It was mid December and the weather looked fine, so I popped my kayak into the Hunter River at lower Bolwarra and headed upstream. It was very noticeable how the river was was due to the lack of rain, and how some of the dams on nearby properties were empty.
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The early morning was superb. I noticed a number of honeyeaters in and out of the trees, and Rainbow Bee Eaters were also prominent, no doubt nesting somewhere along the banks.
A few minutes later I heard and then spotted a Dollar Bird. It looked like an immature bird and was continually calling. I pulled over to a good spot and waited some time and was rewarded with a nice shot of the parent flying in to feed the chick, and then they were both gone.
I moved on under the railway bridge and my next subject, although common, was the find of the day, a White Faced Heron. It was perched on a tree stump at the edge of the river and in the early light it looked magnificent.
I closed the gap very slowly and then tied the kayak against the bank. Herons can be very jumpy but once they accept your presence, you can get very close. The bird’s colours looked fantastic in the morning light and I spent the next hour or so photographing this bird in all sort of positions.
At one stage early on it flew off, and I thought that’s that, but was happily surprised when it flew straight back to the same branch.
Eventually we both thought it time to depart, and it took off, having a good look at me.
Moving along I came to an area with dense bush and a cliff face just past north Bolwarra – a superb area for bird life. Some years ago I had a Wedgetail Eagle nesting in this area, but unfortunately we now have building construction close by which, I am sure, will encroach on our wildlife.
The next bird I spotted was a Peregrine Falcon in flight but out of my range. This bird has been in this area for some time now and probably nests in the cliff face.
By now it was starting to get hot I was just about to run back when I spotted a large bird on a branch low down near water level.
I moved in slowly and managed to get off a few shots of this fantastic raptor, a Whistling Kite before it lifted off.
Not a bad way to finish the day – time to go home.