Over the last few months I have posted a lot of photographs from Lake Burley Griffin because that body of water has been one of the few places where I could go during lockdown to see wildlife while exercising but also be assured of maintaining social distance. The COVID restrictions also meant that there were less rowers on the lake making the water quieter and easier to approach the birds that I saw. The cormorants, darters, pelicans were still on the lake, still living their lives while we, the people of Canberra, monitored the progress of the pandemic through the daily press conferences. I drew a great deal of solace on the lake, relaxing in the placidness and being captivated by the birds. I also experienced the seasonal relief as Canberra emerged from the cold, short days of winter to the longer, sunny days of spring with the assurance that summer was around the corner. Spring was always a good time in Canberra because the plants and animals returned with more verve ready to start new generations. The lake was also changing while the season moved from winter to spring. With the seasons transitioning winter seemed to struggle to maintain its grip, making for coolish mornings where a mist commonly rose from Lake Burley Griffin. That mist sometimes masked the finer details of birds but it also added plenty of atmosphere. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.
Lake Burley Griffin was part of the original design of Canberra and as such it was also the focus for the city’s concept. Because of that there were a number of important places around this artificial body of water that was central, both geographically and community wise, to the city. Two of the interesting places around the lake are the National Arboretum and Government House.
The National Arboretum sits at the western end of the lake, covering a ridge that overlooks the lake. It is still in its early stages having opened in 2013 so most of the trees are still young. However, those young trees don’t hide the shape of the land making it an interesting subject. I was also lucky on one October morning because the moon was still up in the early morning and there was a light mist rising from the surface of Lake Burley Griffin.
Another very prominent location is Government House that sits just east of Scrivener Dam, which holds the waters of the Molonglo River back to make Lake Burley Griffin. The house started as a farm homestead in the 1830s before the Federal Government acquired it in 1909. In the 1920s the government decided to make it the residence of the Governor General, with work commencing in the second part of that decade to expand the building. With the work complete, the first Governor General commenced using the new residence in 1931. The lovely old building faces north so it gets some early morning sun, and the mist on the same morning I described above helped make the photograph.
The moon still present in the early morning over the National Arboretum while a light mist rises on Lake Burley Griffin
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 100mm, f/11 and 1/400 SEC])
Government House on a misty morning
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 234mm, f/9.0 and 1/500 SEC])
It was always good to see Australasian Darters (Anhinga novaehollandiae), with their snake-like necks and glossy black wing feathers. One of them was drying its wings on a dead tree just above the surface of the water while surrounded by a light mist. Another was making use of the swimming pontoons near where I launched from. The second bird did not like me paddling past so headed to the water when I was still a distance away.
Australasian Darter female resting on a sunken tree in the fog
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC])
Australasian Darter on a swimming platform
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
A lone Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa) was out for a swim. It headed from one part of the shore to the other around a small curved inlet, crossing directly in front of me, slightly speeding up when it was close to the front of my kayak.
Dusky Moorhen swimming
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 125, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Paddling around Spinnaker Island, I saw a lone Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) preening its all black plumage. The bird was not concerned by my presence while it carefully went through the process of washing its feathers with the lake water. Preening is an important behaviour for birds to keep their feathers in good condition. The bird will probably moult all its feathers in a year so it needs to look after them, keeping them ordered and trying to restrict lice to a minimum. Its long neck helps with the vital process. For a bird the feathers keep it warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather while also allowing it to fly; vital functions to its very existence.
Black Swan preening in the morning sun
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 214mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
While I was paddling beside Spinnaker Island I saw a Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) patrolling through the long grass. The gulls had been using the small, almost bare island for nesting but the immature birds all seemed old enough to fly so the gulls were less noisy around the island now. The grass was lush with all the recent rain so the bright white plumage of the bird easily stood out against the green of the vegetation.
Silver Gull among the grass of Spinnaker Island
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
With the weather warming and the days getting longer, the mornings saw a number of people enjoying early activities on the lake. There were other kayakers, people using stand-up paddle boards (SUP) and of course the rowers training for the season. It was great seeing people out enjoying one of the loveliest features of the city.
Kayaking
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC])
Stand-Up Paddle-board
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Rowers
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 100mm, f/11 and 1/400 SEC])
Spring is a great time in Canberra especially as the temperatures warm. The lake was very full, with plenty of new water flowing in from the Molonglo River. The lake water looked so healthy with no trace of algal blooms. The birdlife was also doing well, with so many individuals around, both on the lake and at places on the shore. Hopefully this influx of water will help the environment recover from the years of dry and will also flow downriver to other places where water is also much needed.
Thanks for reading this post 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.