Migratory Waders and Other Birds in Sydney Olympic Park

The Bicentennial Park in western Sydney is one of the best bird-watching spots in Sydney, and over 200 species of birds have been recorded in the park. Part of the Sydney Olympic Park, the Bicentennial Park lies on the shore of Homebush Bay and comprises 40 hectares of mangroves, woodland and grassy lawns.

The numerous ponds and creeks in the park provide habitat for an impressive array of waterbird species, and the forested areas are home to an equally impressive variety of forest birds. The Waterbird Refuge also provides important habitat for migratory shorebirds.

I visit the park a few times each season, and each time, I find new species of birds that I haven’t encountered in the park before. Here is a list of some of the most interesting birds in Sydney Olympic Park.

Waders

The shallow water around the edges of the Waterbird Refuge provides a feeding habitat for many waterbirds. Most of these birds have unique adaptations for wading in the water and catching their food. May have long legs and long or curved beaks.

The common species observed in the shallows are Black-winged stilt, Black-fronted dotterel, White-faced heron, Great Egret, Red-kneed Dotterel, Royal spoonbill, Glossy ibis, Straw-neck ibis and Masked lapwing.

In dry years, large flocks of Red-necked avocets congregate at the Waterbird Refuge. They are some of my favourite birds at Sydney Olympic Park. With a bit of patience, you can find a few avocets near the shore to have a good look at these dainty elegant waders.

Migratory Waders

Migratory shorebirds inhabit the intertidal zone of coastal beaches, wetlands and estuaries. They feed on marine worms, crustaceans, and other invertebrates at low tide. At high tide, they roost near the water’s edge, close to their feeding sites. The Waterbird Refuge provides some of the most important remaining habitats for these species in the Sydney area.

More than 15 migratory shorebird species have been recorded at Sydney Olympic Park. They start to arrive in Australia in September and remain until April. The most common species at the park are the Bar-tailed Godwit and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.

During the summer months, they can be observed at the Waterbird Refuge in large flocks of up to 500 birds. Other migratory birds that visit the Waterbird Refuge are Red-necked stint, Curlew sandpiper, Japanese snipe.

Birds of the Open Water

The deeper water of the more open parts of the Waterbird Refuge provides habitat for waterbirds like grebes that dive for their food or swans that use their long necks to forage for food on the bottom.

Some of the more common birds in the open water are Welcome Swallow, Silver Gull, Eurasian Coot, Dusky Moorhen, Australasian grebe, Australian pelican, and Black swan.

The birds move around the pond throughout the day, coming closer to shore at times and then retreating to the safety of the open water. It is best to visit the pond a couple of times during your visit to see different birds doing different things.

Divers and Dabblers

At the Waterbird Refuge, divers and dabblers are represented by Grey teal, Chestnut teal, Pacific black duck, Hardhead and Pink-eared duck.

One of my favourite birds in Australia is Kingfisher, and the Waterbird Refuge is a good place for Sacred Kingfishers. They can often be seen in the trees overhanging the pond.

Behind the bird hide, there is a trail leading to the Shipwreck viewing platform. Bicentennial Park is well known for its many shipwrecks. For the birders, though, the viewing platform is a good spot to see Australasian darters. There are usually a few individuals sitting on the wooden remnants of a shipyard, sun-drying their feathers.

Singing Birds

Waterbirds are, of course, not the only birds in Sydney Olympic Park. Early mornings are good for spotting some of Sydney’s singing birds. The trees around the Saltmarsh Pond and the Waterbird Refuge always turn up Superb fairy-wrens, often at close range.

Recently, I was photographing a male fairy-wren when another one flew in and cuddled up to him. I’ve never seen adult male fairy-wren socialising in such an affectionate manner before.

Another crowd-pleaser is the adorable Golden Whistler. I don’t often see these attractive birds in Sydney, and the Olympic Park seems to be a reasonably good place to see them.

I’ve also seen Red-browed finches in the park. They travel in small flocks with a lot of chatter, so you’ll probably hear them before you see them.

And the gentle chatter high up in the canopy is likely coming from the Silvereyes. These guys are so small and tend to stay so high that you don’t often get a good look at them with the naked eye. Occasionally, though, you can sneak up on them while they are distracted by something else.

The one species that is hard to miss is the Red Wattlebird. Large and loud, these birds are quite conspicuous.

Birds of Prey

Harder to spot are the birds of prey. The park is home to quite a few raptor species, including White-bellied Sea eagles, Black-shouldered kites and Nankeen kestrels. The smaller raptors can sometimes be seen hovering over the ponds or frozen in the sky as they scan for a potential meal.

One morning, I came across a Black-shouldered kite that kept returning to the same perch on top of a dead tree. It would fly off for a few minutes and return carrying a rat in its talons. Consuming the rats proved to be a delicate balancing act, as the thin branches of the tree didn’t offer that much stability.

There are also Powerful owls roosting in the park, but I keep missing them. I tend to miss owls more than any other birds, as hard as I try to look for them.

Visiting Bicentennial Park

Take the A4 from the city until you reach Homebush Drive. Take the right turn to Homebush Drive and then left onto Australia Avenue. Parking inside the park is available for a flat rate of $25.

If you are coming on public transport, which is a very convenient way to visit the park, take the train to Concord West Station and then follow Victoria Avenue to the park. It’s about a 10-minute walk

Best Spots for Birdwatching in Sydney Olympic Park

In Bicentennial Park, a good bird-watching area starts where the road turns towards Badu Mangroves from the Educational Center. Badu Mangrove Broadwalk is good for checking out the mangrove ecosystem. You’ll see plenty of Estuarine crabs and, if you are lucky, a Sacred kingfisher.

Next up is a patch of Coastal Saltmarsh – an endangered ecological community protected in the park. The saltmarsh pond usually has a few Black-winged stilts wading in the shallows. Black swans have been nesting here lately.

It is also a very good spot to observe Superb fairy-wrens. They usually hop among the trees growing along the walking path that passes the marsh.

The best spot, however, is the Waterbird Refuge. This is where all the waders and the waders and waterbirds are.

According to the signage in the park, the water level in the pond is regulated by the solar-powered gate, which opens twice a day to simulate the ebb and flow of the tide and provide migrating birds with much-needed breeding and feeding refuge.

This process, known as tidal flushing, mimics the tide so that exposed mudflats provide a foraging habitat at low tide, and shallow water and man-made islands provide roosting sites at high tide.

The gate settings are changed seasonally. These seasonal changes in water height are required for nutrient inflow and can be used to set boundaries between different habitats.

The picnic grounds at the Archery Center are a good spot to look for parrots.

Brickpit is good for raptors like the Black-shouldered kites and Black falcons.

Narawang Wetlands are comprised of 22 ponds and a good place to see a variety of water birds, as well as Australian Reed-Warblers and Golden-headed Cisticolas.

More on Nature Adventures in Sydney

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• 
  Warriewood Wetlands – A Bird Watching Hotspot in Sydney
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  Migratory Waders and Other Birds in Sydney Olympic Park
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  40 Fun Things to do in Kangaroo Valley
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  Werrong Beach – the best-kept secret in Royal National Park
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  Karloo Pools and Uloola Falls – A beautiful walk in Royal National Park