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.

Juvenile Striated Heron hunting for food in the mangrove forest(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC]) — Juvenile Striated Heron hunting for food in the mangrove forest
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])

Juvenile Striated Heron, Pacific Black Ducks and life in the mangrove forest - Paddling and photographing along Cyne Mallowes Creek on Thursday, 7 January 2021

BirdsinCanberra January 12, 2021

I had felt that my paddle along the Clyde River in November had not been the best choice for photography and that the area must have had more to offer. The night that I returned from that trip I looked at Google Maps to see where else I could paddle in that area that may have better photographic opportunities. My searching led me to consider the small, tidal Cyne Mallowes Creek that was not far north of the put-in location that I used. A little bit of internet searching showed that this creek may be a good choice for taking some interesting shots. So with some free time in early January 2021 I decided to head down to Nelligen again to try my luck up that creek. I am very glad that I did because I had a wonderful experience. I saw my first Striated Heron and I even switched to a macro lens to capture some of the interesting subjects that I found where the creek got shallow near its end. I also enjoyed drifting along with the current photographing crabs among the mangroves. I hope that you like the photographs below.

Two Silver Gulls in the Molonglo River beneath Scrivener Dam(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 100, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC]) — Two Silver Gulls in the Molonglo River beneath Scrivener Dam
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 100, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])

Water birds, overgrown paths and flowers - Commuting and photographing in Canberra in November 2020

BirdsinCanberra December 8, 2020

Canberra is a very bike friendly city. I tend to commute on my mountain bike so that I can also ride some of the winding trails on my way to work because I find it is a great way to wake-up, clear my mind and be ready for the day ahead. My usual commute routes have changed character over the last month or so because of the heavy rains that have fallen on this recently very dry city. There is so much vibrant growth that some narrow trails are more traces of dirt through metre or higher thick vegetation. I thought that the overgrown paths may be interesting to photograph and I am not sure when the next La Nina event over Australia will be so now was a good time to photograph these totally transformed places. I normally leave home early enough so that I can have a fun ride and still get to work with plenty of time to spare. I was also fortunate because we had a work lunch one day that allowed me to leave early so I could take my time on the ride home. I really enjoyed combining photography and mountain biking, the synthesising of which gave me new appreciation for great routes I ride regularly because I was looking at them in a different way. This post is a little to my normal posts, a bit light-on in regards to animal life but I was able to photograph some water birds and I also have some macro shots from my house at the end. I hope that you like the photographs below.

Wild Sulphur-crested Cockatoo at a feeding station in our backyard(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC]) — Wild Sulphur-crested Cockatoo at a feeding station in our backyard
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, flowers and small wildlife - Photographing around home in early September 2020

BirdsinCanberra September 20, 2020

Canberra has been reasonably lucky with COVID-19. As spring arrives there are no lockdowns and people are able to go out with minimal restrictions to enjoy the bush that surrounds and enters Canberra. While I still love getting out to the lovely natural areas around Canberra I can still find some interesting photographic subjects around my own home. Spring has brought out flowers, that have attracted insects and the birds are coming back as well. I thought I would gather some recent photos into a single post of some of the things that I photographed in my garden; subjects that did not really fit into other posts.

Australian Wood Duck female calling by a small pond(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/320 SEC]) — Australian Wood Duck female calling by a small pond
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/320 SEC])

Superb Fairy-wrens, Australian Wood Duck and Galahs - Photographing at Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve on Sunday, 16 August 2020

BirdsinCanberra August 19, 2020

Sunday’s weather might not have been great but the available light was better than it had been for a while so I decided to head back to Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve. The recent heavy rains across Canberra meant that the reserve was very wet. At one stage I found myself walking up a slight hill yet there was pooling water amongst the grass, even on a slope. Lighting wise, there was a bit of cloud hanging about but the sun was coming through. Canberra is at the end of winter so the days are getting longer and the birds appear to be starting their mating preparations, with the Wood Ducks calling and male Fairy-wrens showing their blue plumage. I went a slightly different way to the path I travelled last time, wanting to explore more, although I still found myself climbing up a hill. I am glad I went out for the morning and I am glad the light gave me a chance to get some shots. I hope you like the photos below.

Two Little Corellas at a tree hollow(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC]) — Two Little Corellas at a tree hollow
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC])

Little Corellas at a hollow, a number of ducks and other wonderful things - Photographing around Callum Brae Nature Reserve on Sunday, 19 July 2020

BirdsinCanberra August 5, 2020

The sun rise that Sunday morning at Callum Brae Nature Reserve was spectacular, with some amazing hues. I did not have the right lens to take the shot I wanted so I left the macro lens on my camera and shot the sunrise through the trees. The colours did not last long, then they were gone and I did not do justice to what it was like. The sunrise was a nice sight to see as it was the start of a new day and the birds were up and going. There was a group of Little Corellas that were mixed in with some Suphur-crested Cockatoos but not afraid to ensure that they were not pushed around by the larger birds. The dams were still full with two different species of ducks taking advantage of the abundance of water. I also had to continue my photographic fascination with Eastern Grey Kangaroos by taking a few shots of a mob. I hope you enjoy the photos below.

A pair of Australian Wood Ducks with 16 ducklings(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/11 and 1/400 SEC]) — A pair of Australian Wood Ducks with 16 ducklings
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/11 and 1/400 SEC])

A large Australian Wood Duck family and macro shooting, including my first frogs - Photographing around Canberra in April 2020

BirdsinCanberra May 9, 2020

I am still trying to get back into a routine but life always seems to get in the way but at least I got out a number of times in April. I was happy to get out at night a couple of times to do some night-time macro shooting. My son even came out with one time to Aranda Bushland Nature Reserve and pointed out my first frog, which I had already walked straight past. As there were school holidays we went out for some afternoon walks around Red Hill Nature Reserve and he patiently waited for me to take some photographs. Even though Canberra was still in the middle of the COVID-19 restrictions it was an enjoyable April and I also made another video that you can watch in this post. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

Two Purple Swamphen chicks about to enter Sullivans Creek(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 200mm, f/10 and 1/640 SEC]) — Two Purple Swamphen chicks about to enter Sullivans Creek
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 200mm, f/10 and 1/640 SEC])

Purple Swamphen chicks, parrots and other great wildlife enjoying the green from the rain - photographing around Canberra in January to March 2020

BirdsinCanberra April 4, 2020

The start of the year felt very busy, I was out and around Canberra but I did not seem to have much time. I was out photographing but I could not find the time to process and organise the photographs I had taken so I ended up with a lot of photos and no blog posts. Although I do not like composing long posts that cover several photographic trips I thought that would be the best way to allow me to publish the photographs below. There are a mix of photographic styles and subjects from various parts of Canberra with a number of different subjects. Some of these were captured while I was out specifically looking for photographic subjects, others were shot while I was out doing other things but had taken my camera with me. There are a number of birds and other animals below. I really enjoyed photographing the Purple Swanphens, even if they are common birds. I was also happy to photograph the Australian King-parrots that visited my garden because they are truly beautiful birds.

The Emu was not too worried by human presence(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 248mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC]) — The Emu was not too worried by human presence
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 248mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC])

Photographing my first wild Emu, not what I was expecting - Photographing at Cotter Precinct on Saturday, 17 August 2019

BirdsinCanberra August 23, 2019

Cotter Precinct, Murrumbidgee Nature Corridor is the term used on Google maps for the area between Casuarina Sands and the Cotter Dam. The area is not far from my home and is a popular recreation area for people living in Canberra, although the temperature is still too cool for most people to think of water sports. My original plans did not materialise for Saturday but the weather was so beautiful I still wanted to head outside. This area seemed to be the perfect choice as it was an easy drive and I wanted to walk a short trail I had seen on a previous visit. I am so glad I went as I had a memorable encounter with an Emu. This area is not known for Emus and I was not expecting one, so seeing that bird in that location was truly an unexpected thrill. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

A year on, I am still photographing magpies, this time in the half-light of dawn(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 312mm, f/5.6 and 1/80 SEC]) — A year on, I am still photographing magpies, this time in the half-light of dawn
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 312mm, f/5.6 and 1/80 SEC])

A magpie at dawn and colourful Australian King-Parrots - Photographing at Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 4 May 2019

BirdsinCanberra May 10, 2019

In looking back at my entries in Bird Journal I noticed it was roughly a year ago when I went for my first walk to Red Hill Nature Reserve with a camera in hand, intending to note and photograph birds. That morning I photographed Australian Magpies, Gang-gang Cockatoos, Australian King-Parrots and Eastern Rosellas. ON this day, I retraced my steps to see what birds I could find. I am glad the first bird I came across was an Australian Magpie. Yes, they are very common but they are intelligent birds and their morning call is something almost all Australians have grown up with. I followed my route from approximately 12 months before, with the walk not taking me far. I then went further up Red Hill but stayed on the Hughes side to see what photographs I could find. Those photographs are below and I hope you like them.

A Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo chewing on a tree(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/640 SEC]) — A Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo chewing on a tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/640 SEC])

Watching six wonderful Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos was a great experience - Photographing at Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 27 April 2019

BirdsinCanberra May 1, 2019

Some birds have characters that shine through. They do not just appear in the landscape, they liven it up. You cannot help but feel there are emotions and thoughts there deeper than normally ascribed to birds. To me, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos are just such a bird. I stopped to watch six of them go about their lives on Red Hill Nature Reserve. They each had their own lives, they were so absorbing to watch. I heard their cry from a distance, fortunately they were in an area near where my path was heading. It was just such a beautiful way to start a Saturday. I hope you enjoy the pictures below.

A White-browed Scrubwren peering out from cut vegetation, darker than it was in reality(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/250 SEC] with flash) — A White-browed Scrubwren peering out from cut vegetation, darker than it was in reality
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/250 SEC] with flash)

A group of White-browed Scrubwrens on a wet morning - Photographing at Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 30 March 2019

BirdsinCanberra April 1, 2019

Scrubwrens are common birds in Canberra but they are a challenge to photograph as they move fast, prefer hunting for food in the undergrowth and they always seem to be in areas of bad light. All of these criteria were met this Saturday on Red Hill Nature Reserve. The forecast was for cloudy conditions with a high chance of rain. The forecast was the same as the previous weekend, so I decided the preceding Saturday to stay inside rather than go outside to get wet. I did not want to waste a second Saturday inside so I took a chance to go for a walk when it looked like there was a break in the weather. The rain held-off for an hour but I was soaked in a brief shower about half way through my walk. I was more worried about my camera gear than me, as well as being disappointed, as I had been hoping to try a long exposure for the first time. Fortunately, the rain stopped again so I pulled the camera out of my pack where I had placed it for protection from the wet. I was able to try a long exposure at a small run-off steam below one of the major water tanks on Red Hill. It was not exactly a gushing torrent but it gave me the chance to try out the techniques of a long exposure and I was reasonably pleased with the results. Despite the rain, I had a lovely walk on Red Hill and I hope you like the photographs below.

Not how I usually see Sulphur-crested Cockatoos launch into flight(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/2500 SEC]) — Not how I usually see Sulphur-crested Cockatoos launch into flight
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/2500 SEC])

A Sulphur-crested Cockatoo showing-off and intriguing life around a pond - Photographing around Mount Mugga Mugga Nature Reserve on Monday, 11 March 2019

BirdsinCanberra March 15, 2019

Mount Mugga Mugga has been hollowed out by a quarry that is now disused. This silent scar probably provided many of the rocks used to build Canberra, now it sits as an empty reminder of how the countryside has been changed by the creation of Canberra. The surrounding forested area is now the Mount Mugga Mugga Nature Reserve. There was not much birdlife in easy view, with most of my photos showing the life around a pond built to help control rain run-off. I was surprised this pond did not have much birdlife in or around it, as it seemed to have a better ecosystem than the pond I photographed on 23 and 24 February; which had an amazing amount of birdlife in an area smaller than Mount Mugga Mugga’s pond. Maybe the closer proximity of houses and the road have kept birds away form this body of water. While I was disappointed by the lack of birds higher up I had a marvellous time beside the pond photographing a variety of life. I have not been put-off, indeed I have already started thinking about when I will go back next time. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

Two Striated Pardalotes high in a tree, with possible juvenile on the left and adult on the right(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/1000 SEC]) — Two Striated Pardalotes high in a tree, with possible juvenile on the left and adult on the right
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/1000 SEC])

Photographing around Callum Brae Nature Reserve on Sunday, 3 March 2019 - A large group of Crested Pigeons and finding elusive Striated Pardalotes

BirdsinCanberra March 7, 2019

On Sunday, 3 March 2019, I headed to the always interesting, and generally quiet, Callum Brae Nature Reserve, just a short drive from my home. I always enjoy this nature reserve. I started by walking along the path that leads south-west from the entrance gate. I had not taken that path for a while so I was interested to see what life was around. All the vegetation was still dry, with the ponds I saw still very low. There were still a number of birds and animals around, including the most Crested Pigeons I have seen in one location and a group of three to four foxes. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

Two juvenile Grey Butcherbirds on a branch with one looking unimpressed with the noise

Photographing at Nielsen Park, Sydney on Saturday, 1 December 2018 - Unique sight and sound of Channel-billed Cuckoos

BirdsinCanberra December 6, 2018

Nielsen Park is on the southside of Sydney Harbour, towards the entrance. It is a lovely, little jewel of green tucked away in the affluent suburb of Vaucluse where remnant and regrowth bush comes down to the shores of one of the most beautiful harbours in the world. This was my first birding trip to this part of the Sydney Harbour National Park. I was not disappointed with the trip, which turned into a bit of cuckoo appreciation day, as I saw two species. I also enjoyed seeing, as well as listening to, the juvenile Grey Butcherbirds make their melodious call. I hope you enjoy the pictures.