Canberra’s COVID-related lockdown continued but we were now allowed to exercise for two hours a day but just in the local area. Fortunately, I live a few minutes walk from the wonderful Red Hill Nature Reserve, a lovely escape among the suburban housing. Because of the lockdown the neighbouring Federal Golf Club was closed meaning its greens were empty of people and perfect for some photography. In fact, the whole of the reserve seemed to be free of people, making it a truly lovely experience. I figured that I would go for a walk that Sunday morning with my camera because I sensed that part of the reason for the exercise extension from only one hour a day to two hours was to help the mental health of Canberrans. So, I felt that walking with my camera would also help relieve the lockdown blues, which it certainly did that lovely morning with Gang-gang cockatoos, a male Satin Bowerbird and some lovely Laughing Kookaburras acting as photographic subjects. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.
Some people will argue whether Canberra is in spring because while most consider 1 September was the first day of spring, the purists will point out that it will actually start with the September Equinox. I will happily sneak away from such discussions to enjoy the warmer weather, the longer days and the return of life. That particular Sunday the flowers were starting to bloom which were attracting insects meaning plenty of food for birds. It was a glorious time. Even while I was walking to the nature reserve a burst of white from the trunk of a tree caught my attention. I loved how this white flower seemed to be popping right out of the trunk, which had some lichen to help decorate the subdued bark. This new life seemed to indicate that it was going to be a lovely morning.
White flowers out to show that the weather was warming up
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/10 and 1/250 SEC])
Walking towards Red Hill Nature Reserve I noticed that the green fairways of the Federal Golf Club were unnaturally empty because of lockdown. Usually, on nice Sunday mornings like this, the first golfers would have already been striking balls along the greens. With the course free of players I walked along the well manicured grass so as to keep the bordering trees on the left where the golden morning sun was lighting them. Not too far on I saw a white object on the ground that I soon realised was a Laughing Kookaburra. Walking on, I lost sight of the bird briefly before realising that there were actually four kookaburras sitting in two groups of two on tree branches just beside the course. The tree must have been giving them a good watching position to surveil the grass for their morning meal. Occasionally one bird would fly down to pick some small creature from among the grassy covering. When I approached two of the birds flew to a nearby tree while two others, in the first photograph, stayed still where they were. After a little while, one of those remaining two also decided that I was too close so it also flew away leaving a single bird for me to photograph, the second shot below. This kookaburra did not seem concerned by my presence, barely paying me any attention. I decided to leave the gorgeous bird to carry on with its morning while I carried on with mine.
Two Laughing Kookaburras on a branch
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC])
A close-up on one of the kookaburras
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Turning around from the kookaburras I noticed an Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) Jill or female kangaroo reclinging on the ground with its joey tucked in its pouch. The sun was lighting its fur so nicely, however, when I tried to move closer to get a better shot a most inconvenient cloud blocked the sun-rays. Looking across the golf course I could tens of kangaroos, if not close to a hundred. Interestingly they were mainly under the trees and not on the fairways. Looking at the grass on the fairways I saw how tightly it was cut and I wondered if it was less of a meal being so short. However, the grass under the trees was longer so was probably easier to get a meal from.
Eastern Grey Kangaroo Jill reclining with a joey in its pouch
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC])
From the golf course I turned towards the nature reserve proper, finding a trail up a gentle slope to one of the fire trails. It was nice to be outside again and there was hardly anybody around, I really was so relaxed and in the moment.
I felt myself very fortunate because while I was walking along the fire trail a bird appeared from the south-east, from the area towards the Federal Golf Club, flying up the hill. It landed in a tree that was just beside me. The dark, glassy plumage meant it was unmistakably a male Satin Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus). Although I see the green females and juveniles regularly, I rarely see the male so I was excited to finally have a chance to take some photographs. He started on one branch but kept hopping up to other branches. He reached out to grab something from the tree but I could not make out if it was an insect or a piece of bark. Then, he flew off, further up the hill to the north-west.
For me, this ecounter was thrilling because I had finally been able to photograph a male in the wild. I have seen the males before but normally only fleetingly, as they disappeared into some undergrowth. This time he stayed on a nicely lit branch and gave me an opportunity to take some shots. I love these birds. Growing up in suburban Sydney the Satin Bowerbird was something exotic that I saw on a documentary with its blue decorated bower. It was also a bird I would always want to see in a zoo. However, marvellously, Around Canberra they appear in people’s gardens or in neighbourhood reserves. This experience further added to my joy in being out for a walk.
Satin Bowerbird male reaching for something on a tree
(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])
A the same time that I was photographing the bowerbird I noticed a female Gang-gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) high in what appeared to be a dead tree, which was missing its crown. Initially, all I could see was her but no male. She was at the entrance to a northward facing hollow that was right at the top of the tree. It seemed to be a large hollow and she would occasionally bend inside making me think that she was looking for water rather than looking at a nesting hollow, although she didn’t raise her head to let the water flow down her throat if she was drinking. I thought that she was alone until a male flew from a branch further down the tree. He stayed very low, flying almost at my head height close past to a wattle tree just behind me, where he perched on a lower branch. Once in the tree he moved around a little until he found some wattle blossoms to munch on. He was not perturbed by my presence, occasionally nonchalantly looking at me while he snacked away. Even though he seemed unperturbed, I didn’t stay too long because I did not want to worry him. Content with what the morning had so far brought me, I turned around, resuming my walk to home.
Gang-gang Cockatoo female at a hollow
(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])
The Gang-gang male was only obvious when he flew to a wattle tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC])
Possibly 100 metres away to the south, in the direction that I was heading, I heard and then saw another female Gang-gang Cockatoo in a tree. The tree appeared to be semi-dead. I then heard and saw the male a bit lower down. Both of these birds were calling and then another pair of Gang-gangs appeared and started calling. I was unsure if this second pair was the same ones that I had just seen back along the trail or were a completely new pair. Both pairs almost appeared to he calling at each other. The pair that had initially caught my attention at this tree started to converge on a hollow. The male was first, where he chewed around the hollow for a while. He then moved aside to allow the female to get to the hollow. Both pairs continued to call at each other and I decided to move away in case I was scaring them.
Another pair of Gang-gang cockatoos were also looking at a hollow
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 125, 176mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Not much further on I saw the fluttering caramel wings of an Australian Painted Lady (Vanessa kershawi) landing among the leaf litter. It was nicely angled to get some sun on its wings but other objects were casting shadows blocking a clear view. There is some debate among taxonomists about whether the Australian Painted Lady is a sub-species of the Painted Lady or is a separate species. I am happy to leave that debate to the experts, I just enjoy photographing these butterflies, especially on some beautiful, sunny mornings.
Australian Painted Lady
(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])
The last photographs that I took that morning were of some naturally growing native Purple Coral Pea (Hardenbergia violacea). The purple petals are always stunning and there seemed to be far more of these beautiful plants around than I had ever seen. This plant is normally a vine but is happy to grow by itself as well.
Purple Coral Pea
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
The nice weather continued that day so I went outside to do some gardening. The plants needed some loving and the weeds needed to meet the green bin. For the non-weed garden waste I took it to our compost bins at the back. On opening the lid of one I saw the largest Daddy Long-legs (Pholcus phalangioides) that I had ever seen. The spider looked a bit strange to me because its abdomen as rounder than norma. I am not sure how this spider had climbed into the bin under the sealed lid but it seemed to be thriving. I believed that she was female and the online information was not clear if the large abdomen was because she was gravid or fat. I will try to check on her again to see if in future she is skinny with a bunch of baby spiders running around.
Daddy Long-legs under the lid of the compost bin
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 500, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
While photographing the Daddy Long-legs I also saw this caterpillar on a Trad (Tradescantia fluminensis) weed. I hope that it enjoyed its meal of the weed and it was welcome to each as much as it wanted.
Yellow caterpillar on a green leaf
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 500, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
While lockdown continued, a loosening of restrictions and better weather combined to give me a wonderful walk on Red Hill. I am so glad that I was able to get out, having a wonderful time and photographing some lovely animals. That time out with my camera did wonders and I am very much looking forward to the coming spring and summer.
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.