It was a hot morning walking around Red Hill Nature Reserve. When I started my walk just before 7 AM the temperature was already 24º Celsius and by two hours later, when I finished, the mercury was sitting on 34º Celsius, with very little wind. Red Hill felt, and sounded, quiet. Even the kangaroos were content to stay among the trees rather than out on the grassy areas eating. They also did not bound away as far if I approached, possibly wanting to stay in the cool rather than move into the direct sun. Despite the heat there were birds out, as they still have to live. There were galahs feeding as well as kookaburras. I also became distracted by an insect I learnt was a Common Owlfly. Regardless of the conditions I always enjoy being up on Red Hill and I hope you enjoy the photographs below.
The moon through a eucalyptus tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC])
A more artistic version
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/1250 SEC])
Just the moon by itself
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/1250 SEC])
Looking through Red Hill to the Captain Cook Water Spout on Lake Burley Griffin
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6,3 and 1/1000 SEC])
The first birds I photographed were four Galahs (Eolophus roseicapillus) that were feeding on some grass in the shade of the hill. There were two birds on the ground initially, before the other two also joined them. They were all feeding on the grass, with some of the roots appearing hard to get out with their beaks. In the photograph below you can see a female in front, indicated by her pink irises.
Two of the four Galahs I saw on the hill itself, with a female in the foreground
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/800 SEC])
There may have been at least two Brown Thornbills (Acanthiza pusilla) but it was hard taking a photograph as they tended to move through the outside branches of the trees I was underneath. One did eventually travel through an area with no leaves so I was able to take an obstructed shot. The red iris is the distinguishing mark in identifying these thornbills, much easier done looking at a photograph on a computer screen.
Brown Thornbill
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/800 SEC])
I saw a Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) just after seeing the thornbill. I also saw two or three later in my walk. They may all have been from the same group that was roaming over the hill. This one flew into a tree and perched there, not doing any calling.
A Laughing Kookaburra I saw early in my walk
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/800 SEC])
I saw the remaining Gang-gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) nestling in the hollow I photographed on 19 January. (Later, after returning from my walk, I received an email from somebody who has also been keeping an eye on them to say this last one had flown off on that Saturday afternoon.)
I also saw a female poke her head into the hollow I have previously photographed on 27 December 2018 when we thought we heard nestling sounds. You can see from the photograph below she did not put her head in far. There was a male around as well. They flew to a different tree at about 8 AM from the southern side of Red Hill. The female then flew to the hollow in the photograph, where she put her head in the hollow, withdrew it, looked to both sides then flew to a nearby tree. She was not at the hollow for long, probably less than a minute. She kept calling from a nearby tree and I hoped that noise was to entice some nestlings out but I did not see any movement in the hollow, even though I waited for about 10 minutes. While I was watching the tree, at different times, a pair of Crimson Rosellas and Eastern Rosellas landed near the hollow without any reaction from Gang-gangs. This is not a full-proof indicator of Gang-gangs breeding but in the past I have seen Gang-gangs chase off rosellas who got too close to this hollow.
The remaining fledging peering out from its hollow
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/1000 SEC])
A female Gang-gang inspecting a hollow
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/1000 SEC])
Throughout my walk on Red Hill I heard the comforting call of Grey Butcherbirds (Cracticus torquatus). There seemed to be a constant calling backwards and forwards between birds all over the hill but I could only see this one pictured below to photograph it.
Grey Butcherbird
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/1000 SEC])
This is one of the Eastern Rosellas (Platycercus eximius) I wrote about above landing near the hollow previously identified as being used by Gang-gangs. It did not stay long. The bird was crouched liked this for a while, rocking backwards and forwards in preparation for flying. I am not sure why it took so long to decide to fly as I saw it fly to this branch from another tree.
Eastern Rosella near a Gang-gang hollow
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/1000 SEC])
As always, there was a group of about eight White-winged Choughs (Corcorax melanorhamphos) grazing over one part of the hill. They made steady progress, although they stayed in the shade. Occasionally one went to a higher location, like a rock or a branch, as in this photograph. Three, what appeared to be immature birds, flew onto the branches of a small tree, made some noise then returned to the ground to continue the browsing for food.
White-winged Chough
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/1000 SEC])
As I said in the introduction the Eastern-grey Kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) were happy to stay among the trees rather than go out eating grass in the heat. They were also less keen to flee too far from the shade as I walked among them. The photograph below shows what I believe to be a mature male kangaroo. He was content in his shaded location. Normally, he would have at least stood up but this morning he did not even do that. Approaching this area I came through some closely-spaced, small trees. It was clear the kangaroos were about as I could see a number of their scrapings. When it is very hot, kangaroos will move to the shade where they will scrape away the warmer top soil, in order to expose the cooler soil below. They will then lie in that cooler dirt. There were a number of these scrapings under the trees and I suspect this kangaroo had probably created something similar.
An Eastern Grey Kangaroo reclining in the shade
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/640 SEC])
Initially I thought I was photographing a dragonfly but after looking at the photographs and searching online I realised this insect was a Common Owlfly (Suhpalacsa subtrahens). They look like dragonflies, except for the large knob-ended antennae, but they are in fact from the lacewing order, Neuroptera. The larvae stage and the adults are both insect eaters. The adults may look like dragonflies but they do not have the flying ability of those insects. In addition, unlike the aquatic dragonfly larvae, the Owlfly larvae is terrestrial, looking more like a flatter version of an antlion, but it roams the leaf litter rather than sitting at the bottom of a trap. Initially, I unknowingly disturbed this female as I was walking through the grass. You can identify it as a female due to the short and thick abdomen. It flew about one metre to another grass stalk where it perched. It was not bothered by my proximity, as I photographed it from several angles. It was still there when I finished and stood up without it flying off. This is unlike a dragonfly, which seem to be be easily disturbed.
The female Common Owlfly from the side
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/1000 SEC])
The Common Owlfly from almost directly behind
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/250 SEC] and flash)
When I was home I noticed this Bristle Fly on the external wall of the house. These are big flies. Bristle flies are found across the globe. They lay their eggs in larvae of other insects where the bristle fly young feed on the host. These flies come in many different shapes but are all parasite breeders.
Bristle Fly
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 800, 35mm, f/7.3 and 1/250 SEC] with flash)