Sydney's Centennial Park

Sydney’s Centennial Park was busier than ever during Covid 19 isolation and still has more joggers and walkers than before. It is always a tonic to see the amazing range of birds that take refuge in this popular park in the middle of the city. At the moment the park’s many ponds are full but as noted recently they are short of ducks - perhaps due to rains falling further west?

Few ducks but the park’s other waterbirds still abound - including this Australasian Grebe captured in the last of the day’s sunlight.

After drought, bushfires and rain, birds are breeding at unusual times. There was a family of Black Swans with three young on the Duck Pond, under the very close supervision of both parents.

Birdlife’s Powerful Owl Project has revealed several hundred Powerful Owls across the Greater Sydney area and Centennial Park usually has at least one pair in residence.

Powerful Owl in Centennial Park, Sydney last week.

Centennial Park Sydney NSW Bird Survey

The Centennial Parklands and Birding NSW bird survey at Centennial Park started in 2009. It gathers valuable information for park management and the data collected feeds into the national Birdata database run by Birdlife Australia. The survey is conducted four times a year at thirteen sites that are representative of the park’s habitat types. Habitats include Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub, Sandstone Ridge, the large Duck Pond and other pond edges, and melaleuca and pine forest environments.

 The survey counts all bird within a twenty minute period from a set of fixed vantage points to give comparable counts. The total count at the Duck Pond is usually several hundred birds with large numbers of Eurasian Coots, Hardheads and Pacific Black Ducks as well as Cormorants of all types, Ibis, Black Swans, Dusky Moorhens, Pelicans, and Silver Gulls. The park attracts a total list of around 150 species including other water birds, parrots, raptors, pigeons, the larger honeyeaters and some smaller woodland birds, made up by incidental sightings. A highlight last week was the appearance of the Nankeen Night Heron for the survey count.

 After the survey surveyors visit other park inhabitants including breeding pairs of owls and Tawny Frogmouth. The young Powerful Owl pictured below has made good progress and looks to be in good health!  

Young Powerful Owl in Centennial Park