no need to win anything, but it's simply pointless to make statements that you cannot substantiate with facts. What is this "YES, I have been to Bicentennial Park, so don't throw that one at me, please." anyway? Did you see MANY birds? How many ended up on your list for your visit?

Cameraman,
Photographed at Richmond. But you will have them throughout the city, though maybe not that approachable - not that this one was in particular. :) Your idea is good; photograph them and learn! Excellent way to build your knowledge of species, their behaviors and habitats. Well done! :)

Tazrandus
Tazrandus's picture

Yes! There are loads figbirds in that area. There was a flock at Petersham Park. Also saw a pair of Pheasant Coucals which were a first for me.
But I guess you are right with the area having not particularly exclusive species. I mean, you look at a field guide of over 750 species and you're just desperate to see the many hundred others other than the usual lorrikeets and mynas you get in your area. But you must appreciate that Sydney still has quite a diverse range of species visiting our backyards even if they are found pretty much everywhere. That's the glory of Australia's biodiversity.

Another Sydneysider here :)

Taz

NullaBirdman
NullaBirdman's picture

Hi, Cronulla here.

We're pretty lucky down here as we get a good mix.

Just sitting on our balcony we get the usual Maggies, Currawongs, Rainbow and Scaly Lorikeets, Wattlebirds, Cockatoos, kookas etc but the occasional Pardalote and King Parrot.

We live on a corridor and get fly-by's by Corellas and Plovers and in season Channel Billed Cuckoo's and Koels.

A 5 min walk to the rocks near Shelly Beach which gets some great sea birds. Pelicans, Turns, Gulls, Cormorants, Oyster catchers and Herons are all regs. A Nankeen seems to have set up shop too.

All good fun!

NullaBirdman
NullaBirdman's picture

Hi, Cronulla here.

We're pretty lucky down here as we get a good mix.

Just sitting on our balcony we get the usual Maggies, Currawongs, Rainbow and Scaly Lorikeets, Wattlebirds, Cockatoos, kookas etc with the occasional Pardalote and King Parrot.

We live on a corridor and get fly-by's by Corellas and Plovers and in season Channel Billed Cuckoo's and Koels.

A 5 min walk to the rocks near Shelly Beach which gets some great sea birds. Pelicans, Turns, Gulls, Cormorants, Oyster catchers and Herons are all regs. A Nankeen seems to have set up shop too.

All good fun!

fluffywren
fluffywren's picture

Hi guys,
I'd like to say sorry for my snappishness about Sydney, but I'd just got back from a fantastic holiday in the Snowy Mountains and in Mallacoota, and I was feeling a bit down that my holiday had ended. I have taken your advice, Windhover, and have opened my eyes a bit more. You were quite right, there are a diverse number of species in Sydney, and I have come into a much better frame of mind now that the koels have arrived, and there are galahs flying over my house (for some reason...we've never had them before)

Fluffwren... :(

fluffywren
fluffywren's picture

btw, Tazrandus,
Where did u see those coucals?

 and   @birdsinbackyards
                 Subscribe to me on YouTube