This female Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo is a stunning bird

Photographing at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve on Friday, 4 January 2019 - Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos and a Rufous Whistler

Jon Steinbeck January 11, 2019

As this was the last weekday of my time off from work I wanted to go somewhere special to photograph, so I decided to make the trip to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. This wonderful gem of nature is an easy 30 minute drive from my house and always worth a visit. I decided to use Daslsetta car park as the centre of my exploring, with a walk eastwards then back westwards towards Tidbinbilla River. I really underestimated how much ground I was going to cover, quickly finding myself running out of time yet still nowhere near the river. There was a lot of birdlife around but the closed canopy made it more of a photographic challenge than a lot of places around Canberra. As always, I enjoyed my time and will be back. I was really happy I went because I saw some marvellous Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, an Australian Hobby flew past and I was also really fortunate to photograph two Yellow-faced Honeyeaters doing a horizontal face-off. A great morning spent in some truly beautiful country, I hope you enjoy the photographs.

A male Superb Parrot, a truly gorgeous looking bird

Photographing at Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 5 January 2019 - Superb Parrots are truly superb, always room for Choughs and some interesting insects

Jon Steinbeck January 8, 2019

It was a hot Saturday morning on the Red Hill Nature Reserve, with the temperature already reaching 32º Celsius at 9 AM. May be it was just me but I felt there were less birds around and many of those I did see were sitting quietly in trees, under the canopy where there was shade. Despite the heat it was great to be out. It looked like the Leaden Flycatcher nestlings have fledged as their nest was empty. I also saw an immature Brown Goshawk as well as the truly beautiful Superb Parrots, hence why one of them heads this post. I hope you enjoy the photos.

A Red-browed Finch emerging from the nest it was building

Photographing around Red Hill on Thursday afternoon, 27 December 2018 - Looking and finding some nesting birds

Jon Steinbeck January 1, 2019

The never-tiring JackyF emailed to ask if I wanted to go for a walk one afternoon to look at a number of nests she knew of around Red Hill Nature Reserve so I could help keep an eye on them and take some photos as well. I jumped at the chance to see this important part of bird behaviour so we agreed to meet on the afternoon of Thursday, 27 December 2018. JackyF really knows Red Hill well and, as always, had some great things to show me. The Leaden Flycatcher was a standout. We also discovered the nest of a wonderfully coloured Red-browed Finch, who was building it very near a path. I hope you enjoy the photographs.

I know it is not quite in focus but it was heart-pounding to see this Brown Goshawk targeting me

Photographing at Red Hill Nature Reserve on Friday, 30 November 2018 - Swooped by a Goshawk and saw a kingfisher nest

Jon Steinbeck December 5, 2018

I was not planning on going to Red Hill Nature Reserve on this day, as we were travelling to Sydney on later that morning for an overnight stay. However, when I woke up, I could not help myself, I just wanted to go for a walk and I am glad I did. The weather was a bit overcast but it kept clearing throughout the walk. I saw my first Olive-backed Oriole on Red Hill. There was a group of White-winged Choughs cooperatively building a nest. A pair of Sacred Kingfishers revealed what may be their nest to me. Among all those sitings, the most incredible experience, even if it was heart-pounding, was being swooped by the Brown Goshawk, which you can see in the heading photograph. I really enjoyed the morning walk on Red Hill, I rushed home, excited as one thing, still with enough time to do the things I had to do before going to Sydney. I hope you enjoy the photos below from the day.

This Brown Goshawk made my day by letting move to a better angle to photograph it

Photographing at Red Hill Nature Reserve on Sunday, 11 November 2018 - a Brown Goshawk came by and a Gang-gang peered out of a hollow

Jon Steinbeck November 11, 2018

I usually go to Red Hill Nature Reserve on a Saturday morning, then go further afield on Sunday. As I felt I had not really been on Red Hill for a while I decided to photograph there this morning. I am so glad I did because it was a very rewarding morning, Not only did I find a eucalyptus tree that was supporting three species of birds with its trunk, I also saw my first goshawk, which was a very cooperative subject for photographing. The weather was also very helpful, being a lovely sunny day. Red Hill is such a wonderful location, with so much to offer. The birdlife was at its best this morning and I know I only saw a very small part of the reserve.

Photographing at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve on Friday, 4 January 2019 - Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos and a Rufous Whistler

Photographing at Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 5 January 2019 - Superb Parrots are truly superb, always room for Choughs and some interesting insects

Photographing around Red Hill on Thursday afternoon, 27 December 2018 - Looking and finding some nesting birds

Photographing at Red Hill Nature Reserve on Friday, 30 November 2018 - Swooped by a Goshawk and saw a kingfisher nest

Photographing at Red Hill Nature Reserve on Sunday, 11 November 2018 - a Brown Goshawk came by and a Gang-gang peered out of a hollow

Search Posts

Featured Posts