The National Arboretum was the perfect place for me to test out my road bike that my local bike shop had converted into a gravel bike. The weather was glorious for this early in Spring and I took the opportunity to take my camera with me as well. Unfortunately, I did not want to take my good 100-400mm telephoto lens so I only had my 18-55mm kit lens and my 40mm. I am glad I had a camera as I saw some lovely birds but I really wished I could have carried my better lens. I saw some lovely White-fronted Chats around the pond at the bottom of the hill at the arboretum and also a Little Pied Cormorant resting on the edge of Scrivener Dam. The day has really whetted my appetite to do some bike-packing/bike-touring with my camera so I can get out and really experience the environment around me. I hope you like the photographs below.
My bike converted for gravel use with the front bags I was trying for touring
(Apple iPhone SE)
The main pond at the National Arboretum
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 55mm, f/18 and 1/320 SEC])
An old tree stump exposed in the dried main pond
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 55mm, f/18 and 1/320 SEC])
A dried pond in another part of the arboretum
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 18mm, f/9.0 and 1/640 SEC])
Lake Burley Griffin looking to Black Mountain from Scrivener Dam
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 18mm, f/18 and 1/60 SEC])
A flower from my garden
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 33mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
Very early in my ride I saw two Laughing Kookaburras (Dacelo novaeguineae) sitting quietly in a tree above the cycling path. Sorry for the low resolution shot, I only had the 18-55mm lens so I could not zoom in too closely.
Two Laughing Kookaburras in a tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 33mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
A group of White-fronted Chats (Epthianura albifrons) were moving around the rocks and a small pond of water just behind the main arboretum pond at the base of the hill. As I approached they moved further away and I lost sight of them, except for a single female who stayed on the opposite side of the small pond. She was happy hopping through the small pond apparently looking for food. She too eventually moved away from me to the rocks. These chats are honeyeaters but feed on small insects rather than nectar. They are normally found near wet ground where they feed on the small insects.
White-fronted Chat
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 500, 55mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
There was a Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) resting on the side of Scrivener Dam, on a part of the concrete embankment. It was certainly aware of my presence when I started photographing it but did not fly away. I cycled off quickly so as not to make it too concerned.
Little Pied Cormorant
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 55mm, f/9.0 and 1/640 SEC])
This Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howitti) was actually the first animal I photographed that afternoon. It was sunning itself near the Cotter Road bridge. It did not mind me photographing it from the bike path but when I moved slightly closer, still on the far side of the canal, it moved quickly into the pipe.
Gippsland Water Dragon sunning itself in a run-off canal
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 200, 55mm, f/10 and 1/800 SEC])