Australian Pelican with breeding face colouring resting on the sand flat
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Birds and fur seals along the foreshore - Narooma, NSW, June 2023

BirdsinCanberra July 31, 2023

Australian Pelicans are stunning big birds with an appearance that is unmistakable. Since starting to photograph them I have really noticed the colours in their famously large bills. In the breeding season the colours change and become even more saturated, creating a rich palette on the birds bill. While I was photographing on an exposed sand flat at Narooma in June a lone pelican was resting there. I was able to approach it with the sun almost directly behind me. The bird was regularly looking at the other activities happening around it and I was lucky enough that it turned its head so that the sun caught the length of the richly-hued bill. It was one of my favourite shots of these truly wonderful birds. I had a marvellous time wandering around on the sand flats and I hope that you like the photographs below.

Two Welcome Swallows on the Mill Bay Boardwalk
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 400, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC])

Some early autumn birds with herons and swallows - Narooma, Autumn 2023

BirdsinCanberra April 23, 2023

The weather in Narooma is starting to cool with Autumn dropping the temperatures. There was also a cold snap over Easter that caught us unprepared with our more suitable clothes unfortunately left back in Canberra. Luckily, I had clothes that would keep me warm enough on my bike so I headed out on Good Friday to explore the area. While riding along the Mill Bay Boardwalk I saw two Welcome Swallows perched on the end of a cross beam that supported the wooden boards. The one nearer to me seemed nervous because of my presence. It would fly off in a rapid circle before returning beside its fellow swallow. It did that a few times before it stayed on the cross beam, although even there it regularly shuffled its position while the second swallow stayed still. I love the colours of the Welcome Swallow so I was glad that this one stayed still a few times for me. A number of birds were still around but the weather was cooler and the days shorter with Winter a couple of months away. I am still enjoying getting to the coast to see the nature there and I hope 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 Black Cormorant swimming in the Shoalhaven River looking for food
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Beautiful coastal wildlife under overcast skies - NSW South Coast, December 2021

BirdsinCanberra December 18, 2021

Canberra is a lovely city but I also like the coast, especially the variety of wildlife there. So, with the easing of the COVID restrictions in New South Wales (NSW), like a lot of Canberrans, we wanted a break down the coast. The weather was not forecast to be the best, with the rain and clouds having blanketed the southeast corner of NSW for most of November, and no sign of beautiful weather on the horizon for early December. That meant we had to make do with the weather at hand. We had a very simple plan, to drive down for a lunch at Narooma. Then follow the Princes Highway north for dinner and accommodation at Mollymook before continuing the next day through to Jervis Bay and the Greenwell Point area. Even though this was more of a family getaway I still took my camera because I wanted the chance to photograph, even with a compalining family telling me to hurry up. I am glad that I did take my camera, even if I was only pairing it wth my trusty go to lens, the Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM. I also viewed only having one lens as a challenge to see what compositions I could achieve across the two days. Even with that self-imposed restriction I was thrilled to be able to capture some of the lovely wildlife that we saw, including a Little Black Cormorant on our second day that was looking for food in the Shoalhaven River. The two day trip was a great little rest and I hope that you enjoy 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.

Australian Pelican flying over Sunset Beach at Sunset, one of my last shots of the trip and I love it:-)(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 2000, 200mm, f/14 and 1/200 SEC]) — Australian Pelican flying over Sunset Beach at Sunset, one of my last shots of the trip and I love it:-)
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 2000, 200mm, f/14 and 1/200 SEC])

Australian Pelican, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Lace Monitor and other amazing wildlife - Photographing north of Newcastle, Australia in November 2019

BirdsinCanberra August 12, 2020

This blog post also starts with an apology as these photos are from November 2019 when I was doing some temporary work around Newcastle Airport. I have been busy with a number of other things since then so it took me a while to process all the photographs I had taken. In the past, while I was away for work, when I finished for the day I did not really do much but that November was the first time I was away for work since I took up photography, and I just wanted to go out to shoot photographs. I had taken my Canon EOS 6D Mark II, Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM and Canon EF100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM with me for this very purpose. From the first day I was determined to head out to photograph. I was very close to the Tilligerry State Conservation Area but there is no public access allowed so I had to contend with walking around the edge. I ended up finding this creek that ran along the western side and there were no signs saying I could not walk along this creek. That creek was fantastic because I could follow it beside the conservation area and move away from the roads. I also wandered off to other locations, trying different directions to see what I could find. I found a number of different areas like marshy ground or overgrown farm fields. I did not have a car with me so I was limited to moving on foot. Except on the last afternoon when I went with a friend down to Sunset Beach for dinner. I was so happy with all the wildlife I saw and I really missed not having my Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM to get better shots. That said, my lens combination really worked out well and that camera gear sat in a small back pack I could take as cabin luggage on the compact aircraft Fly Pelican used for the Canberra to Newcastle route. I had two weeks of solid photography, by myself, just walking around the area, it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed myself and I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

The male Flame Robin near the car park(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC]) — The male Flame Robin near the car park
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])

A Flame Robin pair and a pair of Spencers Skinks - Photographing on the Square Rock Hike on Saturday, 28 September 2019

BirdsinCanberra December 9, 2019

Square Rock Hike in Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is a wonderful trail that is both easy and scenic. I was accompanying my son on the hike as part of our routine bush walks. The trail was very popular on that Saturday, with the car park already filling up by the time that we arrived. We met a number of people on the trail and up at the actual Square Rock lookout. There was a lot of wonderful birdlife as well as some Spencer’s Skinks, which seemed relatively accustomed to the presence of humans. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

A Little Pied Cormorant and a White-faced Heron share a resting spot at Uriarra Crossing(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC]) — A Little Pied Cormorant and a White-faced Heron share a resting spot at Uriarra Crossing
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])

Water birds in the fog and Brown Thornbill looking for food, plus some amazing looking insects - Photographing at Uriarra Crossing Reserve and home on Sunday, 2 June 2019

BirdsinCanberra June 15, 2019

I enjoy being beside a slow-moving river, there is something relaxing in the sound of the water leisurely flowing past. I enjoy it even more when there is birdlife going about its business while I watch the events unfold. That is probably why I again found myself sitting beside the Murrumbidgee River on a cold, foggy Sunday morning at Uriarra Crossing thoroughly engrossed in the moment without worrying about the frigid temperature. There were some lovely birds down near the river, including a Little Pied Cormorant and a White-faced Heron sharing the convenience of a toppled-over tree. This post also includes some photographs at the bottom that I took at home later that morning, when I was supposed to be cleaning up the backyard. In moving some wood I came across some fascinating creatures I just had to photograph, before I returned to cleaning up the garden.

An immature White-bellied Sea Eagle flying along the Murrumbidgee River(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/1250 SEC]) — An immature White-bellied Sea Eagle flying along the Murrumbidgee River
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/1250 SEC])

An immature White-bellied Sea Eagle flew by making my morning - Photographing at Point Hut Crossing on Sunday, 28 April 2019

BirdsinCanberra May 3, 2019

I had driven over Point Hut Crossing a number of times on my way to Tidbinbilla National Park. I always wanted to stop one day to have a look around. That was how I found myself, at this crossing, on an autumn Sunday morning. Initially, I thought I had made a bad choice, as there did not seem to be much around in the way of birds or other life. Walking around I found some things of interest but no birds that made for a dramatic photograph. Towards the end of my time there an immature White-bellied Sea Eagle came soaring along the course of the Murrumbidgee River at tree-top level. I was on a small rise so I was effectively at eye-level with this graceful raptor. It was a beautiful moment that really made the morning for me. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

A Common Bronzewing we saw on our field trip to Mulligans Flat

'Understanding Birds' - An ANU Continuing Education course with Ian Fraser - including a great field trip to Mulligans Flat

BirdsinCanberra December 18, 2018

This is a bit of a different post as I wanted to write about a course I undertook through The Australian National University’s Centre for Continuing Education. The course had a simple title that summed it up well, it was called Understanding Birds. The lecturing occurred over six nights from late November and there were also two field trips on Saturday mornings. The first field trip went to Campbell, Molonglo Gorge and Jerrabomberra Wetlands while the second one was conducted at Mulligans Flat Woodland Reserve. The second field trip will be described in more detail later in the post, with accompanying bird photographs.

The Noisy Friarbird calling while trying to eat a beetle

Photographing at Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve on Sunday, 25 November 2018 - A spectacular Dollarbird and an active Noisy Friarbird

BirdsinCanberra November 28, 2018

I hate to say it, but this was my first visit to Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve. I can understand why it has such a good reputation. Visually, the woodland is a lovely place to visit and the birdlife was wonderful. I am planning to head back very soon as I did not reach the big dam, which I really want to see. I get the feeling the reserve will be worth a number of repeat visits to see all it has to offer. Despite only spending an hour there I was so pleased with what I saw on this first visit. I saw my first Dollarbird. I also found this Noisy Friarbird, featured above, who put on a great performance. I saw a Masked Lapwing family, who, while alarmed, did not swoop me. I really enjoyed my walk that morning, but I know there is much more to see. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

A Masked Lapwing keeping me under a careful eye

Weston Park on Sunday, 29 July 2018

BirdsinCanberra July 29, 2018

Sunday's weather could not seem to decide what it was going to do. I really wanted to go out to take some photographs so I took a chance on how the weather, and therefore lighting, would pan out. The clouds kept covering the sun but every now and then there was enough light to make the trip to Weston Park in Canberra, worthwhile. Initially, as I wandered around the park, it seemed that the birdlife had gone somewhere else for the day. Sure, there were Australian Wood Ducks, Magpies, Magpie-larks, etc; the birds that you see everyday but there did not seem to be any other species of birds. That was until I found this one tree. I am not sure what it was about this tree but it seemed to attract a vast range of birds including Satin Bowerbirds, a Grey Fantail, Crimson Rosellas, etc; all within a space of 20 minutes. That was when the morning turned around, then I started seeing some birdlife. It was a lovely walk and I hope you enjoy the photos below.