Dusky Woodswallow
Canon EOS R5 Mk II with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM Zoom [ISO 1000, 500mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

New camera - Canon EOS R5 Mark II

Jon Steinbeck February 9, 2025

In January 2025 I was finally in a position to upgrade my camera gear and go mirrorless. The camera I purchased was the Canon EOS R5 Mark II. This was my first mirrorless camera and my first professional level camera. Of course I tested the camera in the garden as soon as I could but I really wanted to find better subjects to see what it could do. So early on a Sunday morning I headed to Callum Brae Nature Reserve. After just a couple of hours of using R5 Mark II, I was so happy with my choice and my only regret was not upgrading sooner.

Moving to a different site - Jon Steinbeck Nature Photography

Jon Steinbeck February 8, 2025

I have been running this site since July 2018 and I have decide to move to a new site Jon Steinbeck Nature Photography. I will probably still keep this current site going but I will be less active here and photos will carry the logo of the new site. This current site was a great way for me to post some of my photographs and I was always thrilled when people took the time to leave me a positive comment. I am not ceasing wildlife photography, far from it, I am embracing it. I find myself in a position where I have ceased my previous long-term career and I am now following my passion for wildlife and nature photography. The new site will be a little different to this one, in that it will be a landing point for the professional career I want to have as a wildlife photographer but there will still be blog posts and images available. From February 2025 I will be studying photography at the Canberra Institute of Technology to obtain a formal qualification in photography and also to improve my photography skills. I am looking forward to this new phase in my life and I thank all those people out there who have read a post or enjoyed my photos. I hope that you also enjoy the new site.Thank you again and all the best.

Looking north-west along Old Boboyan Road
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF40mm f2.8 STM [ISO 200, 40mm, f/18 and 1/80 SEC])

Cycling around Namadgi's settler huts - Namadgi National Park, ACT, November 2024

Jon Steinbeck January 2, 2025

There are a number of ways to enjoy getting out into nature. One way is on a bike. It is a wonderful way to cover more distance than on foot but still be travelling slow enough to hear and see nature around you. In the ACT, one of the nicest walks in Namdgi National Park is the Settlers Track, which goes through some lovely scenery, while linking up three basic huts the early European settlers in the region built. While it is a walking track parts of it follow fire trails, trails that provide access to the huts. The huts are rudimentary but are open to the public and provide a convenient place to take a break.

Gasteruptiid wasp female with a prominent ovipositor at the rear
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/16 and 1/180 SEC] with a Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Lens and Canon 430EX III-RT flash)

Macro in Canberra - November 2023 to March 2024

Jon Steinbeck October 17, 2024

Capturing the image of this wasp made my day. I had seen it flying around from leaf to leaf, and I was hoping that it would settle on one for a while. Eventually it did and I was able to take some photos. To me, the thing that draws your attention is the long, white-tipped tail, which is the ovipositor for this Gasteruptiid wasp female. She will use it to penetrate the cells of solitary bees and wasps, in order to lay her egg beside the host species egg protected in the cell. Her egg, however, will hatch first allowing her offspring to feast on the egg or larvae of the host species. It seems cruel but this wasp has evolved to reproduce that way and is an example of the small world around us humans. This is my favourite photograph among the ones below because it shows the delicate beauty of this wasp and also shows the variety of animal life around us. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Dead tree at the end of the Nursery Swamp Track
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 125, 35mm, f/20 and 1/50 SEC])

Hiking the Nursery Swamp Track - Namadgi National Park, ACT, September 2024

Jon Steinbeck September 28, 2024

In early September 2024 I walked the Nursery Swamp Track in Namadgi National Park. On the day, I was the only person along the trail. Not surprising, on a day that started with rain along a trail leading to a swamp. However, it was a fantastic hike and I would thoroughly recommend it, especially to pause at the end and enjoy a valley with nobody else around, and no indication of Canberra’s proximity. The swamp was more of a soaked grassland but with plenty of firm, dry land to allow for a rest or a picnic at the turnaround spot. One interesting site I found at the open area marking the end of the trail was a character-filled dead tree. The remains of the trunk, pictured above, was now part of a termite mound. Along the trail, there had been plenty of wildlife and the tranquility of the walk was lovely, with birdsongs and frog calls for a soundtrack. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

Brandy Flat Hut
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF40mm f2.8 STM [ISO 125, 40mm, f/14 and 1/80 SEC])

Hiking the Brandy Flat Hut Track - Namadgi National Park, ACT, August 2024

Jon Steinbeck September 16, 2024

In late August I undertook the roughly 11 km Brandy Flat Hut Track from the northern end. This route is considered easier than the southern route because there is less climbing but it is still an interesting trail. The trailhead was easy to find and the trail route was mainly on a fire trail so it was easy to follow. I would recommend the trail, with the hut being the turnaround spot, and a convenient place to take a rest and a snack. There was also a lot wildlife to be seen on the day I did the walk, even if the season was winter.

On top of things, an Eastern Yellow Robin on a garden statue
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Bird visitors to a garden - Narooma, NSW, 2024

Jon Steinbeck August 3, 2024

A garden can be a realm of nature that surrounds a house, however it is more than just a collection of plants. A thriving garden is also a thriving ecosystem where various interplays happen between a variety of organisms all living out their own life cycles. The rear garden of the house in Narooma is a green sanctuary that is not large but I can enjoy and wander around in. It is also a place that a variety of birds visit. We are lucky having a lush nature reserve behind us that birds visit our garden from. One visitor we had was an Eastern Yellow Robin. Fortunately, I was walking up the stairs to the garden with my camera when this little bird decided that a garden statue of a cowering dragon made the perfect perch. It landed on the dragon’s head, like that was the cause of the dragon’s distress. I was worried that lifting my camera would scare the little robin away but it disregarded my movements. It remained there long enough for me to take several shots, trying out slightly different angles as well. The bird was delightfully posed and made my afternoon with its presence. I was really happy with how the shot turned out and I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

The war memorial at the end of Tilba
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF40mm f2.8 STM [ISO 640, 40mm, f/16 and 1/100 SEC])

Cycling to Central Tilba along the back roads - Narooma, June 2024

Jon Steinbeck June 20, 2024

Central Tilba is small hamlet south-west from Narooma which can be reached along some beautiful and quiet gravel roads. Paved sections start and finish the ride but in between is wonderful, undulating gravel through a green and forested landscape. If you arrive early enough in the morning Tilba is still asleep so the main road is quiet, like you have it all to yourself. Cycling is a beautiful way to see this small part of the south coast of NSW.

Information board at the entrance to the velodrome
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF40mm f2.8 STM [ISO 1000, 40mm, f10 and 1/100 SEC])

Cycling on an old, grass-covered velodrome - Corunna Point NSW, May 2024

Jon Steinbeck June 9, 2024

I had a big smile on my face and I was feeling exuberant while whizzing around a historic grass-covered track. The course was still damp from the previous day’s rain, and more clouds threatened. Despite that, I was having a natural high because this abandoned course was still usable over 130 years after it was made, and I was using it. I was riding my Trek Checkpoint SL6 gravel bike around the old Corunna Point Velodrome and loving it.

A Handmaiden moth (*Amata nigriceps*) appearing to getting to toss its head like a horse
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/18 and 1/180 SEC] with a Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Lens and Canon 430EX III-RT flash)

Macrophotography of some invertebrates on the South Coast - Summer 2023-24, South Coast NSW

Jon Steinbeck May 28, 2024

The colouration of the Handmaiden moth (Amata nigriceps), and similarly coloured moths, used to confuse me when I was younger, as to whether they were dangerous or not. Now, I can appreciate the beauty of that simple colour combination. Fortunately, one of them flew into the garden at Narooma, where it landed on the wood of a raised garden bed. I managed to get to an angel in front of the orange and black moth without scaring it off, where I took the above shot. I really liked how the moth seemed to be in the process of shaking its head through to its who body, just like a horse would do. This was just one of the photographs that I took when I had a pleasant time over a few months focussing on macro photography at Narooma, trying to capture shots of a number of little creatures. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

The head of a Beach Stone-curlew
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])

Beach Stone-curlew, shore birds and other wildlife - Shoalhaven Heads, NSW, January 2024

Jon Steinbeck January 30, 2024

Walking across the sanded-up mouth of the Shoalhaven River, I had already had an enjoyable morning photographing sone wading birds. Approaching the southern head of the river that was now sealed, and where the dune vegetation was taking root on the beach, I startled a Beach Stone-curlew when I must have appeared suddenly near it. The bird darted a few steps from cover and stopped, Every now and then it would make a single note call, but I did not hear a response. The bird and I stopped at our respective locations, looking at each other. I was worried that I would scare the curlew when I lifted my camera up to photograph but the bird stayed still, keeping an eye on me. I was excited that I was able to photograph this species but I was also trying to calm down and think about what settings I needed and the best angle to shoot. I was attempting to take photographs in case the bird flew off but I was trying to balance that with taking good photographs to record my first sighting of a Beach Stone-curlew. I enjoyed the chance to see such a beautiful bird so close up and that sighting made my morning. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Young Peron’s Tree Frog on the back steps of the garden
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/16 and 1/100 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)

Interesting little creatures in a garden - Narooma, NSW, October-December 2023

Jon Steinbeck December 26, 2023

Sometimes it is nice to pause and look at the little creatures that inhabit the same space as us in our garden. Initially, they can be hard to see but when we slow down and take a second look at the greenery do we notice the little creature. One evening, I walked out the back door of the house in Narooma to look for those little animals and was barely noticing the steps ahead of me. There were some leaves on them, as there often were, but one brownish leaf looked different that night. I had another look and there was a small Peron’s Tree Frog, probably a juvenile, on the edge of a step. I had taken only a few paces from the back door and already nature was there. The frog was not that fussed by me and even let me take a very close front on portrait. That made my night. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Great Egret catching a pipefish among the oyster lines
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 125, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/500 SEC])

Egrets and Sea-eagles, some constants of Spring - Narooma, NSW, Spring 2023

Jon Steinbeck November 15, 2023

A Great Egret walked through the water, paralleling a row of damp, black oyster bags that sat across the water’s surface. The bird was advancing slowly until it jabbed forward with its yellow beak and one of its wings half-opened to balance it. Withdrawing its head from the water a pipefish wiggled hard, trying to escape. The egret climbed onto the oyster bags and carefully readjusted the pipefish in its beak through a couple of rapid openings and closings, before swallowing the fish. Whereupon the egret returned to patrolling along the top of the bags. I was able to witness the whole encounter from just a few metres away where I was sitting in my kayak on a lovely Spring morning on Wagonga Inlet in Narooma. The inlet is coming alive with a lot of birds and other creatures. I spent a fair bit of time paddling around the inlet enjoying some beautiful mornings and wonderful encounters with birds. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Chestnut Teal male swimming on the Clyde River at Batemans Bay
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1600, 371mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])

Winter around Narooma and beyond with ducks and snakes - Narooma, July 2023

Jon Steinbeck September 25, 2023

Narooma continues to hold appeal, especially as a welcoming place to escape some of Canberra’s winter cold. Spending a week in Narooma meant that there was time explore around the area a bit more. One location worth exploring was on the way back to Canberra, at the Wray Street Oyster Shed right on the bank of the Clyde River at Batemans Bay. In the water beside the blue-painted shed there was a mixed group of ducks swimming not far from the shore. Among the ducks were Chestnut Teals, including a number of males with their wonderful dark green heads that shimmer in the light. Unfortunately, the teals were swimming in the shadow so the intense colours were not obvious. These birds are very common on calmer, estuarine waters near the coast and they have such wonderful colours. I always enjoy photographing them and I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Australian Pelican with breeding face colouring resting on the sand flat
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Birds and fur seals along the foreshore - Narooma, NSW, June 2023

Jon Steinbeck July 31, 2023

Australian Pelicans are stunning big birds with an appearance that is unmistakable. Since starting to photograph them I have really noticed the colours in their famously large bills. In the breeding season the colours change and become even more saturated, creating a rich palette on the birds bill. While I was photographing on an exposed sand flat at Narooma in June a lone pelican was resting there. I was able to approach it with the sun almost directly behind me. The bird was regularly looking at the other activities happening around it and I was lucky enough that it turned its head so that the sun caught the length of the richly-hued bill. It was one of my favourite shots of these truly wonderful birds. I had a marvellous time wandering around on the sand flats and I hope that you like the photographs below.

Pied Oystercatcher on the sand flats
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])

Some shore birds and other wildlife over a weekend - Narooma, Autumn 2023

Jon Steinbeck June 29, 2023

That Sunday morning I just wanted to do some photography. Finding the time to photograph and then having good light had been challenging for a few months but I was going out regardless that morning. The previous day, while bike riding, I had seen how the low tide towards the entrance of Wagonga Inlet exposed sandflats around two small islands, which were located behind the rocks being used to train the river. There were a number of shorebirds searching for food in that area so I wanted to return to photograph them. Unfortunately, Sunday’s wind was brisk making it hard to get crisp photos because the breeze was rippling the finer details of the the birds feathers. Despite that, I was happy to see some Pied Oystercatchers. One of the birds was not too bothered by my presence. It remained a short distance away while I walked carefully to try to get the best light on it. The bird appeared to be not interested in feeding, remaining still, with one leg tucked into its feathers. I was the only person on the sandflats, so it was just me and the birds. It was so wonderful to be back photographing and letting the time tick by while I was lost in the birdlife. I really enjoyed the weekend, but especially that morning, and I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Two Welcome Swallows on the Mill Bay Boardwalk
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 400, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC])

Some early autumn birds with herons and swallows - Narooma, Autumn 2023

Jon Steinbeck April 23, 2023

The weather in Narooma is starting to cool with Autumn dropping the temperatures. There was also a cold snap over Easter that caught us unprepared with our more suitable clothes unfortunately left back in Canberra. Luckily, I had clothes that would keep me warm enough on my bike so I headed out on Good Friday to explore the area. While riding along the Mill Bay Boardwalk I saw two Welcome Swallows perched on the end of a cross beam that supported the wooden boards. The one nearer to me seemed nervous because of my presence. It would fly off in a rapid circle before returning beside its fellow swallow. It did that a few times before it stayed on the cross beam, although even there it regularly shuffled its position while the second swallow stayed still. I love the colours of the Welcome Swallow so I was glad that this one stayed still a few times for me. A number of birds were still around but the weather was cooler and the days shorter with Winter a couple of months away. I am still enjoying getting to the coast to see the nature there and I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

Eastern Longfin Goby on the sandy bottom
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 1000, 100mm, f/10 and 1/320 SEC] in an Aquatech Elite II sport housing and PD-140 Lens Port)

Wonders of life under shallow water - Beautiful Narooma Part 5, Summer 2022/23

Jon Steinbeck March 21, 2023

Exploring even the shallow waters of Wagonga Inlet around Lewis Island were filled with so much interesting life. Little fish and other creatures occupied the waters, including those areas that were dry at low tide but underwater when the tide was in. There were many Eastern Longfin Gobies that were so much smaller than me but barely paid me any attention. Intuitively, they somehow knew that I was too large to see them as a meal. Despite their superb camouflage they also possessed some colours that the sunlight brought out because it was able to penetrate these shallow waters.

Variegated Shore Crab with a small Bluebottle wrapped around it
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/320 SEC])

Living between land and water - Beautiful Narooma Part 4, Summer 2022/23

Jon Steinbeck March 16, 2023

Narooma is on the coast and is built around the beautiful Wagonga Inlet so a lot of the wildlife lives on both land and water. With the movement of tides every six hours those creatures that can exist in both domains increase their chance of finding food and avoiding becoming food. Often, a good hiding place in the water is still a good hiding place when it is dry. However, sometimes things do not work out. Such as with this sad looking Variegated Shore Crab safe from most predators in a rock crevice but a wave probably wrapped a small bluebottle with its stinging tentacles around the crab. I am unsure if the tentacles can kill the crab or if it even felt them but I thought it made for a very colourful photograph.

Little Wattlebird in Cape Honeysuckle
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

A quiet house with a living garden - Beautiful Narooma Part 3, Summer 2022/23

Jon Steinbeck March 9, 2023

The back garden of the house we were staying in at Narooma was relatively secluded from our neighbours on either side. To the rear was a nature reserve with well established eucalyptus and other trees, but also with an understory for smaller birds to seek shelter in. Over the summer the house’s garden was rich with blooming flowers that honeyeaters enjoyed and attracted insects for the insect-eaters to prey on. The garden was alive with life that barely cared if I was there. Hanging out the washing on the back clothes line always took a while because I was constantly distracted. I started carrying my camera with me because I wanted to capture some of this activity. One day a Little Wattlebird was sampling the nectar from the well established Cape Honeysuckle. The bird wood have some nectar from a few flowers in the group before flying to another group, only to return to the original group a little while later. It was the embodiment of being spoilt with riches and wanting to have it all but not knowing where to eat next.