I know this post does not describe anything like the coming of the water at Lake Eyre in South Australia but the difference a few decent showers of rain made to Callum Brae Nature Reserve was so obvious, and so needed. This post was originally going to be about the impact of the prolonged dry weather on Callum Brae, with the intent to visit it a few times to really collect some shots to show what was happening to the plants and animals in the reserve. In between visits, in early February and early March 2020, Canberra experienced some heavy rain which turned Callum Brae green again and filled up the dams. The rain also brought the animal life back. Most of the photographs of birds and animals below are from my second trip to Callum Brae, after the decent showers. I had to change my plans about this post but I am glad the rain came as it really brought Callum Brae to life.
The northernmost dam, bone dry but greenery hanging on around the outside
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 320, 20mm, f/16 and 1/25 SEC])
The pipe seen on the right of the picture above, showing a different, harsher angle
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 100mm, f/18 and 1/400 SEC])
The same dam, about a month later, after a little rain
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 100, 19mm, f/18 and 1/8 SEC] with tripod and CPL)
The southern dam
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 100, 20mm, f/16 and 1/30 SEC])
The bottom of the south dam
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 100, 16mm, f/16 and 1/30 SEC])
The same dam after some rain
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/16 and 1/5 SEC] with tripod and CPL)
Kind people across Canberra were leaving water for the wildlife in nature reserves, including in Callum Brae
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 100mm, f/14 and 1/400 SEC])
Sunbeams through clouds, which cut the light but did not bring rain
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 100, 31mm, f/16 and 1/60 SEC])
Horses feeding on the farm across from the entrance
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 2000, 271mm, f/8.0 and 1/125 SEC])
A Yellow Box standing tall among the green with a cloud-lined sky in the background
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 100, 27mm, f/10 and 1/30 SEC] with tripod and CPL)
Termite mound seemingly indicated by the “T” sign directly behind it
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/16 and 1/100 SEC])
Spotted Pardalotes (Pardalotus punctatus) are beautiful little birds but a challenge to photograph as they normally stay high up in the foliage and keep moving. These pardalotes are often in the trees at the entrance off Narrabundah Lane. As usual they were high in the crown of the tree and not staying still for long.
Spotted Pardalote in a tree near the entrance to the reserve
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/14 and 1/400 SEC])
There were two pairs of Australian Wood Ducks (Chenonetta jubata) near the northern most dam. One pair was already at the dam when I arrived. They kept a distance from me, keeping me under observation. The second pair arrived well after I had been there for a while and appeared not to initially notice me. They landed in the water before swimming to near the shore, where they started preening themselves in the shallow water. It was only after a little while that the second pair’s behaviour changed and they left the water. Possibly because they were aware of my presence. They went up on to the grassy area where the first pair was. There was a bit of disagreement between the males but both pairs settled down to grazing on the grass without further conflict.
An Australian Wood Duck pair looking for food
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
In the south dam, there was a group of five Pacific Black Ducks (Anas superciliosa). They were swimming on the dam and moved to the other side of the dam when I approached but did not fly off. There was some preening and washing occurring with one bird calling a few times but nothing from the four other birds.
Pacific Black Ducks, male in front, swimming on the southernmost dam
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC])
This was just one of the Sulphur-crested Cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) at Callum Brae, although most did not land, they flew above the reserve.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo high on a dead branch
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/11 and 1/400 SEC])
This was one of a pair of Galahs (Eolophus roseicapillus) in a tree very near the entrance. They were initially on a branch together but when I showed interest in them they flew to another tree. I photographed them in the second tree while they were preening, then they moved apart before flying off to a different tree slightly further away.
Galah in the middle of its morning preening
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
The picture below is of an Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) on my earlier visit. The animal looked tired and listless, and did not try to hop away. The photo shows just how dry and yellow the grass was before the rain came.
Eastern Grey Kangaroo female surrounded by yellowish, dried grass
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])
I regularly see European Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) at Callum Brae and I saw this one on my first visit when the reserve was bone dry. The fox was down near the north dam, which was empty but it was a logical place to be given that some creatures may still be looking for water or green plants there. The fox detected me from a way off and then ran off to the south
Red Fox peering between the trees before it ran away
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
Feral European Rabbits (Oryctolagus Cuniculus) are everywhere at Callum Brae, with the warrens easily spotted across the reserve. The second time I visited there was a National Parks implemented poisoning program but I am not sure if it was targeting rabbits or a different feral pest. By way of a brief history, rabbits were officially released in Australia in 1859 in Victoria and since then have spread over most of the continent. There are various problems with rabbits; their warrens destabilise the soil, they eat the new shoots of native plants wiping out vegetation, and they out-compete with many native animals for the same food source. In this case, this rabbit was sitting just off the road, through the fence. I noticed it as I was driving off. After stopping the car, I lowered the window to use my car as a hide and snapped away. The picture is not great as I was twisting in the seat and not holding my camera steadily and there was wire and grass between the rabbit and me but I wanted to get a photo of a rabbit to help record the pressures on Callum Brae.
Feral Rabbit seen through the reserve fence from the road
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
This Antlion Lacewing Glenoleon sp. (genus) was one of the few animals I found on my first trip to Callum Brae when the reserve was showing the impact of an extended dry period. This insect seemed to react to my movement, it shifted from the side of the dead branch it was on to a position underneath. It seemed to be well camouflaged against this dead branch, particularly in the shadow covered underside.
Antlion Lacewing pretending to be part of a fallen branch
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 500, 100mm, f/6.3 and 1/100 SEC])
1000s of Shore Flies Ephydridae sp. (family) covered the southern dam. They moved off slightly when I approached the water’s edge but returned in numbers after a little while. I suspect they were feeding on tiny organic material in the dam. It was only the southern dam that had an outbreak, I did not observe then at the northern dam, which is in a slightly more open area.
Masses of Shore Flies in the south dam
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])