Great Egret catching a pipefish among the oyster lines
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 125, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/500 SEC])

Egrets and Sea-eagles, some constants of Spring - Narooma, NSW, Spring 2023

BirdsinCanberra November 15, 2023

A Great Egret walked through the water, paralleling a row of damp, black oyster bags that sat across the water’s surface. The bird was advancing slowly until it jabbed forward with its yellow beak and one of its wings half-opened to balance it. Withdrawing its head from the water a pipefish wiggled hard, trying to escape. The egret climbed onto the oyster bags and carefully readjusted the pipefish in its beak through a couple of rapid openings and closings, before swallowing the fish. Whereupon the egret returned to patrolling along the top of the bags. I was able to witness the whole encounter from just a few metres away where I was sitting in my kayak on a lovely Spring morning on Wagonga Inlet in Narooma. The inlet is coming alive with a lot of birds and other creatures. I spent a fair bit of time paddling around the inlet enjoying some beautiful mornings and wonderful encounters with birds. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Chestnut Teal male swimming on the Clyde River at Batemans Bay
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1600, 371mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])

Winter around Narooma and beyond with ducks and snakes - Narooma, July 2023

BirdsinCanberra September 25, 2023

Narooma continues to hold appeal, especially as a welcoming place to escape some of Canberra’s winter cold. Spending a week in Narooma meant that there was time explore around the area a bit more. One location worth exploring was on the way back to Canberra, at the Wray Street Oyster Shed right on the bank of the Clyde River at Batemans Bay. In the water beside the blue-painted shed there was a mixed group of ducks swimming not far from the shore. Among the ducks were Chestnut Teals, including a number of males with their wonderful dark green heads that shimmer in the light. Unfortunately, the teals were swimming in the shadow so the intense colours were not obvious. These birds are very common on calmer, estuarine waters near the coast and they have such wonderful colours. I always enjoy photographing them and I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

The iconic seascape of Glasshouse Rocks at Narooma
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 106mm, f/20 and 1/160 SEC])

Rocks, waves and water - Beautiful Narooma Part 1, Summer 2022/23

BirdsinCanberra March 1, 2023

Narooma is a town of about 3000 people on the southern coast of NSW. Its urban centre spans the truly crystal blue waters of the Wagonga Inlet. Travelling south by car from Canberra it is easy to find this summer holiday destination because the Princes Highway travels around a sharp right corner before crossing over the inlet. Narooma is a beautiful gem that has grown mainly along the southern side of the inlet and the Pacific Ocean on the sea side. No major rivers flow into the inlet, just a some creeks, making the water beautiful and clear. It is no exaggeration to say crystal blue, because that is what the water is. I have previously posted (here and here) about this wonderful seaside destination and we ended up spending a fair bit of our summer holiday in Narooma, being captivated by the beauty. It would be hard to select a single photo to represent the locale but Glasshouse Rocks, on the southern side of the town, is worthy of consideration for that role.

This is the first post in a series of five looking at different aspects of wildlife at Narooma. In this post I am covering the environment around Narooma. I took my camera with me on holiday because I knew Narooma was going to be beautiful and I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

Little Pied Cormorant resting on a branch
(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])

Cormorants, herons and a kingfisher on a mangrove-lined creek - Cyne Mallows Creek, May 2022

BirdsinCanberra June 19, 2022

The weather in Canberra continued to be very ordinary with overcast skies leading to rain buffeted by strong winds. However, the forecast for Sunday on the long weekend at the end was for nice weather and the tide was scheduled to be high in the morning. These factors said it was time for a paddle down on the New South Wales coast to photograph there. I chose Cyne Mallows Creek near Nelligen for destination because I wanted to see how far I could travel up the small but interesting creek to take photographs. I was lucky with the birdlife, while mainly common birds, I enjoyed the chance to have good light for photography. One Little Pied Cormorant was even accommodating enough to let me float very close to it so I could take some photographs. It was a beautiful day on a fascinating creek that really helped to recharge my batteries. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Black Swan’s eye catching the morning sun as the bird preens itself
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])

Misty morning for birds and other subjects - Lake Burley Griffin, May 2022

BirdsinCanberra May 12, 2022

It was the first day of May and the weather was improving on that Sunday morning, much better than the windy, chilly Saturday. I had enjoyed a wonderful paddle on Lake Burley Griffin with an atmospheric mist coming off the lake and clear blue skies allowing the sun to light the wisps. After my kayak, I took my time loading the car, just enjoying the slow beat of life on the lake. While I was enjoying the leisurely pulse of life a beautiful Black Swan swam slowly toward my beached kayak. I was unsure what was going on and if I would have to shoo the large, dark bird off my kayak so that I could load it onto my car. However the bird swam along the kayak’s side before turning around to swim back. Just after it turned there must have been an itch on its back because it curved the its neck gracefully over to tackle the annoyance deep in its black feathers. In doing so, the sun struck its head lighting the side facing me while other parts of the bird remained in shadow. The bird’s red iris caught the light just as some small beads of water did on its head. I wished I had been slightly lower for the shot but it was a beautiful sight to see just before I had to pack up to return to normal life. It had been a wonderful morning on the lake and I hope that you like the photographs below.

The morning sun highlighting the blue of a Purple Swamphen
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 227mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Chasing the light on Lake Burley Griffin - Lake Burley Griffin, March-April 2022

BirdsinCanberra May 3, 2022

Being a completely amateur photographer I find that my photography is confined to weekends so I am often reliant on the weather being nice on those days. Unfortunately, it seemed that in Canberra the first half of 2022 had many weekends with inclement weather meaning that the light was not great. I still took my camera with me when I kayaking but it was discouraging when the light just did not seem to be there. However, it did give me a chance to play around with some moody light conditions. Fortunately, there were also days when the sun was out providing lovely light, such as the morning I came across the Purple Swamphen above. These are very common birds around Lake Burley Griffin, especially close to reeds where they roost of a night. It is easier to ignore them after a while because they are so common but when the light hits them and the blue of their feathers shine, they become a glorious sight to see. Over two months in 2022 I saw the lake in different light conditions and I wanted to share the result. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

White-faced Heron prowling for food on the rocks
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/500 SEC])

Birds and dolphins seen while kayaking - Jervis Bay, NSW, April 2022

BirdsinCanberra April 25, 2022

There were oystercatchers, cormorants and three White-Faced Heron prowling over Scottish Rocks in Jervis Bay. The small waves were slowly washing my kayak and I closer to where the birds were and the animals were still going about their normal behaviour. A clear blue sky lit this scene of seabirds on the rocks while I decided to focus on a single heron that was towards the back of this gathering. It was making its way over the rocks, probably looking into rock pools while it moved across the uneven surface. I was happy in that moment of warm weather, sllghtly rocking water and a wild bird acting naturally in front of me. My day trip to Jervis Bay was definitely worth it and I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

White-faced Heron searching for food in exposed sea grass
(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])

Herons, egrets, sea-eagles and even insects along the mangroves - Tomaga River, NSW, March 2022

BirdsinCanberra March 28, 2022

The eyes of the White-faced Heron regarded me momentarily but I was at the edge of the exposed sea grass flat, too far to be a threat, especially when the heron was looking for food. The grey coloured bird went back to the vital search for food in the rich habitat where small marine creatures tried to hide under the limp sea grass strands. I could approach no closer n my kayak but it was securely resting where some water still lapped its side. This was my second trip to the Tomaga River which had some beautiful wildlife along it but the weather this time was so much nicer than the previous time. I was paddling up the river while the tide was ebbing but I did not mind, I was just enjoying the beauty of mangroves and a wonderful tidal river on the coast. I paddled as far up the river as I could, enjoying every moment and I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Black Swan eating in the early morning, reflected in the lake
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Overcast summer mornings on the lake - Lake Burley Griffin, ACT, January 2022

BirdsinCanberra March 10, 2022

At the start of 2022 the weather in Canberra was anything but summer-like. I even stopped taking my camera with me when I was paddling on Lake Burley Griffin because the light was always bad and the weather meant the lake was never calm. That said, I often regretted not having taken my camera because I would then see a subject I thought would make a lovely photograph. In the end, I was glad that I took my camera with me more often than not because even on the bad mornings I felt I found things that were special, like a pair of Black Swans feeding near the shore where the water reflected their curving necks. It would have been magical if the water was still but it was still a special moment to watch these lovely birds so close to shore. I enjoyed the moment and I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Australian pelican flying in to enjoy fish scraps from amateur fisherman at Tuross Head boat ramp
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 200mm, f/10 and 1/800 SEC])

Australian Pelicans, waders and beautiful wildlife at a river mouth - Tuross Head, NSW, January 2022

BirdsinCanberra January 30, 2022

Overcast skies hung threateningly overhead on the day in January 2022 when I went to Tuross Head. Rain was threatening most of the time and a strong wind blew up later in the paddle. However, none of that mattered because it was just such a wonderful time paddling around the shallow waters there with the beautiful birdlife and other animals. A kayak was the ideal means to see the region because I could paddle up shallow creeks and easily move between sand bars. The wildlife was captivating, from the Eastern Curlew that I saw even before I put my kayak in the water to the Semaphore Crabs that blanketed the mudflats up the Tuross River. And once I saw the Australian Pelicans I was in my element. I had a great time photographing those big water birds that can look so clumsy walking but are masters of using the wind to manoeuvre in the air. Later, after the kayak, I was in a suitably elevated position to photograph some of those magnificent, large water birds as they came in low to land on the estuary surface around the boat ramp. I had a marvellous morning despite the overcast conditions and I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Red Fingered Marsh Crab on the bent trunk of a Grey Mangrove
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Admiring the beauty of a mangrove ecosystem - Currambene Creek NSW, January 2022

BirdsinCanberra January 18, 2022

Mangrove habitats are such fascinating ecosystems because they straddle the worlds of land and water because of tidal movements. I was fortunate in January 2022 to have time to head down to the ever beautiful Jervis Bay where I ignored the stunning white beaches because I was heading for the wonderful Currambene Creek to explore a mangrove habitat. Although the beaches of Jervis Bat are deservedly famous for their beauty I was captivated by being among the mangrove trees. I was captivated by the life in the habitat, especially the crabs. The Red Fingered Marsh Crab has such striking colours with its lime green carapace contrasting with its red claws. I was fascinated to see these crabs moving on the exposed trunks of the mangrove trees. Even more fascinating, was when I approached the trees, the crabs did not head into the water but they shot up the trees to holes and crevices higher up in the trunks, well above the hide tide mark. While it was not significant behaviour it still brought home to me how this habitat provided for different creatures in a variety of ways and how much I enjoyed drifting between the crooked trunks of those amazing trees. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Chestnut Teal male swimming on Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day morning
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 286mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])

Ducks and other beautiful harbour wildlife - Sydney Harbour, December 2021

BirdsinCanberra January 1, 2022

Many decades ago I grew up in Sydney, where I spent a lot of time playing on and under the harbour, and ducks were not something that I remember in that body of water from my childhood. However, on Boxing Day 2021 I was on Sydney Harbour in my trusty Riot Brittany 16.5 blue kayak photographing an Australasian Darter on Shark Island’s rocks when I heard a long splash in the water behind me. In the initial milisecond after hearing the disturbance in the water my mind’s processing of that noise made me think it was a shark but when I quickly looked around I was relieved to see that a pair of Chestnut Teals had just skimmed to a landing on the surface behind my kayak. I was not really expecting to see teals on Sydney Harbour. As I wrote above, I had grown up around the harbour, where I had done a lot of paddling, snorkelling and scuba diving and I don’t recall seeing ducks on the harbour. Now I was back there on a vacation so I was surprised to see the Chestnut Teals calmly swimming past my kayak on the harbour. Those awesome birds were just one example of the natural beauty that can still be found around the busy shore of Sydney Harbour. While the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House are the world famous icons of the harbour city, I am glad that the wildlife is still there, surviving among the human activities in a busy harbour. While it was only a few days, I really enjoyed the short time back in Sydney, having an opportunity to kayak on and snorkel in Sydney Harbour. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

The brightness of an Australian Pelican in the morning half-light is the perfect analogy for spring emerging from winter
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

A lake transforming in spring time with birds and people - Lake Burley Griffin, October 2021

BirdsinCanberra November 16, 2021

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.

Little Pied Cormorant looking for food from the top of a dead tree
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/1000 SEC])

An ecosystem in an enclosed estuarine lake - Durras Lake, October 2021

BirdsinCanberra November 9, 2021

Canberra was in lockdown for about two months during 2021 but with the easing of restrictions it was time to head back to the coast to see some different scenery. I thought that it would be nice to return to Durras Lake for a kayak and to see what wildlife I could find to photograph. I like Durras Lake because it is shallow so I can enjoy looking at what is beneath me, and it has some flooded terrain where is it is nice to glide through in a kayak. I was hoping to see some nice things to photograph as well as to use my underwater camera housing. I was not disappointed in either case with a number of birds around and the water temperature making snorkelling pleasant. The trip was a wonderful way to mark the end of lockdown with some beautiful natural things to see. I hope that you like the photographs below.

Australasian Darter female calling from a branch(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC]) — Australasian Darter female calling from a branch
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Spring Birdlife on Lake Burley Griffin - Lake Burley Griffin, October 2021

BirdsinCanberra October 8, 2021

The weekend of 2-4 October 2021 was a long weekend in Canberra with a public holiday on the Monday for Labour Day. It was also the Sunday morning where Daylight Saving Time started so clocks were put forward one hour. The effect was that we all lost an hour of sleep and for the following month the sun will appear to be catching up to when it was rising before as it gets incrementally earlier each day. I was fortunate to be able to go paddling on both Saturday and Monday, with most of my sitings occurring on Saturday due to the then extra hour of daylight I had when I started my paddle before Daylight Saving Time commenced. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed being out on Lake Burley Griffin both days but I will be waiting for the light to return to the same time when I start my paddle. Still, spring was upon the city, with so much birdlife active on the lake. Many of my favourites such as cormorants, darters and pelicans were out as were the seasonal Australian Reed Warblers. With COVID lockdown restrictions eased the lake was getting busier but there was still enough birdlife around to make the paddle a truly enjoyable experience, especially coming around an island to see an Australasian Darter beautifully posed on an isolated branch. Roll on spring and summer, I am looking forward to the birds and other life being active again. I hope that you like the photographs below.

Great Cormorant shaking its wings (Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC]) — Great Cormorant shaking its wings
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC])

Australian Pelicans, Great Cormorant and other waterbirds - Lake Burley Griffin, September 2021

BirdsinCanberra September 29, 2021

September has arrived with the slightly warmer mornings than the previous few months plus the sun rising earlier. Simultaneously the ACT Government extended the COVID lockdown exercise time out to two hours. With all that in mind I decided that it was time to take the camera in the kayak again on to Canberra’s iconic Lake Burley Griffin. Because of the longer time for exercise I could now go for a longer paddle and still have enough time, and light, to take photographs. What amazed me on the first paddle was only when I took the first few photographs of the beautiful, darkly coloured Australasian Darter did I realise how much I had missed kayak photography. I think it was the combined elements of the peaceful water, drifting towards wild birds and just capturing the beauty of the moment. I was so thankful to be out again on Lake Burley Griffin with my camera and, particularly on my first trip, the weather was lovely. I don’t have many shots below from my two trips but I hope that the pictures show some of the beauty that I saw and I hope that you enjoy them.

Australian Pelicans on rocks between the Moruya River and Racecourse Creek(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/11 and 1/500 SEC]) — Australian Pelicans on rocks between the Moruya River and Racecourse Creek
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/11 and 1/500 SEC])

Beautiful birds, boulders in a creek and a sunken barge; all in one morning - Moruya River, July 2021

BirdsinCanberra July 20, 2021

There were groups of Australian Pelicans wherever I looked when I was paddling on the Moruya River, on the south coast of New South Wales (NSW) in July 2021. They were not the same birds moving around but distinct, small groups of these stunning birds, with their basic black and white plumage but colourful bill and yellow eye circle. They were big birds so they tended to dominate the space they occupied, making for wonderful photographic subjects. While they are very common, seeing those birds throughout my paddle really helped make a great day even more special. That was not how the day was looking initially because cold, windy, overcast conditions met me at the river and I was thinking about what my alternate plans were, either cancelling or shortening my paddle. I am glad that I persevered with close to my original plan because the weather improved during my paddle, making it a wonderful day. The perfect partner to my trip earlier in that week. I really hope that you like the photographs below.

White-bellied Sea Eagle when the heat was getting to its highest level(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC]) — White-bellied Sea Eagle when the heat was getting to its highest level
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])

Nature and natural beauty of Shoalhaven Gorge - January 2021

BirdsinCanberra January 31, 2021

Shoalhaven Gorge is a stunningly beautiful gorge just a few hours from both Sydney and Canberra. I had paddled up the Shoalhaven River in July 2020 but I had not gone as far into the gorge as I wanted. So, jumping ahead to January 2021 I was fast running out of time to paddle the gorge before I needed to return to work. My initial plan was to do a two day trip with an overnight stay in the gorge but for a number of reasons I could not make that a reality. In the end, I was left with the option of waking at 4AM to drive almost three hours in order to paddle 13km up the river and 13 km back down, to then drive another almost three hours to be back in Canberra that night with my family. It had to be done. And, I am glad that I did paddle in the gorge, the beauty of the location and animals that I saw made the trip more than worthwhile. I watched a White-bellied Sea Eagle fly along the river and I also had to chase away a Lace Monitor from my stationary kayak were just two of the encounters that will stay with me. I hope that you like the photographs below.

Female Australasian Darter in a sunken tree beside Lake Burley Griffin(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/500 SEC]) — Female Australasian Darter in a sunken tree beside Lake Burley Griffin
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/500 SEC])

Cormorants, Australasian Darter and an Australian Pelican - Photographing and paddling on Lake Burley Griffin in November 2020

BirdsinCanberra November 22, 2020

OK, I admit that this post may seem strangely familiar to the previous one, with an Australasian Darter as the main photograph heading an entry about kayaking on Lake Burley Griffin but the difference is this time I was using my Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. I had a feeling of trepidation this first time I used it, thinking that I was not stable in my kayak but I got used to the weight, loving the extra reach I could achieve with the zoom. I have been out twice now with this lens so this entry has ended up recording two trips that I took on Lake Burley Griffin. I love photographing water birds, especially cormorants, darters and pelicans so you will see some repetition with those birds below. However, the weather on these two mornings were different, the first was overcast while the second was sunny. I hope you like the photographs below.