The Australian Capital Territory’s (ACT) rather elongated shape is because when it was seperated from New South Wales (NSW) the new Federal Government decided that the soon to be created national capital, Canberra, needed to have its own guaranteed water supply. In this part of Australia the water generally flows from the Australian Alps, south of Canberra, so the ACT was given access to rivers that would supply it with fresh water. One of these rivers was the Cotter River, which was damned soon after the founding of Canberra to create the Cotter Dam. To help preserve the quality of water there is no urban development around lake, just the regenerated natural environment created by what is known unofficially as the Cotter Reserve.
The Cotter River used to be a free-flowing river that originated in the Brindabella Ranges to the south-west of Canberra. However, with the founding of Canberra, the river seemed a perfect source of fresh water.
In looking at the surrounding vegetation the relatively low height of the trees suggested that early white settlers in the region cleared the land but with the establishment of the dam, vegetation was needed to stop the rain washing the top soil into the dam during heavy showers. The area is a reserve, making it a beautiful spot for walking or mountain biking, with a series of dirt access trails surrounding the lake.
Cotter Dam
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/640 SEC] three shot panorama
I had visited the area before but that day had been very foggy, so not the best day to take photographs. This time I wanted good weather and I enjoyed such glorious weather on both weekends that I did not want my visits to finish. The first weekend I returned to a trail I had been on before that went to a lookout to the east of the dam. I started my climb along the well maintained track that gently ascended the lightly wooded hill towards the lookout. Without having gone too far I noticed a standard, green metal box on a pole that was used to store information pamphlets provided free of charge to people visiting ACT nature reserves. I thought that it would be useful to have a brochure with a map that I could perhaps use to orientate myself to the surrounding hills. In lifting the somewhat rusty, hinged lid I was a little surprised to find different contents to what I was expecting.
Instead of folded maps I found a rather sizeable Social Huntsman spider (Delena cancerides) and her young covering the interior of the box. She was resting at the bottom but tensed up when I opened the lid to let light in. There was also movement among some of the juveniles although most flattened themselves against the wall. The spiders can make themselves very flat, making it easier to get into crevices, as well as houses. This may have been a family colony, which gives these spiders the name ‘social’, with family colonies of up to 300 individuals recorded.
I careful closed the lid and left the spiders to their business. Wondering what an unwitting visitor might think if they reached for a pamphlet without checking inside first.
Social Huntsman and young in the brochure box
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/10 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Close-up of a young spider
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/10 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
All along the path I could hear Yellow-faced Honeyeaters (Lichenostomus chrysops) calling but it was hard to get a decent shot of one of the birds as they rapidly moved through the trees. Eventually, one of these greenish birds stayed put long enough on an outside branch to get a couple of passable shots. These honeyeaters are a common, well-established bird around Canberra, eating a wider variety of food, not just nectar.
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
There were also the ubiquitous Grey Fantails (Rhipidura albiscapa) flying their circular routes and chasing each other through the trees. Their undulating call is a pleasant accompaniment to a walk among nature and their chasing through the trees often appears to be game-like, giving them, to me at least, a playful nature, although I suspect things are more serious for them.
Grey Fantail
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
While I was fully focussed on the birds in front of me I did not notice a small Red-necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) quietly crouched in the shadows cast under a Casuarina tree, contentedly stripping the green needles of the branches with its teeth. The green needles looked fresh and juicy so were probably very filling. The wallaby was in no rush to move, briefly looking nonchalantly in my direction but otherwise being focussed on eating.
Red-necked Wallaby enjoying a Casuarina tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 2500, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/400 SEC])
Getting nearer the top of the hill I came across some Grass Trees (Xanthorrhoea sp.) . These plants fascinate me, with their spiky, green grass surrounding what can be a single ‘spear’ rising upwards. However, they are a very slow growing plant, with some species growing a mere two centimetres a year and taking 20 years to produce the characteristic spear. To me they are an iconic Australian plant and I am looking forward to finding a more mature one to get some better shots.
One of the amazing but very slow growing Grass Trees
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 320, 100mm, f/10 and 1/200 SEC])
Another Grass Tree
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF40mm f2.8 STM [ISO 100, 40mm, f/11 and 1/100 SEC])
I noticed a number of Common Brown butterflies (Heteronympha merope), but as usual, I only noticed them after I had disturbed them from where they were sunning themselves on the track. Finally, one of them flew to a plant just off the track, opening its wings slightly towards the sun. I thought that I was in at a bad angle for a photograph because the sun was coming in at 90 degrees to me but then I noticed the way that the sun was lighting the wings from the inside. I really liked the effect. The photograph also showed that this butterfly, like many in the nymph family, only have four legs.
Common Brown catching the sunlight
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Just after photographing the Common Brown a European Wasp (Vespula germanica) arrived at the same tree. I only saw the one and it did not stay long, before disappearing off behind the tree. This wasp species is not native to Australia and was first recorded in Tasmania in 1959 and by the 1970s had made it to most of the rest of the country. These insects are more aggressive than the local wasps so are driving out native species and also killing more native insects.
European Wasp
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/10 and 1/400 SEC])
I had already thoroughly enjoyed myself that morning and I had not even reached where I was heading to. After a little bit longer I crossed over a fire trail to keep following the walking trail as it arrived on the high ground. Once again though I was distracted, this time by a Tau Emerald (Hemicordulia tau). Fortunately the dragonfly landed on an acacia nearby and happily stayed there, even as I crawled closer with my camera. The dragonfly was a more clouded yellow than I had seem previously, possibly because it was still newly emerged, although the location that I saw it was well away from water. I thrilled to get some close-up shots of this lovely insect, especially with such good natural lighting.
Tau Emerald dragonfly
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 320, 100mm, f/10 and 1/200 SEC])
Upon reaching the lookout location I realised that the tree growth around the area made drone shooting the only real option for landscape shots. The first photo that I took, of the whole area, is towards the top of this post. I used the drone to do a simple three shot panorama based around the lake as the central object of the image. After that shot, I decided to get a little adventurous with the drone. I could see in the distance where the ridge line entered the water surrounded by some dead trees. I thought that may make an interesting subject, despite the distance that it was from me. I knew that the drone controller had the range to still communicate with the drone and I figured that I had enough battery power, or I would turn around if it was getting low. Despite that, it was still just over a kilometre from where I was. I sent the drone anyway, figuring that I needed to get used to flying the drone more than just up and down above a nearby subject. It was a little concerning to see the drone disappear off into the distance to become just a speck but I am glad that I decided to take the picture. There were more trees than I realised and the shadws cast by the morning sun added to the strangeness of the picture.
The drone recovery went very well, although I did end up using the return to home function, just to make sure that I was still looking at the right speck while I guided it back to me.
Dead trees sticking up from the water of a sunken ridge line
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/320 SEC]
The walk back down the trail yielded less photographing subjects. Although I was happy to come across a Gumleaf Grasshopper (Goniaea australasiae). Initially it was on the trail but my movements made it jump a couple times, where it eventually landed in this small tree. It started on top of the branch in the photograph but then swung itself around to be hanging from the branch, where it stayed for a while looking very comfortable.
Gumleaf Grasshopper
(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])
After photographing the grasshopper there were no other shots that I took on my walk. However, while I was driving home I passed Cotter Dam and noticed that the spillway was gushing over with water. Since Canberra had been in an extended drought until late last year this movement of water was a rarity. I took a few photographs because I didn’t know the next time that I might see the water flowing like that.
Spillway of Cotter Dam with the overflow
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/20 and 1/250 SEC]) three shot panorama
With photographing the dam finished, I packed my camera gear back into the car to head home. The weather had been perfect and I enjoyed my walk around that part of the ACT. I also decided that the location was probably worth a second trip the following weekend.
Indeed, the next weekend I repeated a very similar drive to the same car park but this time instead of heading up to the lookout, I took a trail that went down before it followed a lower contour. I walked along that trail with the idea of seeing how close I could get to the dam itself. What I had not realised was the dam had formed in a steep section of terrain so when I got close to the dam, I was still standing high about the water on some steep-sided high ground.
Still, it was another lovely morning with a blue sky and rising sun. The trail that I was following was a fire road so it was easy going. While I was walking I heard the unmistakable sound Satin Bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus). They were in an area of thick of shrubs so initially I could not see them. Eventually, one bird, then two, then three, flew to a more open tree. I was still having trouble getting a shot but two of them ended up on an exposed branch that was covered in shadow. The bird lower down the branch was a juvenile because I noticed the other bird feed it. Both juveniles and females look similar so it was difficult to tell them apart, only a breeding adult male has the satin plumage that gave this species its name.
To me, seeing this lovely group of birds on my walk-in boded well for the morning.
Satin Bowerbird female, on the right, with a juvenile - sorry, not a great shot
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
When the fire trail turned to run parallel with the shore the lake formed by the dam I figured that it was time to try to find a way to the shore of the lake. I noticed that running along the side of the security fence to keep people away from the dam wall there was a cleared area on the public access side. I started following this mainly unobstructed zone down towards the lake. The cleared area was slightly rocky but was obvious, with chain-linked security fence on the left and then on the right what looked like an embankment dug as part of the construction of the fence. After a few minutes I came across a Knobbled Orbweaver (Eriophora pustulosa) with its web spanning from the security fence to a plant growing out of the opposite embankment. The spider appeared to be a large female and she was gorging herself on a large beetle in her web.
I ended up spending a bit of time photographing this spider. Initially I was handholding my shots then I pulled out a tripod to steady the shots. I also had a flash because the sun had not risen high enough to light this area but towards the end of my shooting the sun was starting to provide a bit of light. I did not like the flash because it was making the background too dark.
Knobbled Orbweaver eating a beetle
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/10 and 1/200 SEC])
In the small tree that the above web was anchored to, I noticed two Long-jawed Spiders (Tetragnatha sp.). They were staying at the edge of the orbweaver’s web but their own webs appeared to join the larger spider’s web.
Long-jawed Spider in a web on the edge of the much larger orbweaver discussed above
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/14 and 1/1800 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Continuing down that narrow, cleared lane I came across a few more orb weavers with webs connecter to the fence and the embankment. I tried to avoid disturbing the webs, rather I would scramble along the sloping side of the embankment and leave the spider in peace.
At the end of that long cleared area, the fence turned to the left so I followed the line around to the left as well. At that stage I almost walked into the web of the largest Australian Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila edulis) I had ever seen. The spider was possibly up to 15cm long with a web that contained the detritus of previous meals. She, because this was a female, had a spectacularly coloured underside of her abdomen that any designer would have been proud to create. I was amazed at the size of this spider and also how solid she looked. The hair on her legs gave those limbs an even wider appearance. Indeed it looked like the joints were covered in thick, black toilet brushes.
There were several other spider webs of different species also coming off her web. She was positioned high off the ground in her web because it went from the top of the security fence to a nearby tree.
There was a male in the web as well, but higher up and on the opposite side of the web from the female. The male was significantly smaller than this massive female but he seemed to be the only male there, because sometimes there will be several males in a female’s web.
This species has a range that extends into the south-west Pacific where the local inhabitants sometimes eat them, and at the size of this spider I can understand that.
Fortunately for me, there was a gap below the webs that allowed me to crawl through so that I did not disturb the orbweaver. It also meant that I could get pictures of both sides of her. I was so excited about having seen such a beautiful, large spider, that looked like it had been around for a while and I hoped that she would still be going strong for a while yet.
Australian Golden Orb Weaver female with the male at the top
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 271mm, f/10 and 1/250 SEC] with internal flash)
Top side view
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 271mm, f/10 and 1/250 SEC] with internal flash)
A few steps on from the Australian Golden Orb Weaver I came to where the security fence ended and was replaced by razor wire leading down a steep slope to the surface of Cotter Dam. I also found a convenient open area among the trees where I could launch my drone from. The trees were mid-height, but straight, so I found that my drone had to go up a little way before I could get it to travel out over the lake. My first point of interest was some form of dam machinery that was possibly to do with the induction for Canberra’s water supply. I was not a big fan of photographing human-made objects but I did like the patterns and symmetry of this shot.
My next idea was to send the drone to the dam spillway to get a vertical shot of the water flowing down it, sort of a different angle to the shot that I took the previous week. Once I had the drone positioned over the spillway I spent a little time figuring out the composition. I would have preferred if the drone was able to go higher than its 120m height restriction but I was reasonably happy with the shot.
Device in Cotter Dam
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/500 SEC]
Cotter Dam spillway
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/1000 SEC]
I flew the drone back to where I was, carefully landing it among the trees before placing it in its carry bag. So as to see some new areas I decided to follow what looked like an old, slightly overgrown vehicle trail that seemed to head in the direction of the fire road that I had originally walked along. Unfortunately, that old, memory of a trail petered out before it met the fire trail. However, it came close enough to the fire road so that I was able to bush bash a little before getting back to the fire road.
Following the fire road around a few bends I came to a tree that I noticed on the way in as having a number of birds in it. The birds were flying between the tree and a wild blackberry bush across the dirt surface of the road. at least two of the hyper active small birds were Silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis), which appeared to be looking for food among the thorns of the blackberry bush.
Silvereye
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])
Among the birds mentioned above there was also at least one Superb Fairy-wren female (Malurus cyaneus). I could not see a male but the birds were moving around so quickly and I still thought that I was photographing Silvereyes until I looked through the view finder.
Superb Fairy-wren female in a blackberry tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
While photographing the birds I also noticed a praying mantis egg case, or ootheca, on the blackberry bush. I was not sure what species had laid this egg case but it may stay there for several weeks before hundreds of little mantis emerge or it could be there for several months.
After photographing the egg case I continued along the fire road back to the car to drive home.
Praying mantis egg case
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])
The visit that weekend was equally as pleasing as the previous weekend. I had two lovely visits to a beautiful area with wonderful weather to help really make the weekends special. I enjoyed seeing the birds but I was also excited to have seen the spiders, especially such a large Australian Golden Orb Weaver. I am sure that I will return to that location, and I will probably see if I can find a different path next time as well.
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.