Photos / Sounds
What
Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus)Observer
karldDescription
All over Centennial parklands you'll find these stunning birds. Some are all black and some have a purple front, they all have a trademark red beak. They often hang around in packs. They are fairly small, around 30 - 40cm in length.
Photos / Sounds
What
Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)Observer
karldDescription
Tall, elegant black swan, competing with duck for food.It was big, about a metre but its hard to tell. Found in Centennial parklands in duck pond. About three others in the pond.
Photos / Sounds
What
Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris)Observer
karldDescription
Bunch of corellas walking up to me nonchalantly. Got a good close up shot. Roughly 40cm in length.
Photos / Sounds
What
European Carp (Cyprinus carpio)Observer
karldDescription
Five of these huge fish came swimming up to me in Centennial Parks, maybe because the visitors usually feed them. I was able to get some great photos considering my camera isn't waterproof. They were about 70cm in length. Their mouths are distinct of carps.
Photos / Sounds
What
Grey-headed Flying-Fox (Pteropus poliocephalus)Observer
karldDescription
Walk through Lachlan Swamp in Centennial Parks and you'll find hundreds if not thousands of these magnificent creatures. The noise they make is loud and distinct.
As i was there during the day most were sleeping but some were mating.
Photos / Sounds
What
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)Observer
karldDescription
In Centennial Park eating seeds off the ground with a fellow cockatoo. Yellow crest with all white body and black eyes.
Photos / Sounds
What
Rose-coloured Barnacle (Tesseropora rosea)Observer
karldDescription
These strange looking shells are abundant on the north side of Coogee beach. They stick to rocks tightly and appear in large groups. They are about 1-2cm tall with a distinct slit across the middle. The have lines around the sides going towards the top. They are mostly a cream colour with pink blotches. Although they are very common here, i have absolutely no clue what they are. Even after researching them i can't seem to find anything. I don't recall seeing them on other beaches but i may be wrong.
Photos / Sounds
What
Ulvophycean Green Algae (Class Ulvophyceae)Observer
karldDescription
On the northern side of Coogee beach, a thick coating of an slimy and green substance on the side of a rock. It was abundant on the rocks and created a slippery surface to walk upon at times. Although i may be wrong it looks like a Cladophora glomerata, a type of algae that can be found worldwide.
Photos / Sounds
What
Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris)Observer
karldDescription
On the north side of Coogee beach a jet black bird appeared to be enjoying the nice weather. The sighting was unusual as i had never seen this type of bird at Coogee beach before. It was swimming in shallow waters and appeared to looking for food. It was difficult to photograph but i did see it had a white beak and the rest of it was black. I was hesitant to label it a Great Cormorant as they usually inhabit fresh water, but i was unsure of what else it could be.
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus PhonognathaObserver
karldDescription
In a secluded bush track leading towards a lookout spot overlooking Gordon's Bay in Coogee, a young brown spider appeared out of its leaf. It lived in a small curled leafed hung up by its web. It seemed to be an infant as it was small (its abdomen was about 1cm diameter) and slightly transparent. It had black markings on its back with the rest of its body appearing light brown. It's shape was similar to that of common lycosid species in eastern Australia. However, i cannot yet properly identify it.
Photos / Sounds
What
Purple Rock Crab (Leptograpsus variegatus)Observer
karldDescription
At the north side of coogee beach, walking down a narrow rock trail to a pool area, many crabs can be seen. The location and coloration of the crabs lead me to believe they are Leptograpsus variegatus, or more commonly known as, 'Steelbacks'. I saw two in total, one of which i got a decent photo of. They appeared to have purple claws with white tips and dark purple/black carapace's. Both were roughly 5cm in diameter. They behaved timidly and scuttled under rocks as soon they saw me coming.
