Dead tree at the end of the Nursery Swamp Track
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 125, 35mm, f/20 and 1/50 SEC])

Hiking the Nursery Swamp Track - Namadgi National Park, ACT, September 2024

BirdsinCanberra September 28, 2024

In early September 2024 I walked the Nursery Swamp Track in Namadgi National Park. On the day, I was the only person along the trail. Not surprising, on a day that started with rain along a trail leading to a swamp. However, it was a fantastic hike and I would thoroughly recommend it, especially to pause at the end and enjoy a valley with nobody else around, and no indication of Canberra’s proximity. The swamp was more of a soaked grassland but with plenty of firm, dry land to allow for a rest or a picnic at the turnaround spot. One interesting site I found at the open area marking the end of the trail was a character-filled dead tree. The remains of the trunk, pictured above, was now part of a termite mound. Along the trail, there had been plenty of wildlife and the tranquility of the walk was lovely, with birdsongs and frog calls for a soundtrack. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

Brandy Flat Hut
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF40mm f2.8 STM [ISO 125, 40mm, f/14 and 1/80 SEC])

Hiking the Brandy Flat Hut Track - Namadgi National Park, ACT, August 2024

BirdsinCanberra September 16, 2024

In late August I undertook the roughly 11 km Brandy Flat Hut Track from the northern end. This route is considered easier than the southern route because there is less climbing but it is still an interesting trail. The trailhead was easy to find and the trail route was mainly on a fire trail so it was easy to follow. I would recommend the trail, with the hut being the turnaround spot, and a convenient place to take a rest and a snack. There was also a lot wildlife to be seen on the day I did the walk, even if the season was winter.

Brayshaw’s Homestead looking north to the grey clouds
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 200, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/1000 SEC]

Wildlife along a wet Settlers Track - Namadgi National Park, ACT, January 2022

BirdsinCanberra March 6, 2022

Walking along trails of green grass under grey clouds that occasionally drizzled rain while at other times opened to reveal glorious blue skies helped refresh my son and I. The fresh wind moistened by humidity and light precipitation was never too strong, just enough to keep us cooled while we walked along the Settlers Track in Namadgi National Park. The birdlife was around but hard to see, but there was other wildlife and natural subjects to photograph. The two well-preserved former settler’s homes seemed out of place among this natural beauty, but the lack of activity around them emphasised that they were from a time past. While we enjoyed admiring the natural surrounds of these abodes their isolation reflected a different time, and it was nice to know that we would be hopping into a car and driving back to our home with its modern connectivity to the world. Still it was invigorating to feel the surrounding world of trees, creeks and animals for a few hours. I hope that you enjoy the pictures below.

Water droplet on the face of a Tau Emerald dragonfly(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/10 and 1/400 SEC] two shot focus stacking) — Water droplet on the face of a Tau Emerald dragonfly
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/10 and 1/400 SEC] two shot focus stacking)

Looking closer at the awesome wildlife of Namadgi National Park in February 2021

BirdsinCanberra March 14, 2021

Namadgi National Park is located to the south of Canberra and extends all the way to the southern border of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) where it merges with the Kosciuszko National Park on the New South Wales (NSW) side of the border. Unfortunately, Namadgi suffered extensive damage in the 2019-20 summer bushfires, with some parts of the park still undergoing regeneration work even now. However, the area that is open makes for a beautiful place for a visit. I visited the park twice in February, although I could not do the walk that I wanted on the second visit because that trail was still shut for bushfire recovery work. However, I was still able to photograph a family of Australasian Grebes swimming in the pond at the visitors center as well as some interesting insects, including a pair of mating damselflies. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

The Wedge-tailed Eagle perched at the top of the tree(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/320 SEC]) — The Wedge-tailed Eagle perched at the top of the tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/320 SEC])

Two perching Wedge-tailed Eagles as well as a Scarlet Robin - Photographing at Namadgi National Park on Saturday, 8 June 2019

BirdsinCanberra June 19, 2019

I will be honest, this was not the walk we had planned for Namadgi National Park, I got my Boboyan Roads mixed up so we turned onto Old Boboyan Road when we should continued along Boboyan Road. I am not upset because we will do the originally planned walk very shortly and I was also able to see two Wedge-tailed Eagles. I saw one of them in the distance through a mess of tree branches, I was amazed I had picked out this awesome bird of prey which was perched motionless on a far away dead tree. I was even happier when I could get photographs from a better vantage point further along the trail. My son and I both enjoyed the trail, despite the weather not being great, cloudy with the temperature hovering around 6ºC (about 43ºF). In addition, I was undeniably happy to get some OK shots of the eagles considering the bad light as well as the distance to the birds. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

A female Golden Orb Weaver(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 55mm, f/10 and 1/200 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite) — A female Golden Orb Weaver
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 55mm, f/10 and 1/200 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)

A magnificent female Golden Orb Weaver at the centre of her web - Photographing at Namadgi National Park on Saturday, 27 April 2019

BirdsinCanberra May 2, 2019

I made a special car trip to hike two kilometres by myself, along a bush track, so I could stand on a rock ledge, in the middle of a cool night at Namadgi National Park, just to take a photograph of the night sky. I think my passion for my hobby is bordering on obsession but I am thoroughly enjoying it. Standing on that ledge, with a clear night sky revealing the millions of stars in a truly black night sky was jaw dropping in its vastness. My photographic ability could not do the scene justice but I enjoyed the opportunity. I also took my macro light with me to take pictures of any little creatures I saw. I enjoyed the dark, where the extent of what I could see was so constrained, making the world seem so small but then contrasting those limits with the boundless heavens above me. There was a tranquility to the night but also a new world where the sound of a kangaroo hopping over the the woodland floor carried much further. It was a really wonderful experience. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

A Welcome Swallow perched above the rear door at the Namadgi Visitors Centre(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/100 SEC]) — A Welcome Swallow perched above the rear door at the Namadgi Visitors Centre
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/100 SEC])

Welcome Swallows perching and Dusky Woodswallows enjoying the sun - Photographing at Namadgi National Park on Thursday, 25 April 2019

BirdsinCanberra April 30, 2019

The temptation to photograph once again at Namadgi National Park was too overwhelming and I once again found myself driving south to the national park in the early morning of 25 April 2019. The weather was gorgeous, great for beginner photographers. I also took the opportunity to shoot some landscapes while I was on some high ground. I followed the Cypress Pine Lookout trail again, although I did not see as many species of bird as last time, even when I was back near the visitors centre. The lack of birds did not worry me as it was such a beautiful morning to be out for a walk, so I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

Looking over Grassy Creek to the mountains in the background

Walking Settlers Track on 2 June 2018

BirdsinCanberra July 16, 2018

Being completely honest, today was not the best day to head to the south of the ACT looking to photograph birds. While the temperature was recorded at 10 degrees, the gusts of wind from the south up to 50 kph gave an apparent temperature of 4 degrees, if not cooler. There was also a mist hanging around that added to the cold. The birds were smarter than I, they mainly seemed to be sheltered somewhere away from the prevailing conditions. This post is a bit light on for birds but hopefully it is still of interest. I was annoyed that I could not take all the photographs I wanted as I did see what may have been a hawk causing some magpies a bit of concern. Eventually the magpies chased it off but I was too far away to confirm what I was seeing let alone photograph it. Still, it was nice to be out in Namadji National Park taking pictures, which I hope are still worthwhile.