Dead tree at the end of the Nursery Swamp Track
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 125, 35mm, f/20 and 1/50 SEC])

Hiking the Nursery Swamp Track - Namadgi National Park, ACT, September 2024

BirdsinCanberra September 28, 2024

In early September 2024 I walked the Nursery Swamp Track in Namadgi National Park. On the day, I was the only person along the trail. Not surprising, on a day that started with rain along a trail leading to a swamp. However, it was a fantastic hike and I would thoroughly recommend it, especially to pause at the end and enjoy a valley with nobody else around, and no indication of Canberra’s proximity. The swamp was more of a soaked grassland but with plenty of firm, dry land to allow for a rest or a picnic at the turnaround spot. One interesting site I found at the open area marking the end of the trail was a character-filled dead tree. The remains of the trunk, pictured above, was now part of a termite mound. Along the trail, there had been plenty of wildlife and the tranquility of the walk was lovely, with birdsongs and frog calls for a soundtrack. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

Brayshaw’s Homestead looking north to the grey clouds
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 200, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/1000 SEC]

Wildlife along a wet Settlers Track - Namadgi National Park, ACT, January 2022

BirdsinCanberra March 6, 2022

Walking along trails of green grass under grey clouds that occasionally drizzled rain while at other times opened to reveal glorious blue skies helped refresh my son and I. The fresh wind moistened by humidity and light precipitation was never too strong, just enough to keep us cooled while we walked along the Settlers Track in Namadgi National Park. The birdlife was around but hard to see, but there was other wildlife and natural subjects to photograph. The two well-preserved former settler’s homes seemed out of place among this natural beauty, but the lack of activity around them emphasised that they were from a time past. While we enjoyed admiring the natural surrounds of these abodes their isolation reflected a different time, and it was nice to know that we would be hopping into a car and driving back to our home with its modern connectivity to the world. Still it was invigorating to feel the surrounding world of trees, creeks and animals for a few hours. I hope that you enjoy the pictures below.

Australian pelican flying in to enjoy fish scraps from amateur fisherman at Tuross Head boat ramp
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 200mm, f/10 and 1/800 SEC])

Australian Pelicans, waders and beautiful wildlife at a river mouth - Tuross Head, NSW, January 2022

BirdsinCanberra January 30, 2022

Overcast skies hung threateningly overhead on the day in January 2022 when I went to Tuross Head. Rain was threatening most of the time and a strong wind blew up later in the paddle. However, none of that mattered because it was just such a wonderful time paddling around the shallow waters there with the beautiful birdlife and other animals. A kayak was the ideal means to see the region because I could paddle up shallow creeks and easily move between sand bars. The wildlife was captivating, from the Eastern Curlew that I saw even before I put my kayak in the water to the Semaphore Crabs that blanketed the mudflats up the Tuross River. And once I saw the Australian Pelicans I was in my element. I had a great time photographing those big water birds that can look so clumsy walking but are masters of using the wind to manoeuvre in the air. Later, after the kayak, I was in a suitably elevated position to photograph some of those magnificent, large water birds as they came in low to land on the estuary surface around the boat ramp. I had a marvellous morning despite the overcast conditions and I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Red Fingered Marsh Crab on the bent trunk of a Grey Mangrove
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Admiring the beauty of a mangrove ecosystem - Currambene Creek NSW, January 2022

BirdsinCanberra January 18, 2022

Mangrove habitats are such fascinating ecosystems because they straddle the worlds of land and water because of tidal movements. I was fortunate in January 2022 to have time to head down to the ever beautiful Jervis Bay where I ignored the stunning white beaches because I was heading for the wonderful Currambene Creek to explore a mangrove habitat. Although the beaches of Jervis Bat are deservedly famous for their beauty I was captivated by being among the mangrove trees. I was captivated by the life in the habitat, especially the crabs. The Red Fingered Marsh Crab has such striking colours with its lime green carapace contrasting with its red claws. I was fascinated to see these crabs moving on the exposed trunks of the mangrove trees. Even more fascinating, was when I approached the trees, the crabs did not head into the water but they shot up the trees to holes and crevices higher up in the trunks, well above the hide tide mark. While it was not significant behaviour it still brought home to me how this habitat provided for different creatures in a variety of ways and how much I enjoyed drifting between the crooked trunks of those amazing trees. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Very happy with this head shot of a female Eastern Grey Kangaroo that almost hopped into me
(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])

Happy with a kangaroo head portrait and different angles of birds - Aranda Bushland Nature Reserve, October 2021

BirdsinCanberra November 30, 2021

Sometimes there is an unexpected moment with a wild animal that makes for a special encounter, even with a very common animal. I was fortunate to have such a moment with a female Eastern Grey Kangaroo at Aranda Bushland Nature Reserve one Sunday in October 2021. I was walking through some light scrub heading towards a dam when a kangaroo bounded along from the opposite direction. I stopped when I noticed the movement but the kangaroo was still moving, abruptly halting her progress just five metres from me. She stood up on her hind legs, taken aback a little by this human unexpectedly in front of her. She stared at me, possibly considering what I was doing. While she was looking at me I raised my camera carefully to take some photos. I was too close for my lens to get her whole body so I focused on her head. The sun was almost directly behind my shoulder, nicely lighting her eyes. After a few seconds of this meeting she shifted weight, jumping off around me into the scrub that I had just come from. I really enjoyed the brief encounter during a visit when it was a challenge to find many animals. Despite the difficulty in finding animals it was nice to be out 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.

Gang-gang cockatoo male eating some wattle blossoms(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC] with internal flash) — Gang-gang cockatoo male eating some wattle blossoms
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC] with internal flash)

Gang-gang Cockatoos at hollows and a male Satin Bowerbird - Red Hill Nature Reserve, September 2021

BirdsinCanberra September 18, 2021

Canberra’s COVID-related lockdown continued but we were now allowed to exercise for two hours a day but just in the local area. Fortunately, I live a few minutes walk from the wonderful Red Hill Nature Reserve, a lovely escape among the suburban housing. Because of the lockdown the neighbouring Federal Golf Club was closed meaning its greens were empty of people and perfect for some photography. In fact, the whole of the reserve seemed to be free of people, making it a truly lovely experience. I figured that I would go for a walk that Sunday morning with my camera because I sensed that part of the reason for the exercise extension from only one hour a day to two hours was to help the mental health of Canberrans. So, I felt that walking with my camera would also help relieve the lockdown blues, which it certainly did that lovely morning with Gang-gang cockatoos, a male Satin Bowerbird and some lovely Laughing Kookaburras acting as photographic subjects. I hope that you enjoy 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

BirdsinCanberra 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.

Male Superb Fairy-wren, still displaying his breeding season blue plumage, on a frost-covered plant(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]) — Male Superb Fairy-wren, still displaying his breeding season blue plumage, on a frost-covered plant
(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])

Frosty morning with small birds at Callum Brae Nature Reserve - May 2021

BirdsinCanberra May 24, 2021

The Sunday dawned with the forecasted sub-zero temperature accompanied by a heavy frost. I had been thinking about the forecast the whole week, watching It firm as a morning below freezing while the weekend approached. I was wondering how I could use the conditions to my advantage to take some winter-like photographs. Eventually I decided that I would head to Callum Brae Nature Reserve again so that I could walk through the narrow connecting corridor to Jerrabomberra West Nature Reserve with its open, grassy fields. I was hoping that the grassland would provide some opportunities for frosty morning photography. During my trip I was happy that along the way I saw some beautiful little birds, including a Striated Pardalote that was in a nicely lit part of a tree. I hope that you enjoy 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

BirdsinCanberra 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.

Corang Arch with the sun setting behind it(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 320, 16mm, f/13 and 1/100 SEC]) — Corang Arch with the sun setting behind it
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 320, 16mm, f/13 and 1/100 SEC])

Stunned by the natural beauty around Corang Arch, The Budawangs - April 2021

BirdsinCanberra May 1, 2021

In the end, the sun was setting faster than we realised so we had to walk quickly with our large packs to get to the iconic Corang Arch while we still had enough light for photography. On arrival we could see that the golden rays of the late afternoon sun were already striking the harsh cliff face that was composed of rocks formed when water bathed them in ancient waters. Despite that final rush we were thrilled to get to this intriguing arch, to admire it with the sunset and see the escarpment as the day’s light sunk in the distance. This was why we had been hiking for about four hours and it was worth it. Corang Arch is a natural rock arch in the Budawang National Park, colloquially shortened to just the Budawangs. In April 2021 Bigfigtree and myself decided that we wanted to photograph this beautiful arch. Neither of us had been hiking for a while but this goal made us want to try. We were so glad that we did because the experience left us both feeling enriched, with some great photography to be had and some interesting animals. For me, beyond the impressive landscape, I finally took a photograph of my first snake. I hope that you like the photographs below.

Acacia Tree Hopper climbing up a wattle stalk(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 1000, 100mm, f/10 and 1/200 SEC]) — Acacia Tree Hopper climbing up a wattle stalk
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 1000, 100mm, f/10 and 1/200 SEC])

Animals beside a dirt road between destinations in March 2021

BirdsinCanberra April 20, 2021

I think we all know what it is like when a plan does not turn out as expected. That happened to me on a weekend in March 2021 but I had a whole new experience so I was not that upset. I found myself photographing beside Mount Franklin Road when I should have been following it to my planned destination. Canberra had experienced some heavy rain the weekend before so I checked the ACT service page to see if there was any news on the status of Mount Franklin Road, was it open or closed. Unfortunately, there was no information so I had to take my chances. That Sunday, 28 March, I drove towards my objective to the south-west of Canberra, ever hopeful that the dry weather over most of the week would mean that the roads were safe and open. The first, and clearest, indication that was not the case was when I turned onto Brindabella Road where a sign post gave the status of the surrounding dirt roads and Mount Franklin Road was closed. Being incredibly optimistic, and having already traveled half-way to the destination, I pushed on, only to find that the Mount Franklin Road was indeed closed, with a locked steel gate across it to emphasise that point. However, there was still bush around and the closed road meant that I could walk along its dirt surface without fear of being run-over by a car, so I grabbed my camera bag to go for a hike in order to see what subjects there were. I ended up having a fantastic morning, mainly with macro subjects. At times I found myself lying in dewy grass, my head buried in a shrub trying to get the right angle for a shot and thoroughly enjoying the experience. I also had a chance to use my drone to shoot some pictures of the Murrumbidgee River in flood. I hope that you like the pictures below.

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.

Silvereye on a blackberry bush in the morning sun(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC]) — Silvereye on a blackberry bush in the morning sun
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])

Big spiders and small birds made the Cotter Reserve interesting in February 2021

BirdsinCanberra February 27, 2021

The Australian Capital Territory’s (ACT) rather elongated shape is because when it was seperated from New South Wales (NSW) the new Federal Government decided that the soon to be created national capital, Canberra, needed to have its own guaranteed water supply. In this part of Australia the water generally flows from the Australian Alps, south of Canberra, so the ACT was given access to rivers that would supply it with fresh water. One of these rivers was the Cotter River, which was damned soon after the founding of Canberra to create the Cotter Dam. To help preserve the quality of water there is no urban development around lake, just the regenerated natural environment created by what is known unofficially as the Cotter Reserve.

Nankeen Kestrel against an overcast sky(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/320 SEC]) — Nankeen Kestrel against an overcast sky
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/320 SEC])

Overcast photography around Kambah Pool in January 2021

BirdsinCanberra February 14, 2021

I read about a trail that crossed McQuoid Creek near Kambah Pool that I thought looked interesting. I did not want to do the full trail but I wanted to concentrate on the area around the creek itself. The trail was easy enough to access, it was opposite the small carpark located outside of the Kambah Pool entrance. While I was prepared to get my feet wet crossing the creek, because I had already read about that possibility, I was not prepared for the waist-high grass that I encountered. The rain over spring and summer had caused a lot of growth in this area meaning that the trails were no longer too distinct. I started following a trail made by a vehicle and missed the connecting trail. I only realised I had missed the trail when I encountered the Pine Island to Kambah Pool trail, which was a well-made and maintained trail. The area that I was in was very small and I never went too far from where I could still hear the odd car driving to Kambah Pool so I was in no risk of getting truly lost but I knew that my original plan was not going to work. The weather was also challenging because it was very overcast which not much light reaching the subjects that I was looking at. Fortunately, on both days that I visited the weather cleared up a bit towards the end of my time there so I had some better lighting. I was happy to see a Nankeen Kestrel on my first visit as well as Dollarbirds; those sightings prompted me to return the next weekend in anticipation of what I might see. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below of what I did see.

Rainbow Bee-eater in a tree on an overcast morning at Gigerline Nature Reserve(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC]) — Rainbow Bee-eater in a tree on an overcast morning at Gigerline Nature Reserve
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Nankeen Kestrel, Rainbow Bee-eater and some wonderful insects - Photographing at Gigerline Nature Reserve in November 2020

BirdsinCanberra January 19, 2021

Gigerline Nature Reserve sits astride the Murrumbidgee River just south of Tharwa. I had visited part of the reserve before when I went to Tharwa Sandwash but I had not really visited the rest of the reserve. After heading there once, I ended up visiting it twice because I wanted to see more. My first visit was with the plan to walk along the Gudgenby River as far as I could, thinking that the water level would not be too high. I was wrong, the water level was right up and I could barely get to the remaining banks of the river from the surrounding countryside. As part of that trip I walked up to the top of the ridge of the peninsula that separates the Gudgenby and Murrumbidgee Rivers before they join. I am glad that I did because I came across the path that followed the ridgeline down to the tip of the peninsula. I did not have time to explore that path on my first visit so I knew that I would be back. I ended up having two great visits and saw my first wild Rainbow Bee-eaters, truly a beautiful bird. The second visit was a bit of a macro paradise, with so many subjects to photograph. I hope you like the photographs below.

Gang-gang Cockatoo female chewing on a tree(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC]) — Gang-gang Cockatoo female chewing on a tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Gang-gang Cockatoos, other parrots and some cute jumping spiders - Photographing around Red Hill Nature Reserve and Hughes in Mid-October 2020

BirdsinCanberra October 26, 2020

It had been a while since I had visited Red Hill Nature Reserve, despite it being almost right on our doorstep. I had been distracted because normally on Sundays I headed to a number of other locations around Canberra but I felt I had ignored this local jewel for too long. The inspiration for my return was actually a bunch of weeds. I had been driving on a road that runs along the north side of Red Hill when I notices large patches of purple on the hill. I suspected that they were probably weeds but I thought that they may make a nice subject for a photograph. I am glad that a few days later I did go out photographing because I had a wonderful encounter with some Gang-gang Cockatoos that I followed up the next day. While I did not travel far that weekend I had fun, including watching some of the jumping spiders I found around our house. I ended up doing more photography than I planned but I am glad that I did. I hope that you like the photos below.

Silvereye on Silver Wattle looking for its next place to feed(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 360mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC]) — Silvereye on Silver Wattle looking for its next place to feed
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 360mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])

Honeyeaters, Rufous Whistler and a multitude of small birds - Photographing at Paddys River on Sundays, 6 and 13 September 2020

BirdsinCanberra September 25, 2020

While I have visited where Paddys River meets the Cotter River, I have only ever driven across the bridge over Paddys River further upstream on my way to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve but never given a thought to stopping there. So I decided it was time to stop at that bridge to explore that area underneath it to see what animals there were. In the end, I visited the area over two successive weekends because I found so much of interest. I was focussed more on the birds but there was other life around, all of which will make me include this location on my regular visit list. It was so tranquil yet so full of life with different species of honeyeaters, and so many small birds whirling around me. Plus there was the reassuring gurgle of Paddys River flowing past me on both visits.

Yellow-rumped Thornbill looking for food in the grass(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC]) — Yellow-rumped Thornbill looking for food in the grass
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])

Yellow-rumped Thornbills, Scarlet Robin and Red-necked Wallaby joey - Photographing at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve on Sunday, 30 August 2020

BirdsinCanberra September 10, 2020

Sunday, 30 August was just such a beautiful morning it would have been a waste to stay home, sleeping in. Instead, I headed out early for Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve to the south of Canberra. Unfortunately, I was too keen, the gates were still closed when I arrived, which was a little unusual because in the past I have driven straight in, even before 7 AM. This day, may be it was a new rule to actually abide by the opening hours, the reserve did not open until its scheduled time of 7:30. While it was frustrating that I could not drive straight in, I spent the time wandering around just outside the entrance photographing things.

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.