Sunday’s weather might not have been great but the available light was better than it had been for a while so I decided to head back to Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve. The recent heavy rains across Canberra meant that the reserve was very wet. At one stage I found myself walking up a slight hill yet there was pooling water amongst the grass, even on a slope. Lighting wise, there was a bit of cloud hanging about but the sun was coming through. Canberra is at the end of winter so the days are getting longer and the birds appear to be starting their mating preparations, with the Wood Ducks calling and male Fairy-wrens showing their blue plumage. I went a slightly different way to the path I travelled last time, wanting to explore more, although I still found myself climbing up a hill. I am glad I went out for the morning and I am glad the light gave me a chance to get some shots. I hope you like the photos below.
One of the beautiful flowering bushes I saw on top of a hill, using a prime lens to capture it
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/11 and 1/80 SEC])
Another beautiful flowering bush just a few metres away
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/11 and 1/80 SEC])
Black Mountain Tower as seen from Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve on a cloudy day
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/14 and 1/80 SEC])
Dead tree on a hill with Eastern Grey Kangaroos near the summit
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/10 and 1/60 SEC])
A small Laccaria mushroom and other tiny plants and lichen, lit with a reflector for some soft light
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/10 and 1/50 SEC] five shot focus stack)
There were a number Common Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) about, mainly in small groups of three to five. They would claim a tree and appeared to keep other birds away. They were calling regularly and moving around. They can be aggressive birds and keep other species away so I am disappointed when I see this feral pest because I feel that they have supplanted a native bird. I cannot be angry at the birds as they had no say in their release and they have become part of the ecosystem. This species of bird was released in Australian in the 1850s, initially to control pests, although I am not sure what they were doing that native birds could not. Acclimatisation societies, those groups whose mission it was to make Australia more like Britain, got into the swing of releasing these birds as well. Now we have them throughout eastern Australia, although mainly on the fringes of the urban areas where the land has been cleared.
There were a number of Common Starlings around
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/400 SEC])
There was a pair of Superb Fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus) in a group of small trees beside a pond. I first saw the female and took some shots of her. I saw the male in his blue but was not able to get a shot before he flew off into a bush, closely followed by the female. These birds do not have large territories and all these bushes and small trees would have been perfect for these birds to forage through while providing cover from larger birds.
Superb Fairy-wren in a small tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/200 SEC])
Sorry, not the best shot of a Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans). This bird was in a bit of sunlight initially but I did not get my camera up quickly enough to photograph it. It was feeding on the ground, enjoying the long grass stems.
Crimson Rosella eating on the ground
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
A Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) flew between the two hills, calling loudly as it came. It flew up into a dead tree, where it called a few more times before continuing its journey.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo in a dead tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/500 SEC])
Two Australian Wood Ducks (Chenonetta jubata) flew from a tree a distance away from me. One flew west, up a hill and it may have been a male. The other, definitely a female, flew north to a small pond in front of me. It landed, skimming across the water then climbed out of the water. It walked around to the north side of the pond and started calling. I did not hear a reply nor did I see another duck fly to it. I am unsure if it was still a young female looking to mate or its partner had gone off somewhere else. I did like seeing the bird’s tongue in the picture below.
Australian Wood Duck female calling by a small pond after flying there from a tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/320 SEC])
This Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius) was one of a pair resting on a fence line. They did not like my approach and flew off.
Eastern Rosella on a fence wire
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/320 SEC])
Two Galahs (Eolophus roseicapillus) were initially feeding on the ground among the small plants. The female seemed focussed on something further up the hill and not really caring about me. The male appeared to have too much of me and flew up onto a branch, where the female joined him, but at a short distance away. It was a windy day so the wind blew their feathers up. They will probably soon be looking for a hollow to nest in during spring.
Female Galah feeding on the ground
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/100 SEC])
Male Galah in a tree after the pair flew there
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/100 SEC])
I had to do a bit of a double-take with this Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) as I was not sure what I was seeing. I could see something that was whitish or light grey our of the corner of my eye among some dark, burnt trees. I was not sure what it was initially. For the briefest of moments I thought I was going crazy and having some paranormal experience, until I put my camera up and saw it was a kangaroo. I did like how the light grey of the kangaroo contrasted against the black of the burnt trees and almost hints of an apparition.
A haunting shot of an Eastern Grey Kangaroo among some burnt trees, well, at least I think it is
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/250 SEC])