This is another combined post but of two very different experiences. On Friday, 12 June, I was fortunate in that I was able to leave work early, which I knew beforehand, so I had packed my camera. Rather than go straight home on my bike I decided to walk home, about 7.5 km, and take photographs along the way, especially around Lake Burley Griffin. The sky had a lot of clouds that were blocking out the sun but then letting the sun peak through periodically, so it was a fun challenge to keep adjusting my exposure. I really enjoyed the walk during which I was able to photograph some interesting things. It was also a relaxing start to the weekend because it was nice to slow down and observe a number of everyday things that I miss on my commutes. I was also able to photograph a number of water birds, especially a very cooperative Australasian Darter. Then, skipping forward to Sunday, a friend and I went to the beautiful Gibraltar Falls to photograph there. The sky was again having fun with us, sometimes overcast and sometimes sunny. There was a bit of water coming over the falls so we were lucky to see a decent waterfall, even if the light was not always great. I was also fortunate that on the way home there were three Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos in a group of small trees right beside the road, so I pulled over and photographed them. A lovely weekend, bookended by two great photographic experiences. I hope you like the photographs below.
It is winter and the trees are losing their leaves
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 200, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/100 SEC])
Or they soon will lose their leaves
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 200, 200mm, f/14 and 1/5 SEC])
Friday afternoon’s sky was very atmospheric, but the changing light made it hard for taking photographs
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 100, 82mm, f/14 and 1/100 SEC])
Gibraltar Falls
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 100, 16mm, f/14 and 15.0 SEC])
A different view of the falls
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 100, 22mm, f/20 and 30 SEC])
A focus on part of the falls
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 100, 22mm, f/14 and 13.0 SEC])
Water hitting a rock on the way down
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/6.3 and 1/800 SEC])
Gibraltar Creek just before it goes over the falls
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 100mm, f/10 and 1/100 SEC])
On Friday’s walk home I took a very short detour to the western basin development of Lake Burley Griffin as I know that cormorants and other water birds often rest on the viewing platform there. I am glad I ddi as I was in luck with an Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae). I think the first bird was probably a juvenile given the wing colouration. I stopped well short of it, as darters tend to be flighty birds and will depart quickly when I show any interest in them. This one seemed distracted as it kept looking down in the water and then behind it. Eventually, I could see what was drawing its attention, another darter, possibly an adult female given its similar colour to the first but different wing colouration. (As an aside, male darters are all black except for a white facial stripe and yellow beak.) This second bird eventually climbed onto the wharf and then onto the viewing platform, with her approach being enough to drive the first darter into the water. The second darter gave herself a good wringing of the body to get the excess water off before adopting the classic drying wings posture. I edged closer but I was still shooting from the lake’s bank across the water to the viewing platform. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a mother with a boy on a scooter approaching the end of the viewing platform and I could see the darter getting nervous. The bird turned her back and started bobbing her head, before clearing her bowels. Fortunately, the mother and son stopped short of the bird. I am not sure if the mother saw me and did not want to disturb my photography or only wanted to show her son the darter without scaring off the bird. Either way, I was happy as the bird stayed put and I realised I could get closer to the darter. So after the mother and boy left the wharf I slowly approached the darter, while trying to appear like I was looking at the water. I was able to get reasonably close without the bird taking to flight and was really happy with the results. I was also happy when the sun came out momentarily to light the area around the bird. It was just a glorious moment to get some great light, photographing a beautiful bird and just being in the moment of doing something I truly enjoy. A great start to the weekend.
Possibly a juvenile Australasian Darter
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 200, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/160 SEC])
The other darter that turned up
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 320, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
Australasian Darter female walking
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 320, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
A Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) had found a nice spot to perch, on the railing along the wharf heading to the viewing platform. When the mother and child approached the darter, as mentioned above, this cormorant took to the water. It later came up nearby and I was able to get some shots but I had the shutter speed down low as I was still photographing the relatively stationary darter. It was hard to get a high shutter speed as the light was low so I had to crank up the ISO which I always disinclined to do. This species is very successful being at home in both fresh and salt water.
Little Pied Cormorant on a railing
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 200, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/160 SEC])
Little Pied Cormorant swimming
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 200, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
A Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) also clambered on to the wharf and then onto the bottom rung of the fence where the Little Pied Cormorant was. There was no trouble between the two species, they were content to let the other be which considering they are after similar food means there must be enough food in the lake for both species of birds. Like the Little Pied Cormorant, the Little Black Cormorant also entered the lake when the two people walked along the wharf. The Little Black Cormorant swam closer to the bank where I was then the other cormorant. It was not worried by my presence but went under water again and came up slightly further out in the lake. It did not stay submerged long when it was under water for long when it dove, maybe 5-10 seconds. These cormorants tend to favour freshwater over the sea but will inhabit sheltered coastal waters. Despite being happy to live in Canberra’s water bodies during winter this species also spreads as far as Indonesia and across the south-west Pacific, climatically very different to Canberra.
Little Pied Cormorant and Little Black Cormorant, on the bottom rung
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 200, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/80 SEC])
Little Black Cormorant swimming
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 200, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/80 SEC])
Two Silver Gulls (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) were on the bank near where I was photographing looking for food in the grass. They did not approach me too closely, maybe people do not regularly feed them here so they do not expect food.
Silver Gull looking for food in the grass
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 200, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/80 SEC])
Then on Sunday, the light at Gibraltar Falls was not good and so when birds, like this Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica), were deep among the trees it was even harder to get a good photo. This one was very quiet and I only noticed it because it flew to a perch near where I was looking. It stayed there for about 10 seconds then flew off again, deeper into the trees.
Grey Shrike-thrush among a group of trees looking for food
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 400mm, f/11 and 1/100 SEC])
I am not impartial, I love Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos and I will never skip a chance to photograph these engaging big, black cockatoos. I was driving back from Gibraltar Falls when I noticed these birds in a small group of trees beside the road. I safely pulled over and walked back to where they were. This male, in the photo immediately below, was the highest of the three, right in the top branches of the tree. He very occasionally called out. While I was photographing him I could hear some breaking noises coming from nearby but I could not see what it was until a female came into view low, among the branches in a tree, the second photo. These first two cockatoos flew off, and a third one, that I had walked past without seeing it, started calling before it joined the others to fly off northwards. The second and third birds may have been ripping away at their respective trees as I could see bark damage on both. Although these birds primarily feed on seeds they will also eat insects and one way they do that is by pulling back the bark to get at the boring grubs in the tree. A destructive way to get some food but a good indication of how strong their beaks are.
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo male
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo further in the trees
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
This unidentified hairy caterpillar was crawling on my clothes line. It was tiny, about 1 cm but I had to get a shot, although I have taken a photo of this species before. Still, I do not care, I am just happy to see wildlife around my home, no matter how large or small.
Hairy caterpillar crawling on our clothes line
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/10 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)