The weather was not promising on this Sunday, the morning was very overcast, with a light drizzle falling and the forecast saying the conditions would clear in the afternoon. Canberra had received more than 30mm of rain overnight so I expected things to be wet and not much light. I checked the Bureau of Meteorology’s rain radar and saw there was a gap coming so I figured I would see what the morning held. Rather than go too far in the rain and not find much to photograph I decided to go to Yarralumla Creek (flood information is here), which I cycle pass every day, although I normally see the storm canal part of the creek, not where it flows more like a creek. (In 1971 this creek was the scene of a tragic flash flood when an estimated 95mm rain fell over the general area in an hour.) My original intent was to hopefully catch gushing torrents of water flowing through the canal but when I arrived at dawn, I could see how hight the water had been overnight, but the level had dropped to normal once again. I was not too disappointed as I was also planning to explore the banks along the creek to see what birds and other animals I could find. Indeed, as soon as I arrived I saw a Gippsland Water Dragon on the rock wall. I was able to approach it very closely to get some photos. Walking along the west bank of the creek I came to a spot where the little birds were very plentiful. I also found some lovely subjects to photograph, especially the pair of Superb Fairy-wrens at the top of this post. My enjoyment of the area was spoilt by the amount of rubbish in the creek, I think it was mainly washed down from other parts of the urban area, rather than being thrown in there. Either way, the beauty of the creek was spoilt but I drew comfort from all the birdlife that existed around this little creek in a very modified habitat. I hope you like the photographs below.
Yarralumla Creek where it goes from being a run-off canal to becoming a creek again
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 100, 35mm, f/22 and 4.0 SEC])
An old, damaged footbridge across the creek, with morning sun reflecting in the water
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 100, 22mm, f/13 and 1/13 SEC])
The bridge from a different view
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/30 SEC])
The weir controlling the creek
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/240 SEC]
Photographing along the weir with a long exposure
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 100, 33mm, f/14 and 3.2 SEC])
I could hear birds around but it was not until I was at the damaged footbridge where there were trees on both sides of the creek that extended across to the eastern bank did I see a variety of birds. In this little area, I noticed the trees had a number of birds in them. The first birds I sighted were two Brown Thornbills (Acanthiza pusilla). They were flying in the poplars on the west bank, keeping in the middle branches, before flying across the creek.
Brown Thornbill
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1600, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/400 SEC])
There was also a White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) high in a dead tree further alone the creek, calling out. It did not have much luck as I did not hear any response and it was regularly chased off by magpies. It was chased off when I first saw it and about an hour later it must have returned but was chased off again. It flew off in a north-westerly direction, possibly towards the Molonglo River. This bird is one of those that exists in Canberra in mid-winter but also other members of the species are living in tropical areas just to the north of Australia. A diverse range without any temperature modification assistance like air conditioners and heaters.
White-faced Heron perched in a tree
(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])
The other birds kept chasing it away
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 158mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
My favourite bird sighting of the morning was a group of about four Superb Fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus) near the old footbridge. They were in the low trees there and initially keeping just far enough from me. After I had photographed some other subjects, I think they felt more comfortable with my presence as they came closer. There was at least one female and one male in the group. Looking at my photographs I could see a number of shots of the female calling but only one with the male calling. The females are easily recognisable by their brown mask around their eyes. The male had some blue on his body but not much. Two of them went to a branch at about my eye level where they preened each other and occasionally called. They stayed on that branch for about five minutes at least before, first the female, and then the male descended to the ground, where they looked as if they were searching for food along the creek bank. I really liked the shots of the pair because the sun was behind them but the few remaining leaves on the tree shaded them while still allowing the morning sun to catch the water drops from the night-time rain.
Female Superb Fairy-wren calling
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/250 SEC])
I loved watching this pair of Superb Fairy-wrens
(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] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
They both went to the ground later on, here is the male
(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] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
This is the female
(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] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
This White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis) was in the lower branches of the tree the fairy-wrens were in but it was keeping to the undergrowth. I lost it when it entered a mixture of branches and grass. These little birds always amaze me with their ability to enter small, tight undergrowth spaces, negating their strength in being able to fly. While it would be hard for some predators to get them I feel they are more vulnerable to snakes and lizards that may already be in that undergrowth.
At least one White-browed Scrubwren was moving through the undergrowth
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/250 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
There were a few Dusky Moorhens (Gallinula tenebrosa) on the east bank of the creek but this was the only one I saw near the water. It was preening itself on this half-submerged branch. It preened and fluffed itself up on the branch for a little before it went into the water to swim across to the east bank, seen behind it in the photo.
Dusky Moorhen
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
I noticed a lone Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) perched in a dead tree and was happy to get a photograph as the clouds were clearing so the sunlight could really light up the beautifully incandescent feathers on its back. The next time I looked there was an Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) in the same tree, neither bird that fussed about the other. I then also noticed a group of seven Straw-necked Ibis all perched in a different dead tree preening themselves. I have seen Straw-necked Ibis in this area before but they were on the ground looking for food that time.
Straw-necked Ibis perched in a tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
An Australian White Ibis, on the right, also perched in the tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
There was a tree full of preening ibis
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 286mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
This Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howitti) was lying on a stone wall when I first arrived. I started taking photographs with my long lens so as not to get too close and scare it off. I edged closer and even got down on the canal side to make it easier to get at eye-level with him, I think it is a him given the colouration on the throat that is not visible here. I then swapped to a wide-angle lens as I had listened to a podcast interviewing a reptile photographer who said he liked using a wide angle lens to capture the reptile in its habitat. I do not think I achieved that here but I think I understood more about what he meant. I was trying to get close to the reptile to capture detail and I was surprised how close I could get. I almost had the camera at the dragons head. I could have easily touched its tail if I wanted to when I was standing over it. I began to wonder if it was dead as it did not seem to react to me and I could not see it breathing. It was only in looking at my photographs later did I notice its eyes had followed me as I moved about it. I wondered if it was so cold it was not really able to move, or maybe it had been washed out of its night-time hole by the suddenly raised waters and was exhausted by the struggle, I am not sure why it was so placid but it was gone about two hours later when I walked back past this spot. Hopefully it had gone but its own power and was not a meal for another animal.
A very cold and slow Gippsland Water Dragon
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 800, 35mm, f/8 and 1/50 SEC])
The photos below all come form my garden on the day before I went to Yarralumla Creek, when the light was better. I was sitting in my front garden on the dirt surrounded by plants waiting for an interesting subject, which these Common Hover Flies (Melangyna viridiceps) provided. I was particularly happy with the one the shot of the hover fly which had pollen surrounding it. Below the hover fly I have included some photos of the small flowers in our garden.
Hover Fly
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/7.1 and 1/160 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Hover Fly with bits of pollen surrounding it
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/11 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Pink Crowea flower
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/10 and 1/160 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Chrysocephalum flowers
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/13 SEC] focus stacked with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)