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.

Pied Oystercatcher on the sand flats
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])

Some shore birds and other wildlife over a weekend - Narooma, Autumn 2023

BirdsinCanberra June 29, 2023

That Sunday morning I just wanted to do some photography. Finding the time to photograph and then having good light had been challenging for a few months but I was going out regardless that morning. The previous day, while bike riding, I had seen how the low tide towards the entrance of Wagonga Inlet exposed sandflats around two small islands, which were located behind the rocks being used to train the river. There were a number of shorebirds searching for food in that area so I wanted to return to photograph them. Unfortunately, Sunday’s wind was brisk making it hard to get crisp photos because the breeze was rippling the finer details of the the birds feathers. Despite that, I was happy to see some Pied Oystercatchers. One of the birds was not too bothered by my presence. It remained a short distance away while I walked carefully to try to get the best light on it. The bird appeared to be not interested in feeding, remaining still, with one leg tucked into its feathers. I was the only person on the sandflats, so it was just me and the birds. It was so wonderful to be back photographing and letting the time tick by while I was lost in the birdlife. I really enjoyed the weekend, but especially that morning, and I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Little Egret wading in the late afternoon sun at Merimbula
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Fur Seals, beautiful water birds and gorgeous scenery - South Coast NSW, June 2022

BirdsinCanberra July 22, 2022

The afternoon sun was getting low in the western sky when we finished walking along the boardwalk at Merimbula. This walk took us from the bridge over Boggy Creek in the centre of town, along the side of Merimbula Lake. The tide was low with mudflats and sand exposed. A group of egrets were wading through the still waters of Merimbula Lake and among them was a lone Little Egret. The sun was on the other side of the birds so they were not in an ideal position but the Little Egret raised its head to look in the direction of the sun and I was able to get a photograph when its eye glinted in the sun and there was a rim lighting effect on its white plumage. That was at the end of day one of our trip to the south coast of New South Wales. We needed a coastal fix to recharge our batteries from an early, cold winter in Canberra. We spent four days along the south coast, looking at sites from Eden up to Narooma. It was a wonderful trip to a beautiful part of the world. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

A farmer’s fence stretching into the waters of Lake George, with the windmill farm in the distance and water birds in the foreground
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 125, 100mm, f/11 and 1/400 SEC])

Lake George has water again, bringing some beautiful wildlife - Lake George, January 2022

BirdsinCanberra January 9, 2022

After about twenty minutes of easy driving, after taking the exit off the Hume Highway onto the Federal Highway heading towards Canberra, motorists will see a long, steep-sided hill range to the right with sporadic tree covering. To the left, Google Maps will display a large blue body of water, Lake George. For most of the last decade, people would have suffered cognitive dissonance looking at Google’s blue symbology but when they looked to where the water should be they would be confused by the dry, withered flat ground passing the car window. However, with the rain of the past 18 months the lake is almost back to its glory days. It is easily visible from the Federal Highway and a stop at Weereewa Lookout shows a body of extensive water covering the area between the high ground to the east and west. It is great to see the water in Lake George again, and to see the beautiful wildlife the water is supporting. I visited the lake twice recently and was thrilled with all the birdlife as well as the interesting insects. I of course took my camera with me and 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.

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.

Australasian Darter on a partially-sunken log(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 2000, 263mm, f/8.0 and 1/1000 SEC]) — Australasian Darter on a partially-sunken log
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 2000, 263mm, f/8.0 and 1/1000 SEC])

A White-faced Heron catching food and getting close to an Australasian Darter - Photographing around Jerrabomberra Wetlands on Sunday, 19 January 2020

BirdsinCanberra February 2, 2020

Jerrabomberra Wetlands is such a gem for bird lovers in Canberra because there are always interesting birds to see yet it is basically right in the heart of Canberra. I had not been to the wetlands for a while but this time I wanted to try to see birds from a different angle, by photographing them from the water. I am enjoying paddling my kayak so I thought I would try photographing purely from the kayak, not going ashore at all. I was worried the whole time I was on the water that I would turn over and wreck my photography equipment but I think the morning turned out much better than I had hoped. A lot of birds seemed less worried about me, possibly as I was less ‘human’ sitting down in the kayak, letting it slowly drift towards the birds rather than walking to them on land. I had a marvellous morning right from the start when a White-faced Heron grabbed a fish out of the shallow water I was preparing to launch my kayak from. I saw so many wonderful birds I was late getting back to my start point. I also tried more videography from the kayak, which was very hard keeping the camera still, but the video is embedded below. In summary, I had a really enjoyable morning with the amazing birds and I hope you enjoy the photos below. (Please note, I did not realise 2 February was World Wetlands Day but what a good coincidence to publish this post on that appropriate day. I hope we can protect this wetland along with the others, they are truly fantastic places that are of great importance to us all.)

A Whistling Kite in a tree surveying an island littered with dead Silver Gulls, was this the culprit?(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 4000, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/320 SEC]) — A Whistling Kite in a tree surveying an island littered with dead Silver Gulls, was this the culprit?
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 4000, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/320 SEC])

A Whistling Kite that may have decimated some gulls and a group of Australian Reed Warblers - Photographing around Spinnaker Island on Sunday, 12 January 2020

BirdsinCanberra January 20, 2020

This Whistling Kite was the first one I had seen, and I almost missed it when I first arrived on Spinnaker Island, an island located in Canberra’s Lake Burley Griffin. The raptor was in a tree on the island when I arrived but flew away, not because of me, but I think it was looking for food. Beyond that fantastic bird I was pleasantly surprised how much birdlife there was on the island. Unfortunately, the lighting was not great because the morning was very overcast and there was still smoke from the bushfires. In addition, I thought it would be hard to find photographic subjects because the island was small with sparse vegetation but in the end I was late departing the island as I kept wanting to take more photographs. Being late meant I had to paddle a bit faster in my kayak to get back to shore so I was not too late home. I did not worry too much about my tardiness because I had had a truly interesting time on this small island, thoroughly enjoying my short visit; I hope you like the photos below, and the video I made of my visit (the video is also embedded below). Sorry about the quality of the photographs, the bad lighting meant I was shooting with a very high ISO so some crept into the pictures.

A Satin Bowerbird, who had appeared to be doing a mating dance with the crest feathers of a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo in its beak(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/160 SEC]) — A Satin Bowerbird, who had appeared to be doing a mating dance with the crest feathers of a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo in its beak
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/160 SEC])

A Satin Bowerbird practicing its mating dance on a foggy morning - Photographing around Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 3 August 2019

BirdsinCanberra August 5, 2019

Red Hill Nature Reserve seemed like it was going to be a bad choice this morning as the fog thickened while I was on the hill. At one stage I thought I would head back early but I am glad I kept going as there were some wonderfull photographic subjects. Early on I found an old caterpillar track from some construction plant like a tractor or bulldozer, which I used to practice with my different lens as it made an interesting subject between the trees on a foggy morning. While, right at the end of my walk I was again captivated by some beautiful Satin Bowerbirds, including one that seemed to be practicing its mating dance. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

Three Superb Parrots possibly getting moisture from dew(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/250 SEC] with flash) — Three Superb Parrots possibly getting moisture from dew
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/250 SEC] with flash)

Photographing around Hughes and Garran, ACT (again) on Sunday, 24 February 2019 - more waterbirds with chicks and more Superb Parrots

BirdsinCanberra March 2, 2019

As I said in my previous post, I had such a wonderful morning wandering around Hughes and Garran, I decided to do it all again the very next day. I basically did the same walk but I concentrated more on the areas with the Superb Parrots. It was hard not to spend a long time at the pond again but I felt I should keep moving. It was yet another rewarding morning watching the Superb Parrots as well as the water birds. The weather was initially slightly cloudy but the clouds cleared up to give me plenty of light. I hope you enjoy the photos below.

My 100th species of bird I have photographed, this beautiful Black-shouldered Kite; looking coy or somewhat evil?

The 100th species of bird I have photographed, a Black-shouldered Kite

BirdsinCanberra December 31, 2018

I am no twitcher but I thought why not have a blog post to mark the 100th species of bird I have photographed. However, before I go any further let me make a confession, this may not actually be the 100th species of bird I have photographed since taking up this hobby eight months ago in April 2018. I am using an electronic bird note keeping program called Bird Journal. It is a fantastic program that is cross-platform as well as cross referencing my sightings by species and location. I currently have 99 species listed so when I enter this kite it will be 100. My confession is this sighting is not chronologically correct, as it is after my few days in Sydney over Christmas where I know I photographed some new species, most of which were introduced species. I felt I did not want my 100th bird to be a non-native, some weird orno-natoinalism perhaps??? Well, since this is my hobby, when I came across this bird unexpectedly during my visit to the Woolshed Creek Fossil Site on Thursday, 27 December 2018, blogpost to follow, I figured this was going to be my 100th species. So I can officially say this is the 100th species of bird I have listed as having photographed, or for short, the 100th species of bird I have photographed.

A White-winged Chough alert to danger from above

Photographing at Red Hill Nature Reserve on Monday, 17 December 2018 - Gang-gangs, Choughs, a Goshawk and some interesting insects

BirdsinCanberra December 20, 2018

As I had been away on Saturday I could not do my usual walk on Red Hill Nature Reserve. I was also busy on Sunday morning at ANBG with a group from the course I attended looking at some things there, I will post about that soon. I am writing this post out of order so I can get my photos up on Canberra Nature Map. This post is not just about my morning walk but, as I was walking to Deakin later in the day, I took my camera with me then as well. It was a very full day with a number of Gang-gangs, bowerbirds, the Brown Goshawk and photographing some insects. I really enjoyed myself and I hope you like the photographs.

Two Sulphur-crested Cockatoos drinking from the wetlands remnants

Photographing at Mulligans Flat Woodland Reserve on Sunday, 2 December 2018 - Pardalotes and a Jacky Dragon

BirdsinCanberra December 11, 2018

I returned to Mulligans Flat Woodland Reserve for more photography, determined I would have enough time to get down to the wetlands in the south. I had been warned the wetlands were very dry, a mere remnant of what they normally are. When I finally arrived at the wetlands, on a very windy morning, I realised just how much they had dried out, with only a long, narrow pond remaining behind the dam wall. I was a little disappointed but if I had not gone I would not have found out about the Floodplain Mussel, which had a number of shells on the drying dam banks. I also did manage to photograph some lovely birds.

A Sulphur-crested Cockatoo drinking at the remnants of a small dam

Photographing at Callum Brae Nature Reserve on Sunday, 18 November 2018 - Looking so dry for birds and turtles

BirdsinCanberra November 23, 2018

I thought I would try a different design approach with this post. Rather than upload multiple photographs of the same subject, I thought I would instead use one picture only to portray the subject. The ‘less-is-more’ approach. I think it helps de-clutter the post if nothing else. I will see how it goes but I thought my walk around Callum Brae Nature Reserve on Sunday, 18 November would be a good post to start with. Callum Brae was looking so dry. The vegetation was still that light Australian green colour so much flora seems to be in Canberra but the dams were looking very empty. In approaching one small dam I was unable to photograph a Little Pied Cormorant that I had scared off. I was amazed to see it at that remnant of water, I am not sure what it had been hunting. There was also this old, stone-lined run-off channel that seemed to taunt modern visitors with how much rain once must have fallen on that land to justify constructing that diversion. Now, it is grass-covered with saplings well established, as if saying no water will flow along its course again. There was still birdlife at Callum Brae but it was the first time I saw several species of birds come down for water. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

Not sure what this Gang-gang was doing but the wing-spread looks great

Photographing at Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 17 November 2018 - Gang-gangs, Straw-necked Ibis and some interesting insects

BirdsinCanberra November 18, 2018

I decided to upgrade my camera so my walk around Red Hill Nature Reserve was extra special for me since I was using a new camera I had been wanting for a while. I have upgraded to a Canon EOS 7D Mark II. Combined with my 100-400mm telephoto lens, it is a heavy unit to carry but I am already enjoying the better sensor and faster auto-focus than my old Canon DSLR. The light improved this morning from a cloudy start so I really enjoyed shooting with a camera that is almost designed for bird photography. The birdlife was plentiful with the Gang-gangs always available for photographs. I loved seeing the Straw-necked Ibis on Red Hill. Not only were they great subjects in flight to practice with the camera but their shiny plumage came through beautifully in the images. I also added to my kangaroo photographs this morning with some great subjects, including my first photograph of a real subject with my new camera. I even used my telephoto for some “macro” shooting of insects, which worked better than I thought.

Some of the water birds inside the sanctuary at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve

A walk around Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve on Saturday, 1 September 2018

BirdsinCanberra September 3, 2018

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is a large national park about 30 minutes drive south of where I live. It is situated in a valley with the Tidbinbilla River running through it. I convinced my son to come with me on Saturday to go for a walk around the fenced-in sanctuary that sits in the middle of the reserve. This is a predator proof area centred on a wetlands habitat giving wild native fauna communities a chance to live without the threat of feral animals. The native fauna have the run of the sanctuary while humans are confined to well maintained paths. We had an enjoyable morning seeing so many wild birds, platypus and even a turtle. My son is not really into wildlife but agreed he would like to go back again, which is good as I bought an annual pass :-)

White-winged_Chough_Yarralumala_Equestrian_Park_4103_20180819.jpg

A walk from the Yarralumla Equestrian Centre on Sunday, 19 August 2018

BirdsinCanberra August 19, 2018

The weather on Sunday, 19 August 2018 did not start out promising but improved as the morning went on. I had been wanting for a while to start a walk at the Yarralumla Equestrian Centre then cross over the Molonglo River into a pine plantation behind the National Zoo. On parking at the centre I was greeted immediately on leaving my car by some White-winged Choughs, which was a good omen as I always had birds around me. I could not always photograph them but they were enough to distract me for an extra hour when I should have been heading home. It was a lovely distraction that made a lovely start to a Sunday.