On top of things, an Eastern Yellow Robin on a garden statue
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Bird visitors to a garden - Narooma, NSW, 2024

Jon Steinbeck August 3, 2024

A garden can be a realm of nature that surrounds a house, however it is more than just a collection of plants. A thriving garden is also a thriving ecosystem where various interplays happen between a variety of organisms all living out their own life cycles. The rear garden of the house in Narooma is a green sanctuary that is not large but I can enjoy and wander around in. It is also a place that a variety of birds visit. We are lucky having a lush nature reserve behind us that birds visit our garden from. One visitor we had was an Eastern Yellow Robin. Fortunately, I was walking up the stairs to the garden with my camera when this little bird decided that a garden statue of a cowering dragon made the perfect perch. It landed on the dragon’s head, like that was the cause of the dragon’s distress. I was worried that lifting my camera would scare the little robin away but it disregarded my movements. It remained there long enough for me to take several shots, trying out slightly different angles as well. The bird was delightfully posed and made my afternoon with its presence. I was really happy with how the shot turned out 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

Jon Steinbeck 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.

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

Jon Steinbeck 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.

Two Rainbow Lorikeets on the feeding stand
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Beautiful Rainbow Lorikeets become lockdown photography models - Lockdown photography, August 2021

Jon Steinbeck August 27, 2021

The COVID-19 related Lockdown continued in Canberra and it was a necessary step to keep the population safe. However, it was still a weird time, trying to work from home but not really being able to, but not being able to leave home when the weather was great for photography. I also felt guilty if I was away from my computer during the day and therefore not doing the office work but as a counter I figured that I no longer had to commute to work so that time now became my time to look for photography subjects in our garden. I was fortunate of an afternoon because things happened around the garden. The previous post had some lovely Gang-gang Cockatoos that flew in on one day and for this post some vivacious Rainbow Lorikeets dropped by to provide colour and noise to our locked-down home. These wildly coloured birds that remind me of wonderful, youthful summers in Sydney really made my day. I hope that you like the photographs below.

Female Australian Wood Duck calling from a tree while some rain drops fall(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 3200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC]) — Female Australian Wood Duck calling from a tree while some rain drops fall
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 3200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Great weather for ducks on a raining, winter morning - Photographing at Callum Brae Nature Reserve, August 2021

Jon Steinbeck August 19, 2021

The weather over the last few weekends of July then into August was generally wet and overcast, in line with that old saying of “good weather for ducks.” Because of those conditions, I had not been out photographing for a few weekends so I was really missing something. Although Sunday, 1 August, was another drizzling and overcast morning I decided to go photographing regardless. I could wait for perfect weather but who knew when that would come. Besides, I would not always have perfect weather so I had better practice with less than ideal circumstances so that I was ready to photograph the beauty of nature in all climatic conditions. With that resolve I headed to one of my favourite spots, the nearby Callum Brae Nature Reserve. Over the few years that I have been photographing I was used to seeing Callum Brae as a dry habitat but the rain over the last 18 months had given new life to it. I was keen to see how the environment was changed with rain falling. If I found no other animals, I knew that I would see ducks. Despite the scattered showers and overcast conditions I thoroughly enjoyed my morning wandering around the beautiful but soggy reserve. I hope that you like the photographs below.

A pair of Rainbow Lorikeets are always a nice sight (Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC]) — A pair of Rainbow Lorikeets are always a nice sight
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Full dams bring beautiful animals to Callum Brae Nature Reserve - April 2021

Jon Steinbeck May 8, 2021

I was so used to seeing the small, ex-farm dams at Callum Brae Nature Reserve as half-filled or completely dried vestiges of a wetter time in Canberra that I was shocked when I finally saw them full. It was not only a very positive sight but I was seeing life back in them and around them. Back in February 2020 I phtoographed the dams when they were completely empty, with their cracked dirt floors exposed to the heat of the sun. A little bit of rain soon afterwards provided some liquid covering but I did not expect to ever see them actually full. When I did see them finally full on a recent trip I also saw some Eastern Snake-necked Turtles swimming in the brown water but I have no idea where they came from. Besides the filled ponds I was delighted to see a pair of Rainbow Lorikeets at a hollow. It is past the breeding season but I am always happy to see these truly gorgeously coloured birds that can never be quiet. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

A Rainbow Lorikeet looking out from a hollow(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/250 SEC]) — A Rainbow Lorikeet looking out from a hollow
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/250 SEC])

A Rainbow Lorikeet in a hollow and a group of Gang-gang Cockatoos - Photographing around Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 21 March 2020

Jon Steinbeck March 28, 2020

I always love seeing Rainbow Lorikeets, their colour and something about their behaviour makes them a joy to watch; although they are competing with other native birds in Canberra. Still it was great to see them during my first visit back to Red Hill Nature Reserve in a very long time. Due to a number of reasons I had not been to Red Hill for a while so it was great to walk around it again. That said, unfortunately, Icon Water have repaired the leak from the water tank on the ridge meaning that there was no more stream running down the hill, and the area was now dry. Despite that unfortunate change, Red Hill was still mainly the same and I finished off my walk watching a group of six Gang-gang Cockatoos. I hope you like the photographs below.

The Dollarbird did not like the Noisy Miner being on the same branch(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC]) — The Dollarbird did not like the Noisy Miner being on the same branch
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])

Dollarbirds are around as are the Corellas, and I even saw a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo in a hollow - Photographing around Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 16 November 2019

Jon Steinbeck November 24, 2019

The birdlife around Red Hill Nature Reserve was even better than usual on this Saturday morning. I saw my first Dollarbird of the season and two species of Corellas were around. There was also a Laughing Kookaburra in a hollow. The wonderful birdlife combined with a warm, sunny morning made it a great start to the day. I hope you like the photographs below.

A Rainbow Lorikeet pair grooming each other at a hollow(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 Rainbow Lorikeet pair grooming each other at a hollow
(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])

Galahs, Rainbow Lorikeets and a male Gang-gang cockatoo in hollows - Photographing around Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 26 October 2019

Jon Steinbeck October 30, 2019

Red Hill Nature Reserve was the first place I went to photograph on that Saturday as my son and I were going to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve for a walk later that day. The wind picked-up in speed throughout the morning and the clouds were coming across so Red Hill ended up being the best location for photographing that day. I rushed through Red Hill because I needed to get home so we could get to Tidbinbilla while it was still the morning. Because I enjoy Red Hill I wanted to go for a quick walk there before heading off to Tidbinbilla. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

Mating Gang-gang Cockatoos(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/200 SEC]) — Mating Gang-gang Cockatoos
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/200 SEC])

Mating Gang-gang cockatoos and lots of interests in hollows - Photographing around Red Hill Nature Reserve on Sunday, 13 October 2019

Jon Steinbeck October 20, 2019

Red Hill Nature Reserve had, unfortunately, been off my schedule for a couple of weeks due to some unforeseen events but I was finally able to get back there on this Sunday morning. It was good to get back to Red Hill as that day was a lovely spring morning with a lot of wonderful birdlife. I saw a number of Gang-gang cockatoos, including a pair mating. I also saw a number of Rainbow Lorikeets and had a wonderful time trying to get a good picture of a Crimson Rosella, who was very patient with me. It was a wonderful morning, and just what I needed. I hope you like the photographs below.

Rainbow Lorikeet calling out from behind the foliage(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/1250 SEC]) — Rainbow Lorikeet calling out from behind the foliage
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/1250 SEC])

Rainbow Lorikeets calling out and a battle-scarred male kangaroo - Photographing around Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 21 September 2019

Jon Steinbeck October 3, 2019

Red Hill Nature Reserve is such an enjoyable place in spring, with so many birds and other animals shaking off the Canberra winter chill. The weather has been very kind in recent weeks with mild, clear mornings, making photography such a pleasure. This morning’s walk was just wonderful, I saw some Rainbow Lorikeets, a bird species I adore. I also was up close with a Laughing Kookaburra, an experience that always thrills me. In addition, I saw a scarred, old, male kangaroo, who paid me no attention, he seemed to have no fear of me. It was so enjoyable photographing him as he barely even acknowledged my presence even though I was only a few metres away. I always enjoy my walks on Red Hill but this morning was extra special. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

A Rainbow Lorikeet surveying its surrounds from a tree(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC]) — A Rainbow Lorikeet surveying its surrounds from a tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Gang-gang Cockatoos, Rainbow Lorikeets and a White-plumed Honeyeater letting me know the days are getting longer - Photographing at Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 17 August 2019

Jon Steinbeck August 22, 2019

Red Hill Nature Reserve looked like it was ready to break out of winter despite the cold spell that has hit Canberra this week. The wattle was starting to bloom and more birds were showing up. I was out before the sun lit up the reserve but despite some cloud the sun did break through throwing some beautiful light on the area. There just seemed to be more birds on Red Hill this morning, with more variety as well. I could not spend long wandering around but I enjoyed my time. It was good to see some Gang-gangs near a tree where they bred successfully last year. It was also nice to see a group of Rainbow Lorikeets around. It was just a lovely start to the day. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

One person’s multi-million dollar swimming pool, is another bird’s water bowl

Photographing around the Vaucluse foreshore in Sydney on Christmas Day 2018 - Watching ravens enjoy seafood and a cockatoo enjoy a drink from a multi-million dollar swimming pool

Jon Steinbeck February 10, 2019

Sydney has a wonderful harbour and a great way to see it is along the Vaucluse foreshore walk. This walk is a well maintained trail that goes from Nielsen Park to the Hermitage Foreshore Reserve in the shadows of the atmospheric Rose Bay Convent. Low tide is a great time to walk along the route, as the rocks are exposed meaning you can drop down from the path to follow right beside the water. As always Mum had out done herself with Christmas lunch so I really felt the need to go for a walk. I grabbed my camera, as I figured I would see what I could find while I walked. I am so glad I did as I enjoyed the subjects I came across. I expected the walk to be relatively quiet because it was Christmas Day, however, it appeared backpackers have extended their Christmas on the sea beaches to these harbour spots as well. There were three separate parties of young people enjoying the day with a wealth of accents audible as I walked past. They were in high spirits but keeping their parties ordered with very little litter. One group was very well prepared with a generator powering a DJ table as well as a refrigerator. Despite the noise there were still a number of birds around. It was all just part of the rich tapestry of a Christmas in Sydney. I hope you enjoy the pictures in this post.

The Rainbow Lorikeet pair looking at something that caught their interest

Photographing at Callum Brae Nature Reserve on Wednesday, 2 January 2019 - A Rainbow Lorikeet pair and butterflies

Jon Steinbeck January 9, 2019

This blog post is out of order with the one immediately preceding it as I wanted to record my sightings on Red Hill Nature Reserve as quickly as possible and then post them to Canberra Nature Map to help out with noting the wildlife on the hill.

You may notice the colour tones of this post are a little different to past posts. I use the very powerful Adobe Lightroom for my post-processing. I have learnt how to use it by watching YouTube videos. Some of the advice has been fantastic but other advice, I have learnt from experience, is not suitable for me. In the past, based on advice from a YouTube video, I always used Camera Landscape as my basic profile in Lightroom. I have now decided that is not the best profile, so I have switched Camera Faithful, which I think works better. I am sticking with the camera profiles as the consensus seems to be Canon cameras have a larger colour palette than Adobe so it is better to use that as the base profile rather that the adobe options.

Moving to the actual day, I always enjoy visiting Callum Brae Nature Reserve although on this day I felt the birdlife was already in hiding because of the heat. By 9 AM the mercury was already over 26º Celsius. The weather did not bother me as I had a wonderful time photographing a pair of beautiful Rainbow Lorikeets. I then got a little distracted by insects while I was following a dry creek towards some dams where I hope to find birds. I spent too long with the insects so I had to cut my plans short. That seems to happen a lot with me, but I have fun no matter what happens to my original plan. I hope you enjoy the photographs.

Photographing around Nielsen Park and Vaucluse House on Saturday, 15 December 2018 - Sooty Oystercatchers in Sydney

Jon Steinbeck December 19, 2018

I was back in Sydney for a brief stay but I did have time to head out to Nielsen Park and then Vaucluse House to see what birds I could find on an overcast Sydney Saturday morning. While the lighting was not great I was really happy to photograph my first Sooty Oystercatchers, and in Sydney Harbour, amazing! Seeing them made me really happy as they are such beautiful birds even though they are simply coloured and they are also so distinct, you cannot confuse them for other birds. I saw some other very typical birds for the area and I practiced some macro photography with an orb weaver. All said, a really great morning for a day which looked so challenging from a photographic perspective. I hope you enjoy the photographs.

The male Gang-gang Cockatoo emerging from the tree hollow

Photographing at Red Hill Nature Reserve on Sunday, 9 December 2018 - Gang-gangs in hollows and nesting Rainbow Lorikeets

Jon Steinbeck December 10, 2018

Usually I walk around Red Hill Nature Reserve early on a Saturday morning but as I was out on Saturday with an ANU Continuing Education course I was attending, I visited Red Hill on Sunday morning instead. (I will write more about the course very shortly, especially our field trip to Mulligans Flat.) I varied my route ever so slightly this morning, as I try to do regularly, which allowed me to see a few more birds than I would have seen on my usual path. Red Hill is such a treasure so close to where I live, it is always worth going for a walk. I hope you enjoy these photographs.

A very cooperative preening Australian Magpie

Photographing at Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 24 November 2018 - Rainbow Lorikeets and some more insects

Jon Steinbeck November 25, 2018

My motivation for getting out of bed before the sun rises on a Saturday morning is the knowledge that I will be shortly walking around Red Hill Nature Reserve photographing something interesting. I never try to anticipate what I will see on the hill that day, I just know I will see something. On this morning, I was so glad to see Rainbow Lorikeets. As I said in a previous post, I really have a soft spot for these engaging parrots as they were always around when I was growing up in Sydney. They still maintain their mischievous ways. Despite all the marvellous birdlife I saw, this was the first morning in a long time I did not come back with a single Gang-gang photograph. I certainly heard the birds and saw one fly past, I just did not see any of these wonderful birds in a tree. Towards the end of my walk I found a placid, cooperative Australian Magpie who went about its business, mostly, unconcerned about my photographic activity. I also photographed three different species of insects, all with my telephoto lens. I hope you enjoy the pictures below.

Gang-gang_Cockatoo_Callum_Brae_Nature_Reserve_6490_20181011.jpg

Photographing at Callum Brae Nature Reserve on Thursday, 11 October 2018 - mating Gang-gangs and Ravens attacking a fox

Jon Steinbeck October 14, 2018

Callum Brae Nature Reserve is part of the extensive nature reserve system around Canberra. It is southeast of where I live and is part of a bush corridor starting outside of Canberra leading to Red Hill Nature Reserve. From my place it was a quick, easy drive to an area I have travelled past but never stopped at before. I was not sure what I would see at Callum Brae but my expectations were well and truly met. From mating Gang-gangs, to my first good sighting of Rainbow Lorikeets in Canberra, as well as a chance to see the shimmering green wings of the Shining-bronze Cuckoo. Despite the relatively small area of the nature reserve it packed many interesting sights in to the morning for me. I was so thankful to live in a city that has these types of reserves so near in such easy access. Unfortunately, it was another overcast morning, which I am still learning how to cope with, so the photos do appear to be a bit subdued. With that said, it was a wonderful start to another day of holidays, I hope you enjoy the photographs.