Red Hill Nature Reserve was again the place to be on this Sunday morning, especially when I came across what appeared to be a noisy family group of Gang-gang Cockatoos in a tree. They were having a great time, and I was rooted in one spot watching their antics. I saw some other wonderful birds that day, but the Gang-gangs was definitely the highlight. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.
A kangaroo skull used as a garden decoration in Hughes, unfortunately there are always a lot of skulls around
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 2000, 110mm, f/8.0 and 1/60 SEC])
These two juvenile Australian Magpies (Cracticus tibicen) were happily on a path in a stand of trees. The rear bird was trying to carol, while the front bird initially looked to be asleep. The rear bird flew off to the west, while the front bird opened its eyes but stayed in location. It defecated before it started calling. There did not seem to be a response, then it started running to the west before it too flew away.
This immature Australian Magpie appeared to be sleeping on a trail through the trees
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 2000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC])
Its eyes look accusatory but I did not wake it up
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 2000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC])
This family group of Gang-gang Cockatoos (Callocephalon fimbriatum) were the highpoint of the morning for me. I could hear these birds from a distance but I did not realise there were going to be around six birds in this group, an adult pair, two juvenile males and one, possibly two, juvenile female birds. Most of their activity was associated with the tree in the picture, which was a near dead tree, although with a lot of new growth further down. There were also two large eucalypt trees very near-by to the west where there may have been other Gang-gangs and some of this group later moved to. The adult male and a juvenile male had a screeching contest that turned into raised wings but no physical contact. It is hard not to believe there was not some play involved here.
This is how I first saw this family group of Gang-gangs, with the juvenile males and a juvenile female on top of a tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 176mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
No, I can’t explain what the juvenile male was doing there on the right
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 176mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
Possibly mum and dad
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 176mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
Looks like nap time
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
I love this series of shots I got of the juvenile males, especially the one at the top of the post
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
A father-son disagreement
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC])
The disagreement got tense
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC])
Junior checking out where he came from?
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC])
This juvenile Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans) flew onto the near-dead tree after the Gang-gangs had departed, appearing to inspect a possible hollow, although this bird is clearly still too young to breed.
This juvenile Crimson Rosella flew in to the tree once the Gang-gangs had moved on
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
A Galah (Eolophus roseicapillus) emerged from a hollow as I was walking past. It was a female given the pink irises and skin around the eye. It looked at me for a while before it took off.
Female Galah emerging from a nesting hollow
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
A male Australian King-parrot (Alisterus scapularis) was sitting quietly on a tree branch. Even when a group of noisy Crimson Rosellas flew to the tree, with at least one appearing to swoop him, he stayed quiet, moving to another branch. At one stage he flew to the trunk of the tree but around the other side of the tree so I could not see if there was a hollow. He stayed on the trunk before he flew back to the branch.
Male Australian King-parrot sitting quietly on a branch
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
A lone Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata), with breeding season mane, was perched quietly on a tree branch. The bird was silent while I was photographing it and I could not see or hear a female.
Male Australian Wood Duck on a branch
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/11 and 1/400 SEC])
This Australian Magpies (Cracticus tibicen) was chasing a dog that was being walked by its owners. The magpie probably swooped three times. The dog respond but the magpie never came that close to its mouth.
Australian Magpie swooping a dog out for a walk with its owners, who were out of frame
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 135mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
This female Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) and joey were in an almost perfect position to give me practice with rim light photography. I loved the way the sun was lighting up her fur so as to give an outline of her body.
Working on getting a rim light shot of an Eastern Grey Kangaroo, I think I am getting closer
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC])
Later that day I was at home, doing some things in the garden. I try to always have a camera with me to photograph anything I see. I will need to be better at choosing my lenses as I only had my macro lens because I thought I would only see insects. I may have to carry a couple of lens, although I am supposed to be gardening, not photographing.
This Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans) was already at the bird bath when I went into the back garden. It was a little cautious about my presence, appearing to decide how was the best way to enter the water but still keep an eye on me. Initially, it just wet its head, but it eventually got used to me and put its body in the water. It only had the water just up to its wing covers before it gyrated quickly. It did that a couple of times before flying away.
Crimson Rosella in our birdbath
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/7.1 and 1/160 SEC])
A Knobbled Orbweaver (Eriophora pustulosa) had set up a very mis-shaped orb-web between some lavender plants in our front yard. Initially, I thought it was feeding on the bees attracted to the lavender but one of the insects looks too yellow to be a bee so maybe a wasp. Potentially the wasp was trying to steal from the spider and the spider was able to capture it. These spiders are nocturnal feeders and this one did head back to the lavender after a little while so may be it felt the wasp hit the web and went to investigate.
Knobbled Orbweaver on a lavender plant
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC]) 2 shots focus-stacked