The Australian Pelican is a beautiful bird, with one of the largest bills in the world. They are reasonably common in Sydney Harbour but I was not expecting one to swim past me while I was spending an early Saturday morning photographing at Nielsen Park. I had gone with the intent to photograph Bottle and Glass Rocks, with the subsequent plan to see what other subjects were on the rocks. I had just found my location for my composition of the rocks when a pelican landed on the water. It completed distracted me from my landscape shots but it was so worth it. Indeed, the whole morning was just one enjoyable opportunity after another. Whether I was photographing a bird or seeing a shot in a cluster of Little Blue Periwinkles it was just a beautiful way to welcome Saturday. I hope you like the shots below.
Bottle and Glass Rocks with the sun rising to the right of the photograph
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 18mm, f/22 and 2.0 SEC] with Gobe CPL)
An interesting transition from the shore to the shrubs
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 18mm, f/22 and 1/15 SEC])
One of the larger rock pools on the shore
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 18mm, f/22 and 1/13 SEC])
At the other end of the scale, a small rock pool with Bubbleweed and seashells
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 18mm, f/8.0 and 1/50 SEC])
Waves washing ashore further around the point
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 26mm, f/22 and 1/6 SEC])
A weathered old stump of a tree branch I liked the look of
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 227mm, f/11 and 1/50 SEC])
I had just placed my camera backpack down in preparation for changing lens when I saw an Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) land on the water a bit away from my location. I still had my telephoto lens on my camera so I thought I would take a photograph. As I was snapping away, I realised the pelican was getting larger in the viewfinder, as it swam imperceptibly in my direction. This was not normal behaviour for a completely wild bird, unless if felt safe from me. I suspected, it was attuned to life on Sydney Harbour, so it was hoping I would throw it some food. It swam past where I was but it ended up with the sun behind itself. The large bird then swam slightly out from shore, the only time it put its bill underwater. It was a lovely way to start my morning.
The Australian pelican appearing to watch what I was doing
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/400 SEC])
While I was photographing the rock shelf covered in conjevoi, seen in the landscape part of the post, I noticed a White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) land, while calling, on another rock shelf just on from where I was. It gracefully touched down, wings outstretched, legs down, before folding its wings away. I was worried it would go before I could photograph it. I finished up my other shooting before trying to move at a good speed, but not frighten the bird away. Fortunately, It continued looking for food. Occasionally, it would appear to focus on something momentarily, ahead of its bill darting out to pick up something, It did not appear to always be successful, as its bill did not look to contain anything when the bird pulled its head back. I am not sure if I scared it away but I was able to at least photograph it as it flew-off.
A White-faced Heron searching for food on the rocky shore
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/320 SEC])
The heron flying off
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/400 SEC])
Rocks along Sydney Harbour tend to be covered with Little Blue Periwinkles (Nodilittorina unifasciata), as was the case with the rocks I was visiting. They are actually incredibly beautiful when you stop to look at them closely. Their well textured spiralling shell that tapers to a different coloured point. Even though they are small, they can travel up to 12 metres in search of algae and lichens to eat. By grouping together they help to reduce moisture loss. The photographs below show a rock with a typical massing of shellfish, while in the other photographs I then tried to zoom in to show the simple beauty of the shell texture.
Cunjevoi (Pyura stolonifera) can be found on most inter-tidal rocky shores. During low tide they can endure the drying rays of the sun because they retain water. As the tide rises, covering them in water, they are filter feeders on the plentiful plankton in the sea. They are also commonly called sea squirts because they squirt out water, especially when weight is applied to them. As a boy, walking over rocky shores was always fun, since you may not be aware of the sea squirt until you felt the water on your leg or, even better, the stream of water wet your friend. The first photograph below shows a typical rock shelf covered in conjevoi. The two photographs, side-by-side below it are of the exact same area, the focus and frame has not changed. I think they ably demonstrate how flexible, yet resilient the sea squirt is. The waves have bent the squirt over in the left-hand photograph, yet it readily bounces back when the waves withdraw in the high-hand photograph.
A shore covered with Cunjevoi, or as I remember them, sea squirts
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 18mm, f/22 and 1/6 SEC])
This Dwarf Cushion Star (Parvulastra exigua) was in a small rockpool, lying on a light-coloured surface that did not seem to help with its camouflage. They are found in Southern Africa as well as Australia, where they are very common. They are found in the inter-tidal zone, as well as deeper, and they feed on algae. With this shot I was shooting through water so I was having trouble obtaining a sharp focus.
A Dwarf Cushion Star on the rock bottom of a shallow rock pool
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 55mm, f/8.0 and 1/50 SEC])
I will go as far as to say this is one of the species of the Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila spp). As I was leaving Nielsen Park, the sun striking the spider and web caught my attention. There was a slight wind so the spider was not completely still. At one stage the spider thought it had caught something so rushed to the bottom of its web. There was nothing there so the spider returned empty-handed. This is a female, given her size, but I was unable to see if there were any males around the edge of the web where they often are.
A female Golden Orb Weaver waiting in its web
Later that afternoon, my son and I headed off to Jenolan Caves, a location I will also blog about. We went past Katoomba, so I took these shots on a very hazy afternoon from Echo Point.
The Three Sisters at Echo Point on a hazy Saturday afternoon
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 18mm, f/16 and 1/300 SEC])
Another view from Echo Point
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 50mm, f/20 and 1/60 SEC])