In early July I went on my first overnight kayak camping trip and I was fortunate enough to experience it in the beautiful Kangaroo Valley over two days, with about 26 km of padding on the first day and 23 km on. the second. I paddled down the Kangaroo River, past Tallowa Dam and into the Shoalhaven Gorge. Because it was the middle of winter the days were short so I did not have long periods of good light for photographing, especially in the gorge where the high sides prevented the sun light getting through, projecting deep shadows onto one side of the gorge. Despite that I really enjoyed the experience and learnt some good lessons for next time, I also felt more comfortable photographing from my new kayak because it was weighted down with camping gear acting like ballast. While I missed some shots, like a White-bellied Sea-eagle, I was still happy with the shots of birds I was able to get from the water. I also felt there was a lot of opportunity to get to areas not readily accessible from a land route, especially the sunken forest with the dead trees sticking out of the river. I have included a video below but I must admit it was not the video I was hoping to create. I did have my drone with me but I did not use it because I felt I was always missing the right light or worried about the wind. I am hoping to do more trips like this but maybe when it is a tad warmer and definitely when the days are longer so there is more opportunity to photograph. While there may not be many photographs below I hope you like the ones there are.
Looking south over the spillway of Tallowa Dam
Olympus Tough TG-6 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/8.0 and 1/160 SEC]
New growth springing from a burnt tree beside the Kangaroo River
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/160 SEC])
Southern entrance to the Shoalhaven Gorge
Olympus Tough TG-6 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/640 SEC]
Sunken forest in the Shoalhaven Gorge
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 100mm, f/14 and 1/250 SEC] three shot photo merge)
Some of the trees in the sunken forest
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/100 SEC])
An individual tree
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
Life still finds a way
Olympus Tough TG-6 [ISO 100, 6.37mm, f/2.5 and 1/40 SEC]
The return journey the next day along the Kangaroo River was under overcast skies and the damage from the summer bushfires was still visible
Olympus Tough TG-6 [ISO 100, 7.31mm, f/4.0 and 1/250 SEC]
This lone tree was still surviving on a tiny island in the Kangaroo River
Olympus Tough TG-6 [ISO 100, 8.4mm, f/4.5 and 1/400 SEC]
Coming around a bend mid-morning in the Kangaroo River I saw an Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) in the shallows, the sun reflecting off its white plumage. I also noticed a second one a little distance away. They were on the inside of the river bend, in an area behind some reeds, where a solitary tree was growing on a small, inundated island just big enough for the central root mass. The next day, on the way back past this area, at about the same time, I saw three pelicans on a log, but on the opposite side of the river. One was fully awake, while the other two on either side of it had their heads buried quietly under their wings. I paddled closer to a nearby small island, but that was enough to make the awake pelican depart for a swim off the back of the log. The other two stayed where they were, although they were now awake. The one on the left in the photograph barely moved but the one on the right started to preen itself, then it started stretching its wings. It had some trouble walking along the log, looking like it was slipping sometimes. I left the birds as I did not want to disturb them any more.
Australian Pelican in the Kangaroo River on the first day of the trip
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/200 SEC])
On the next day, there were three on the other side of the river, but one moved away before I took the shot
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
Another view of the two pelicans
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
A group of six Little Black Cormorants (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) were present on a sunken log at the Bendeela Recreation Area when I first started my paddle. They were stationary on the log, with the birds not even drying their wings. The next day there was a group of about 15 birds on a submerged tree further down the Kangaroo River. This was a similar time of day but again most birds were stationary and not even drying their wings. The creation of Tallowa Dam has probably benefited this species as both the Kangaroo and Shoalhaven Rivers have less flow through the Kangaroo Valley area, creating still, deep waterways these birds can exploit to gather food.
A group of Little Black Cormorants at the spot I started my paddle
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/200 SEC])
The next day, another group, or the same group. was further down the river
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
A group of about five Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters (Lichenostomus melanops) flew into some trees near where I was setting up camp. I was annoyed in myself as I was moving gear from my kayak to the campsite and did not have my camera at hand so I missed their initial appearance. Fortunately, they came back and I was able to get this shot of one of them. They appeared to be only interested in the trees closest to the water and were mainly focussed on the outside branches. I suspect they were after insects or sap as I could not see any flowers on the tree. They were all calling both times they were feeding, hence why I became aware of them. After they finished in these trees they may have flown across the river to the other bank as they just seemed to disappear. It was the sudden quietness that really marked their departure.
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
I saw a number of Little Pied Cormorants (Microcarbo melanoleucos) along the rivers but they kept their distance from me. This one was across the river from me and I felt I had to take a photograph, even though it was a long distance away as I was getting close to the end of my trip without having a shot of this species. I am glad I did so I could at least have a record of this species from my trip. On one occasion a Little Pied Cormorant was on a sunken branch beside a Little Black Cormorant. The pied one took off before I got close at all, while the black one stayed on the branch even as I paddled past at a distance.
Little Pied Cormorant perched just above the Kangaroo River
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])