The morning sun highlighting the blue of a Purple Swamphen
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 227mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Chasing the light on Lake Burley Griffin - Lake Burley Griffin, March-April 2022

BirdsinCanberra May 3, 2022

Being a completely amateur photographer I find that my photography is confined to weekends so I am often reliant on the weather being nice on those days. Unfortunately, it seemed that in Canberra the first half of 2022 had many weekends with inclement weather meaning that the light was not great. I still took my camera with me when I kayaking but it was discouraging when the light just did not seem to be there. However, it did give me a chance to play around with some moody light conditions. Fortunately, there were also days when the sun was out providing lovely light, such as the morning I came across the Purple Swamphen above. These are very common birds around Lake Burley Griffin, especially close to reeds where they roost of a night. It is easier to ignore them after a while because they are so common but when the light hits them and the blue of their feathers shine, they become a glorious sight to see. Over two months in 2022 I saw the lake in different light conditions and I wanted to share the result. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.

Black Swan eating in the early morning, reflected in the lake
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Overcast summer mornings on the lake - Lake Burley Griffin, ACT, January 2022

BirdsinCanberra March 10, 2022

At the start of 2022 the weather in Canberra was anything but summer-like. I even stopped taking my camera with me when I was paddling on Lake Burley Griffin because the light was always bad and the weather meant the lake was never calm. That said, I often regretted not having taken my camera because I would then see a subject I thought would make a lovely photograph. In the end, I was glad that I took my camera with me more often than not because even on the bad mornings I felt I found things that were special, like a pair of Black Swans feeding near the shore where the water reflected their curving necks. It would have been magical if the water was still but it was still a special moment to watch these lovely birds so close to shore. I enjoyed the moment and I hope that you enjoy 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.

Two Purple Swamphen chicks about to enter Sullivans Creek(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 200mm, f/10 and 1/640 SEC]) — Two Purple Swamphen chicks about to enter Sullivans Creek
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 200mm, f/10 and 1/640 SEC])

Purple Swamphen chicks, parrots and other great wildlife enjoying the green from the rain - photographing around Canberra in January to March 2020

BirdsinCanberra April 4, 2020

The start of the year felt very busy, I was out and around Canberra but I did not seem to have much time. I was out photographing but I could not find the time to process and organise the photographs I had taken so I ended up with a lot of photos and no blog posts. Although I do not like composing long posts that cover several photographic trips I thought that would be the best way to allow me to publish the photographs below. There are a mix of photographic styles and subjects from various parts of Canberra with a number of different subjects. Some of these were captured while I was out specifically looking for photographic subjects, others were shot while I was out doing other things but had taken my camera with me. There are a number of birds and other animals below. I really enjoyed photographing the Purple Swanphens, even if they are common birds. I was also happy to photograph the Australian King-parrots that visited my garden because they are truly beautiful birds.

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 Red-browed Finch with nesting material

Photographing at Jerrabomberra Wetlands on Thursday, 27 December 2018 - A beautiful Red-browed Finch and a cheeky juvenile Grey Fantail

BirdsinCanberra December 31, 2018

After spending far longer at the Woolshed Creek Fossil Site than planned I did not have much time to spend at Jerrabomberra Wetlands as I originally conceived. I had to get home but I knew even if I only had 30 minutes Jerrabomberra Wetlands is a place where you will see something even in that time. I love the wetlands, Canberra is so lucky to have such a special place so accessible. I was not disappointed. I saw my very first Red-browed Finch, which I think was making a nest and also a cheeky Grey Fantail who wanted to do the loop-the-loops around my head. Yes, not really wetland birds but that is the joy of Jerrabomberra Wetlands, it is more than just the wetlands. I hope you enjoy the photographs.

A male Red-rumped Parrot near its nesting location

Photographing at Jerrabomberra Wetlands on Sunday, 21 October 2018 - A darter and nesting Red-rumped Parrots

BirdsinCanberra November 2, 2018

I always enjoy a trip to Jerrabomberra Wetlands because the birdlife is so rich in an area with easy access and great watching locations. The wetlands are always worth a visit, with different locations giving a different view of the life to be found. This time I decided to park on Dairy Road so I could enter from the south-east side of the reserve. I am glad I took that route as almost immediately I saw a pair of Black Swans with a group of cygnets. With spring upon Canberra there are more baby birds as well as more nesting birds. A number of migratory birds have also returned. Canberra is really coming alive with birds so it is a great time to have a walk around different parts of Canberra observing the birdlife.

Three Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos flying over my location at the lake

Photographing at Lake Burley Griffin on Sunday, 9 September 2018

BirdsinCanberra September 9, 2018

I arrived at the edge of Lake Burley Griffin a little later than planned this morning. My intent was to try to photograph some cormorants and, perhaps, a darter I often see at the lake's shore on my bike rides to work. Unfortunately, they were not around this morning, maybe because there were already fisherman at the spot or maybe they were just not there this morning. I decided not to waste my time at that spot so I moved a bit further around the lake. I am glad I did shift along as I found far more birdlife. Unfortunately, it was a challenging morning for photographing as the sun was often blocked by clouds. That further reduced the light getting to the area I was at, which was already having trouble with the light because of the tress. Despite that, I enjoyed being at the lake's edge. There were rowing boats out on the lake and cyclists regularly passing on the bike paths. The birds were out and I only wished the sun had been out as well. I hope you like the photographs.

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 :-)

A walk around Jerrabomberra Wetlands

BirdsinCanberra July 15, 2018

Canberra is a wonderful place to look at birds. The bush capital really does live up to its name. This is my second time living in Canberra with 20 years separating those two periods. I think the city thrives on the idea that the bush is never far away with the several bodies of water helping to sustain the city's wildlife. While Lake Burley Griffinis an artificial lake created by damming the Molonglo Riverin the 1960s it is rich in birdlife. The ACT government has also preserved an area of wetlands where people can wonder through on established paths to minimise their impact. For bird enthusiasts there are permanent hides at various locations. Even better, the wetlands never close so you can always access them, meaning an early morning photo trip on a chilly Autumn day is a real possibility. This post is to show case some of the photos I took recently on that trip. I hope you enjoy the photos.