While I have visited where Paddys River meets the Cotter River, I have only ever driven across the bridge over Paddys River further upstream on my way to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve but never given a thought to stopping there. So I decided it was time to stop at that bridge to explore that area underneath it to see what animals there were. In the end, I visited the area over two successive weekends because I found so much of interest. I was focussed more on the birds but there was other life around, all of which will make me include this location on my regular visit list. It was so tranquil yet so full of life with different species of honeyeaters, and so many small birds whirling around me. Plus there was the reassuring gurgle of Paddys River flowing past me on both visits.
Upon arriving the first Sunday, I was not sure which bank to explore first but I chose the west bank because that was the side my car was parked on. While I was standing beside Paddys River movement on the opposite bank caught my attention as a Red Fox trotted nonchalantly along that side of the river under the bridge. I tried to raise my camera without drawing attention to myself but this predator’s senses were too finely honed by evolution. It stopped, peered intently at me, then turned and in a bound or two it had disappeared into a a thicket of vegetation. I was worried that might have been my one sighting go the morning.
Moving along the river bank there were clear, recent Common Wombat tracks in the damp sand but no sign of an animal, which was disappointing because I really wanted to see a wombat and photograph it.
Common Wombat tracks
Without walking too far I became aware that the thorn-laden feral Blackberry bushes were alive with two or three White-browed Scrubwrens (Sericornis frontalis). They were constantly calling to each other with their harsh chattering while they moved through the tangle of branches. They, or another pair, stayed with me as I walked along the river. I could see them a short distance in front of me moving across some exposed river sand looking for food. One of the pair also took the opportunity of a quieter bit of water to have a morning wash and a drink. These birds eat small insects and they are at home on the ground where they intrepidly enter tangled masses of vegetation without any fear.
White-browed Scrubwren in some Blackberry bushes
(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])
White-browed Scrubwren drinking water
(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])
A male Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris) flew onto a willow branch. He was obvious with his rufous chest but he did not stay long where he was. Although these are common birds I was disappointed that I could not capture a better shot of him.
Rufous Whistler high in a tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/400 SEC])
It was then that I was distracted by the Silver Wattle (Acacia dealbata), which is a very common plant as well as being archetypal flora of Australia. These were small trees because a fully grown tree can be 30 metres tall but they still had the clumps of yellow flowers that make the species so distinct. Apart from the natural beauty of these flowers I was also attracted by the frost still clinging to them, which was slowing melting in the morning sun. These trees can tolerate very cold frosts so the yellow of the flowers were a nice background for the white flecks of frost.
Frost melting on Silver Wattle
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
Walking on a bit further downstream, I crossed onto a small island that had low vegetation making a kind of clearing between both of the banks with their taller trees. This clearing gave me a good view of a number of birds around me, although I was not always able to photograph them.
One of the birds that I was able to get some shots of was a gorgeous Yellow-faced Honeyeater (Lichenostomus chrysops). It was just the single bird who was calling as it moved through the trees. It would move to a branch, call and wait, then repeat the process in a new location. It stayed in one tree for a little while before flying back up stream to a different tree.
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/500 SEC])
Also in this area, in fact along most of the river, were the ever ubiquitous and energetic Grey Fantails (Rhipidura albiscapa). They appeared to be chasing each other, some times along the bank and at other times across the river. I was very happy when one of them landed in a bush not far from me catching the sun nicely in a nice location for a photograph. Apart from that brief moment these birds wheeled and whirled around the trees before landing to fan their tails out. They are not scared of humans and will fly close by once a person stops to become part of the scenery.
Grey Fantail
(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])
That small river island became my turnaround point as I realised that time was getting away from me. I was enjoying myself with the sun lighting the scene, warming the air while the soft gurgling of Paddys River provided a relaxing soundtrack. It was a glorious way to start a Sunday.
While tracing my way back along the same route beside the river I noticed a stump that I had missed on my outward walk. The stump was effectively hollow and it almost looked like a new tree was growing from part of it. The vacant inner space looked like it could have been a tunnel into some other world, especially with the dappled lighting highlighting some areas of it. While I knew that there was noting to it, I did enjoy that moment of fantasy, taking me back to my childhood.
Mystical tree stump
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 250, 35mm, f/10 and 1/60 SEC])
I climbed up the embankment to the bridge but rather than head straight back to the car I thought I would take a quick walk along the southern extension of the river. It was not going to be far because I could see that a fence was stopping me just a short distance along the bank.
Coming around a clump of vegetation I shocked two Crested Pigeons (Ocyphaps lophotes) who flew off with that whoop-whoop noise made by their wings that alerts others that they have taken off in fright. They did not go too far, just to a nearby tree where they perched on a branch looking across the river at something. I left them to their vigil over whatever it was.
Two Crested Pigeons in a tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC])
I also caught sight of a White-eared Honeyeater (Lichenostomus leucotis) that was moving through the branches of a willow on the opposite bank before flying to the upper bare branches of a tree. It was calling but with no apparent response. It flew northwards along the river out of my sight.
White-eared Honeyeater high in a tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 125, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
By this stage it was time to get back in to the car for the journey home but as I drove across the bridge over Paddys River a glance out of the left-hand driver’s window reminded me of the view that had enticed me on planning a stop at the river. The sun was just striking the wattles and willows highlighting their lighter colours. It may have not been a grand vista but I wanted to capture if, especially with the blue sky and green hills. The sun was showing off the lighter colours nicely but it was also throwing some shadows from the trees.I was able to stand on the bridge but away from the road to take the picture.
Paddys River flowing north with Bullen Range in the background
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 100, 16mm, f/10 and 1/100 SEC] with a CPL)
Rivers were on my mind as I drove home, because I had an idea about how I wanted to photograph the Murrumbidgee River. I envisaged shooting along the river towards the southern suburbs of Canberra but trying not to get too much of the urban sprawl in the shot. I was also hoping that I would get some sparkle from the sun because I would be effectively shooting into the sun but hopefully at a low enough angle so that I would not have the bright light shining directly into the lens. I realised that a shot from the bank was not going to give me the angle that I wanted because the elevation was not high enough. Fortunately, my drone was in the car so I launched it from the side of the road to send it down to the river while I stayed at the boot of the car. It was a little disconcerting to have the drone away from my sight and even out of my hearing. I could see where the drone was through the video display on my phone but I was very relieved when I could actually lay me eyes on the drone as it flew high over the trees lining the road.
Murrumbidgee River flowing south-east before it turns north to skirt around Canberra
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/500 SEC]
As I left the area I knew that I wanted to visit it again because it was just such a nice spot to be in. Even though the weather forecast for the following weekend was not great I still figured it would be nice to go out again to see the area under different lighting conditions.
So come the next weekend I found myself back at Paddys River but this time I decided to follow the east bank northwards with the flow of the river to see what I could find to photograph.
I parked on the east side of the river on a slight slope up from the river. In moving around to the back of my car to get my day pack I notices a few Pasture Day Moth (Apina callisto) caterpillars on the ground. Even though these are very common insects I did not have a photograph of them so I figured that this was a good opportunity. I think that the caterpillars may have been getting ready to go through the pupa stage because there was a hole in the ground with something in it that may have been a pupa. These caterpillars do not build cocoons but pupate underground in a hole that they build, where they may be for several months.
I was stunned by the colour on these caterpillars and wished I had captured it better. Although, I was worried that a car may pull over to see what was wrong. For an oncoming driver would have seen my car parked in an unusual location and a man appearing to be face down on the ground and not moving, I had to be still to get the shot.
Pasture Day Moth caterpillar possibly getting ready to go underground
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/6.3 and 1/80 SEC])
One end of the caterpillar
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/6.3 and 1/100 SEC])
After photographing the caterpillars I heard the call of a butcherbird and realised that it was a Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis). The bird was in a tree on the opposite side of the road. The bird flew to the ground once while I was watching it but I could not see if it caught something, It did not fly off but stayed in the trees. It flew between a few trees but eventually flew off to the north east to a larger tree, but did not call from there or as it flew off.
Pied Butcherbird in a tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])
After the butcherbird I crossed back over the road to walk down the embankment to the river. I once again followed the river north, but on the east bank this time. Heading north seemed to offer more ground to explore because the southern route appeared to quickly run into a fence.
There were birds almost immediately, especially a pair of Superb Fairy-wrens in a Blackberry bush. They were moving through the bush, chatting incessantly. The male was obvious in his lovely blue while the female was more sensibly coloured in her dull brown. It may be just me but it seems that males spend less time on the outer branches of these bushes than the females. I say that based on my observations as I await a chance to photograph the males when they are in their lovely blue.
Superb Fairy-wren pair in a Blackberry bush
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])
Walking further along the river I was very happy to see in a Silver Wattle tree a male Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris) possibly the same one from the previous week. He was calling on a branch and looking towards the south. Eventually he flew off in that direction. I am glad I saw the bird again and was able to get a better shot.
Rufous Whistler in a Silver Wattle tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC])
Looking down at the wet sand I was walking on as I followed the course of the river I could see some insects flying just above the ground in fast, blurry circles about the size of bread plates. They were flying too fast to photograph but occasionally one would stop, presenting a chance to snap a photograph. They were Crane Flies, which is the largest family of flies in Australia. This may have been mating behaviour the larvae of these insects need moisture and some species will lay their eggs in moist sand. Indeed some females reach maturity with developed eggs ready to be laid, but are awaiting a male to fertilise them.
Crane Fly on the wet river sand
(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)
After photographing the crane flies I thought it was time to turnaround to start walking back to the car. I had not gone too far when a flash of yellow crossed in front of me, straight into a bush. I was sure that it was. bird but I had no idea of what it was. I decided not to try to chase it because I had no idea where it had gone, so I figured I would do noting more than scare it again and again, making it fly further away from me. I felt a bit disappointed because I would have liked to have seen what species it was and may be photograph it. I then realised that it was a Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) because there were more of them in the wattle trees near the river. They were moving through the blossoms looking for food. I was able to move closer to the trees without scaring them because they were focussed on eating. They may have been eating insects or the nectar from the wattle.
I really enjoyed photographing these small birds, which were around 10 cm long. I was able to get reasonably close to them, although the clouds were over so the light was not great. Still it was nice to spend time taking some shots of them.
Silvereye looking for food in a Silver Wattle
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 360mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
I then realised that there was a small flock of Merino Sheep at the river bank watching me. I thought that I was on a nature reserve so I was surprised to see sheep. It was possible that they had come from a nearby farm as I had seen sheep tracks in the river sand leading to a shallow part of the river. The Australian Merino is a refined version of the Merino breed from Spain and was the source of much economic prosperity in Australia.
Merino sheep and lambs
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
It was now truly time to head home. The weather was not great and it started to rain on my way home but I was glad that I had been to Paddys River again. It was a lovely little spot and in those two mornings I really enjoyed myself.
Thanks for reading about my trip and thanks also for looking at my photos. I hope you come back again to read more about some of the wonderful natural things that the Australian Capital Territory has on offer. All the best until the next post.