Scrubwrens are common birds in Canberra but they are a challenge to photograph as they move fast, prefer hunting for food in the undergrowth and they always seem to be in areas of bad light. All of these criteria were met this Saturday on Red Hill Nature Reserve. The forecast was for cloudy conditions with a high chance of rain. The forecast was the same as the previous weekend, so I decided the preceding Saturday to stay inside rather than go outside to get wet. I did not want to waste a second Saturday inside so I took a chance to go for a walk when it looked like there was a break in the weather. The rain held-off for an hour but I was soaked in a brief shower about half way through my walk. I was more worried about my camera gear than me, as well as being disappointed, as I had been hoping to try a long exposure for the first time. Fortunately, the rain stopped again so I pulled the camera out of my pack where I had placed it for protection from the wet. I was able to try a long exposure at a small run-off steam below one of the major water tanks on Red Hill. It was not exactly a gushing torrent but it gave me the chance to try out the techniques of a long exposure and I was reasonably pleased with the results. Despite the rain, I had a lovely walk on Red Hill and I hope you like the photographs below.
A lone, half-dead Eucalyptus tree, as the rain started to fall
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 18mm, f/16 and 1.3 SEC])
A run-off creek on Red Hill, my first attempt at long exposure with a neutral density filter
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 18mm, f/11 and 15.0 SEC] with ND8 filter)
I heard these four White-browed Scrubwrens (Artamus superciliosus) before I saw them. There were also two Grey Fantails flying above them. I have learnt it is good to watch Grey Fantails as there are often other small birds flying near them in shrubs. Sort of a small birds’ group for mutual vigilance against predators. I could hear the raspy call of these scrubwrens, then I saw flitting shapes through a tangle of long-ago cut vegetation. These scrubwrens were deep under this mat of thorny cuttings, reducing even further the pitiful natural light coming from the cloud-covered sky. I was amazed how they seemed to explore the deepest, most tangled areas of vegetation. They would have had no ability to fly away if a predator was lying in wait. The four of them probably occupied an area of 2 m² with their foraging. They quickly became used to me but did not approach too close. I was able to use my flash to capture some shots. I particularly liked the shot at the top of the blog post with the bird looking out from its tangled environment. The flash made the surroundings look darker than it was, but it does help define the birds.
A White-browed Scrubwren searching for food among some cuttings
(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] with flash)
The only other birds I photographed this morning was this group of four Sulphur-crested Cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) sitting on this dead tree with the gloomy sky in the background. They looked more sombre than they were. There were a number of these cockatoos flying around. They are thriving on Red Hill and in the surroundings suburbs. The low-density urban environment of Canberra has given them many feeding opportunities with little dangers to concern them.
Four Sulphur-crested Cockatoos waiting in the rain
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/9.0 and 1/320 SEC])
While the light was not good this morning, when I saw this male Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) lying down on this patch of wet grass, not overly bothered by my presence, I thought it was a good chance to take a photograph. He was probably still a young male as he did not seem to have any females around him, although there were some young females just down the hill. He was very relaxed, although he did keep watching me. A mountain bike rider was coming slowly down the hill, which I think caught the kangaroo’s attention. I have a number of straight on shots of this kangaroo but I think the profile photo works better. As the mountain biker approached closer the kangaroo stood but did not hop off. In fact, the mountain biker passed without the kangaroo fleeing.
A male Eastern Grey Kangaroo resting on the wet grass, alert to a noise
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/100 SEC])
From what I have been able to read this is a single female Felted Scale insect (Lacnodius sp). She created this white netting to lay her eggs and she is now dead. She would usually live under the bark of the tree but comes to the surface to create this egg case. This case was well above my height, placed on the underside of one of the main branches coming off the trunk.
Felted Scale insect eggs on the bark of a Eucalyptus
(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] with flash)
This is one of the two species of geckos native to Canberra. I have seen this Southern Marbled Gecko (Christinus marmoratus) a number of times under the bowl of our bird bath but this time I remembered to grab my camera before emptying the bowl to clean it. Once the bowl is up and its dark area is filled with light the gecko does not normally hang about. I think it is getting used to the regular disturbances as it was even slower leaving than usual. That could have also been because it was very cool on that day, so maybe the poor reptile was just taking a while to warm up. Overall it was about 10 cm in length, with the patterning on its body making it clear while it is called marbled. I am always happy to see it back under the bowl as I know it has not been scared off. These lizards have learnt to hunt near light sources on houses so as to feed on the insects attracted to the light. I think geckos are amazing for their ability to climb all sorts of surfaces. I was always disappointed as a child I could not find a gecko when I was growing up in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. So, I have been very pleased to share my part of Canberra with these fantastic reptiles.
A Southern Marbled Gecko under the bowl of our bird bath
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 48mm, f/6.3 and 1/250 SEC])
On my way outside to photograph the gecko I noticed this little clump of what I believe are Mycena fungi. Since I had my camera, I got down on my elbows to take this shot. I like the texture in these fungi. I was also happy a cloud moved at the right time to allow more light to shine on the subject.
Mycena fungi in our backyard
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 640, 48mm, f/10 and 1/25 SEC])