Guardians of Westgate Park

Here are some photos from the Kodak Photo CD made on May 13, 1999. All these shots were at Westgate Park, Port Melbourne in the 1990s. I don't know why I wanted these scanned. I think they had landmarks. I often visited the park in the 1990s as it was the best place to find raptors near the Melbourne CBD. 

I have many nice memories and loads of negatives and slides. Nothing worth hanging on the wall but I think I have some nice historical records for the end of the century. 

Apart from these pictures I also remember photographing a Spotted Harrier having a dogfight with a Whistling Kite in the middle of a 45C day. Who in their right mind would be out birding then?

I also had a close encounter with a young Black Falcon cutting through the park (winter). Well out of its recorded area but I'd been photographing them a week earlier in Queensland and felt they were following me around.

I watched a Nankeen Kestrel grab an Indian Myna in flight and the two cart-wheeled to the ground. I got two shots of it. It would be nice to find them. The birds disappeared behind a hedge in a business property next to the park so I couldn't go in. Neither bird appeared again, leaving me to imagine the outcome.

Other raptors included, Australian Hobby (regular), Brown Goshawk - I watched being chased away by a team of Black-shouldered Kite and Peregrine Falcon (on one occasion), Collared Sparrowhawk, and Swamp Harrier. 

Pretty cool for a major urban environment!

For more information about Westgate Park please visit: Friends of Westgate Park