A close-up of a Tasmanicosa Wolf Spider just out of its hiding hole(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 250, 55mm, f/6.3 and 1/200 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite) — A close-up of a Tasmanicosa Wolf Spider just out of its hiding hole
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 250, 55mm, f/6.3 and 1/200 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)

Some eyes-glowing Wolf Spiders and a Marbled Gecko - Night-time photography at Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 20 April 2019

Jon Steinbeck April 24, 2019

Eight eyes reflected back at the camera, hairy chelicerae hiding fangs underneath, eight legs ready to move the creature at speed; I love photographing spiders. I recently bought a Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite as I wanted a dedicated macro flash unit. The Canon equivalent is about three times the price of the Yongnuo so I went for the cheaper, budget friendly option. I was worried about the quality of the unit before I bought it but I am so impressed with the function. I am now more determined to buy a better macro lens to replace my kit lens Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM so I can take my macrophotography to the next level. I took some test shots with the macro light at home to understand how it works. I mainly kept it on TTL (through the lens). I also loved the two small LED lights on the front of the ring to help focus at night. After those shots around the garden I was ready to head to Red Hill Nature Reserve for some more night-time shooting. I went to a slightly different location than last time to see what I could find. I again thoroughly enjoyed myself and I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

A female Australasian Darter drying herself at Lake Tuggeranong(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 55mm, f/5.6 and 1/800 SEC]) — A female Australasian Darter drying herself at Lake Tuggeranong
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM [ISO 400, 55mm, f/5.6 and 1/800 SEC])

A female Australasian Darter drying herself and a intrepid juvenile Australian Magpie - Riding and photographing on the Canberra Centenary Trail, Friday, 19 April 2019

Jon Steinbeck April 20, 2019

One of my other favourite pastimes is cross-country mountain biking. Knowing Canberra would be very quiet on the morning of Good Friday, I decided that time was a great opportunity to do the southern loop of the Canberra Centenary Trail. I was planning a ride of 50 km, although it end up being over 60 km. I wanted to take my camera in case I saw some things to photograph but I was reluctant to take my Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM, since it would be in my back pack being carried over some bumpy trails. So, I settled on my Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM, which is over 10 years old and was a kit lens I bought with my first Canon DSLR. I would have to accept a reduction in quality for not risking my good lens. It was a wonderful ride and I am glad I had a camera as there were things to photograph. The lens was not great but it did an OK job. I was probably more focussed on photographing landscapes but I was also looking out for birds and other wildlife. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

A female Superb Lyrebird scratching in search of its food(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 153mm, f/5.0 and 1/250 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash) — A female Superb Lyrebird scratching in search of its food
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 153mm, f/5.0 and 1/250 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)

A female Superb Lyrebird in the wild and some placid ducks - Photographing at Jenolan Caves on Sunday, 14 April 2019

Jon Steinbeck April 19, 2019

I had not been to Jenolan Caves for about 20 years, so I was really looking forward to this visit after our time in Sydney. It is always risky to build up too much anticipation about an activity, in case there is no way reality can match those expectations. I did not have that deflated anticipation with Jenolan Caves, it more than exceeded what I was hoping it would be. This was just a trip for my son and I, with my wife deciding she would rest better at home. We stayed overnight at the caves itself, so I could photograph on Sunday morning. I had not really thought about where I would go for photographing but upon arrival, when I saw a river walk track I thought that sounded interesting. I was able to take some landscape shots but I was most excited about seeing a lyrebird in the wild. These are birds I have only seen in zoos yet are so significant in bird evolution as well as being a bird readily identifiable with Australia. It was just such a magical morning. I was on a high already even before joining the River Cave tour we were on; again, I was not disappointed. (Sorry, no photos from inside the cave as I felt my skills were not up to doing the caves justice.) I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

A curious Australian Pelican that swam past me, probably hoping for a feed(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/400 SEC]) — A curious Australian Pelican that swam past me, probably hoping for a feed
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/400 SEC])

An inquisitive Pelican as well as a feeding White-faced Heron on an interesting rocky shore - Photography at Nielsen Park Reserve on Saturday, 13 April 2019

Jon Steinbeck April 18, 2019

The Australian Pelican is a beautiful bird, with one of the largest bills in the world. They are reasonably common in Sydney Harbour but I was not expecting one to swim past me while I was spending an early Saturday morning photographing at Nielsen Park. I had gone with the intent to photograph Bottle and Glass Rocks, with the subsequent plan to see what other subjects were on the rocks. I had just found my location for my composition of the rocks when a pelican landed on the water. It completed distracted me from my landscape shots but it was so worth it. Indeed, the whole morning was just one enjoyable opportunity after another. Whether I was photographing a bird or seeing a shot in a cluster of Little Blue Periwinkles it was just a beautiful way to welcome Saturday. I hope you like the shots below.

A male Scarlet Robin among a group of small birds looking for food(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/500 SEC]) — A male Scarlet Robin among a group of small birds looking for food
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/500 SEC])

Bewitched by beautiful Scarlet Robins and watching a group of Red-browed Finches look for food - Photographing at the Pinnacle Nature Reserve on Sunday, 7 April 2019

Jon Steinbeck April 17, 2019

Seeing lovely, red breast plumage on a small bird always gets me excited as it will probably be a robin. That Sunday morning I went to the Pinnacle Nature Reserve because I had seen so many lovely photographs taken at this location uploaded to Canberra Nature Map, I just had to go to see for myself. Very soon after arriving I was again attracted by some Gray Fantails, which were a prelude to another group of small birds, including the Scarlet Robin at the top of the post. I then kept seeing these robins for the rest of the morning. Getting to the reserve had not been hard, just a 20 minute drive from my house and I was seeing some lovely birds in a lightly wooded setting. The area was better than I imagined and there was still so much more to see. I hope you enjoy the photographs below from another magical morning.

Looking into the eyes of a immature male Eastern Grey Kangaroo(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/320 SEC]) — Looking into the eyes of a immature male Eastern Grey Kangaroo
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/320 SEC])

When the wings of small birds sound like rain and some lovely shots of spiders at night - Photographing around Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 6 April 2019

Jon Steinbeck April 15, 2019

The title of this post probably requires an explanation but it truly reflects the sounds I heard on that Saturday morning at Red Hill Nature Reserve. I was standing in a small, rocky clearing under a cloudy sky when I noticed some Grey Fantails. They were joined by other small birds in the young gum trees that formed the edges of this open area. The birds were all constantly moving through the foliage in search of food. The quantity of flapping wings on leave started to sound like large rain drops hitting the leaves. The noise was so convincing I looked up several times to see if it was raining. The sight was fantastic, all these little birds darting backwards and forwards in the tree. I found it hard to take any photographs as I would try to focus on a bird but it would fly-off, I would then turn to another bird to repeat the same frustrating process. After a while I stopped photographing, instead, enjoying the moment with all these little birds flying about me. This wonderful experience reminded me how lucky I am to live near Red Hill. I hope you enjoy the photographs.

A male White-throated Treecreeper looking for food(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/640 SEC]) — A male White-throated Treecreeper looking for food
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/640 SEC])

A White-throated Treecreeper looking for food and some interesting insects - Photographing at Casuarina Sands Reserve on Sunday, 31 March 2019

Jon Steinbeck April 3, 2019

I decided to return to Casuarina Sands Reserve on this Sunday as I was trying to practice long exposure landscape photography. I thought the small rapids on the Murrumbidgee River at this spot would be the ideal location to use to practice a technique that can produce stunning results. I will be completely honest, I am not there yet but I enjoyed being by the river. I was enjoying being by the river photographing the environ but then I suddenly realised I had not had a chance to photograph any birds or other wildlife. I was fortunate to come across some insects that made interesting subjects while I was still looking for birds. Walking hurriedly back to the car because, as usual, I had been too involved with my photography; I was running late to get the car home for my wife. Again, as usual, I saw some birds that I just had to photograph, including the lovely White-throated Treecreeper, who lived up to his name of creeping up a tree. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

A White-browed Scrubwren peering out from cut vegetation, darker than it was in reality(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/250 SEC] with flash) — A White-browed Scrubwren peering out from cut vegetation, darker than it was in reality
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/6.3 and 1/250 SEC] with flash)

A group of White-browed Scrubwrens on a wet morning - Photographing at Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 30 March 2019

Jon Steinbeck April 1, 2019

Scrubwrens are common birds in Canberra but they are a challenge to photograph as they move fast, prefer hunting for food in the undergrowth and they always seem to be in areas of bad light. All of these criteria were met this Saturday on Red Hill Nature Reserve. The forecast was for cloudy conditions with a high chance of rain. The forecast was the same as the previous weekend, so I decided the preceding Saturday to stay inside rather than go outside to get wet. I did not want to waste a second Saturday inside so I took a chance to go for a walk when it looked like there was a break in the weather. The rain held-off for an hour but I was soaked in a brief shower about half way through my walk. I was more worried about my camera gear than me, as well as being disappointed, as I had been hoping to try a long exposure for the first time. Fortunately, the rain stopped again so I pulled the camera out of my pack where I had placed it for protection from the wet. I was able to try a long exposure at a small run-off steam below one of the major water tanks on Red Hill. It was not exactly a gushing torrent but it gave me the chance to try out the techniques of a long exposure and I was reasonably pleased with the results. Despite the rain, I had a lovely walk on Red Hill and I hope you like the photographs below.

A study of the head of an Australian Magpie feeding near the summit of Red Hill(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/12500 SEC]) — A study of the head of an Australian Magpie feeding near the summit of Red Hill
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/12500 SEC])

A soaring Wedge-tailed Eagle and taking close-ups of an Australian Magpie - photographing around Red Hill Nature Reserve on Saturday, 16 March 2019

Jon Steinbeck March 18, 2019

This morning turned into one of those great photographic days. When I started out, I was really not confident about the day as it was overcast with birds being hard to find. As the sun burnt off the cloud, I brightened up as it was a beautiful day with some common birds, magpies and Fairy-wens, providing great photographic subjects. Towards the end of my walk I saw a dragonfly flying in one spot of an open area. With the sky now a lovely blue giving me a burst of energy I decided to challenge myself to shoot a photograph of this moving insect in flight. While persevering with that challenge I became aware of three specks much higher in the sky, When I zoomed in, I saw a Wedge-tailed Eagle with two Australian Ravens. Even though I was already late getting home I had to photograph those birds soaring high in the sky, as well as complete my challenge to myself with the dragonfly. The results are below. The birds were very high so my lens was struggling. While the dragonfly photo has some room for improvement, I was happy with the result I was able to achieve. The whole walk was just another wonderful morning on Red Hill Nature Reserve and I hope you enjoy the photographs below because I had a great time taking them.

Not how I usually see Sulphur-crested Cockatoos launch into flight(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/2500 SEC]) — Not how I usually see Sulphur-crested Cockatoos launch into flight
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/2500 SEC])

A Sulphur-crested Cockatoo showing-off and intriguing life around a pond - Photographing around Mount Mugga Mugga Nature Reserve on Monday, 11 March 2019

Jon Steinbeck March 15, 2019

Mount Mugga Mugga has been hollowed out by a quarry that is now disused. This silent scar probably provided many of the rocks used to build Canberra, now it sits as an empty reminder of how the countryside has been changed by the creation of Canberra. The surrounding forested area is now the Mount Mugga Mugga Nature Reserve. There was not much birdlife in easy view, with most of my photos showing the life around a pond built to help control rain run-off. I was surprised this pond did not have much birdlife in or around it, as it seemed to have a better ecosystem than the pond I photographed on 23 and 24 February; which had an amazing amount of birdlife in an area smaller than Mount Mugga Mugga’s pond. Maybe the closer proximity of houses and the road have kept birds away form this body of water. While I was disappointed by the lack of birds higher up I had a marvellous time beside the pond photographing a variety of life. I have not been put-off, indeed I have already started thinking about when I will go back next time. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

The gorgeous Great Cormorants in the morning sun, juvenile above and adult below at Pine Island Reserve(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/10 and 1/800 SEC]) — The gorgeous Great Cormorants in the morning sun, juvenile above and adult below at Pine Island Reserve
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/10 and 1/800 SEC])

Stately adult and juvenile Great Cormorant and a Dusky Woodswallow family in the same tree - Photographing at Pine Island Reserve on Sunday, 10 March 2019

Jon Steinbeck March 13, 2019

It is always hard visiting a location the first time, as I am not sure where the best spots will be for finding animals. That was how I felt at Pine Island Reserve until I saw the Great Cormorants pictured above. Once I saw the first bird I knew I was going to thoroughly enjoy the morning. I had been thinking of visiting this reserve for a while and Sunday presented a great opportunity. It was not far from the south of Canberra yet felt like a secluded place to enjoy the Murrumbidgee River. I lost track of time so I was late home, rushing past a great photograph opportunity of an orb weaver spider. I will definitely return to this location as it was such a lovely experience. I hope you enjoy the photos below as I really had a wonderful morning.

Two Striated Pardalotes high in a tree, with possible juvenile on the left and adult on the right(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/1000 SEC]) — Two Striated Pardalotes high in a tree, with possible juvenile on the left and adult on the right
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/1000 SEC])

Photographing around Callum Brae Nature Reserve on Sunday, 3 March 2019 - A large group of Crested Pigeons and finding elusive Striated Pardalotes

Jon Steinbeck March 7, 2019

On Sunday, 3 March 2019, I headed to the always interesting, and generally quiet, Callum Brae Nature Reserve, just a short drive from my home. I always enjoy this nature reserve. I started by walking along the path that leads south-west from the entrance gate. I had not taken that path for a while so I was interested to see what life was around. All the vegetation was still dry, with the ponds I saw still very low. There were still a number of birds and animals around, including the most Crested Pigeons I have seen in one location and a group of three to four foxes. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

A probable female Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo with a group of four others(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/500 SEC]) — A probable female Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo with a group of four others
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/500 SEC])

Photographing around Red Hill on Saturday, 2 March 2019 - A group of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos and a fox that posed

Jon Steinbeck March 5, 2019

I was able to get out for my usual walk around Red Hill Nature Reserve on the morning of Saturday, 2 March 2019. After my days of looking at the Superb Parrots and water birds I decided to see what I could find by heading to a different part of Red Hill. The hill was very dry, with the vegetation showing how a good soak of rain is really needed. Because of the lack of water there did not appear to be much birdlife around. The large Sulphur-crested Cockatoos were dominating the Federal Golf Club with its sprinkler system. However, I was so excited to see the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos on Red Hill as they are not regular visitors to the hill. It was another lovely Saturday morning on Red Hill, I hope you enjoy looking at the photos below as much as I enjoyed taking them.

A Sulphur-crested Cockatoo chewing at some wood, with particles falling from its mouth(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/1250 SEC]) — A Sulphur-crested Cockatoo chewing at some wood, with particles falling from its mouth
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/1250 SEC])

Photographing around Red Hill Nature Reserve on Sunday, 17 February 2019 - Cockatoos and Galahs plus a well posed kangaroo

Jon Steinbeck February 27, 2019

I was out on Sunday morning for a walk around Red Hill Nature Reserve. There was some low cloud that eventually dissipated leaving a lovely blue sky. Unfortunately, I made a rookie mistake in that I did not adjust down my ISO after trying to take some photographs in low light meaning my later shots were looking over-exposed, loosing some detail. In addition, because It was a beautiful morning there were a lot of people out enjoying the sunshine making it harder to find a quiet place where the creatures had not been disturbed. Even with that complaint, I would not have missed being out and about, I always enjoy my time on Red Hill. I hope you enjoy the pictures below.

An adult Australasian Grebe feeding a chick(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 371mm, f/5.6 and 1/640 SEC]) — An adult Australasian Grebe feeding a chick
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 371mm, f/5.6 and 1/640 SEC])

Photographing around Hughes and Garran, ACT on Saturday, 23 February 2019 - looking at waterbirds with chicks as well as gorgeous Superb Parrots

Jon Steinbeck February 27, 2019

Getting out for a walk around Hughes and Garran this Saturday was just one of those mornings that made you glad to be alive. I saw so many birds, beautiful Superb Parrots as well as so many water birds with their young. I also saw two young male kangaroos playing at fighting, allowing me to obtain that iconic kangaroo photo. It was just such a wonderful morning I did not want it to end. I enjoyed it so much, I went and did it all again on Sunday. I was going to do both days as one big blog post but I realised I had more than enough material for two blog posts. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

Photographing a spider that was in our house on Thursday, 21 February 2019 - An errant Badge Huntsman Spider spent a day in our house

Jon Steinbeck February 23, 2019

As I was getting ready to go to work one day I noticed a Badge Huntsman Spider (Neosparassus sp.) on the main hall ceiling. It was sitting there still. Even when the lights came on it did not budge. My wife is absolutely scared of spiders. I figured I could spray it with insect spray but that would kill the spider, which I did not want to do as these eat the insects my wife hates like cockroaches. I was rushing to leave so I did not have time to catch it then release it. I was also annoyed I would not have an opportunity to photograph it, as I have hardly seen any spiders. Thus, I concluded, the best course of action was to leave it put. My wife and son are not morning people so I figured there was not much chance of them noticing it before my son went to school. I hoped by that time the spider would have crawled off to a day time hollow to conceal itself and my wife would be none the wiser.

A Laughing Kookaburra patrolling the property(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/500 SEC]) — A Laughing Kookaburra patrolling the property
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/500 SEC])

Photographing at Centennial Vineyards, Bowral, NSW on Saturday, 16 February 2019 - Lovely views, a Laughing Kookaburra and a juvenile Crimson Rosella

Jon Steinbeck February 18, 2019

Saturday, 16 February 2019, found me not going for my usual walk around Red Hill Nature Reserve because the family was heading to Centennial Vineyards in Bowral to have a lunch. Sort of half-way between where some of us are in Canberra and others in Sydney. The weather was just the right temperature, the food was delicious and Centennial Vineyards is set in some beautiful country. Having completely over-indulged on food at lunch, I grabbed my camera gear so I could go for a walk to start working-off lunch. It was about 3:30 PM when I started walking, with some light clouds taking the blue out of the sky. The birdlife was not too forthcoming but I did find some birds, as well as some butterflies, to photograph. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.

Cannot get much further from birds in Canberra to a Variegated Shore Crab in Sydney Harbour

Photographing at Parsley Bay Reserve, Sydney, on Boxing Day, 26 December 2018 - Eastern Water Dragon posed for me and some crabs gave me good shots

Jon Steinbeck February 13, 2019

I always think Parsley Bay Reserve is one of those under-appreciated places. It has a family friendly beach with a shallow sandy bottom that extends far out into the bay. It also has interesting animals running around it. When I used to scuba dive I always looked forward to diving in Parsley Bay as I would always see something interesting. As a child I loved walking thought the bush at the back of the reserve. I recall one night coming down to collect tadpoles in a pond, high up toward the back of the reserve, when a largish eel made an appearance, possibly attracted by my net disturbing the water like a struggling morsel of food. The place has always held a fondness for me, so I was really happy to wander around the park with my camera on Boxing Day 2018. Although I was happy to photograph a currawong at its nest and to see a cormorant, I was even more excited to photograph a water dragon and some crabs, two animals I had been hoping to photograph that day. I hope you enjoy the pictures below.

A male Australian King-parrot feeding(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/400 SEC]) — A male Australian King-parrot feeding
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/5.6 and 1/400 SEC])

Photographing around Red Hill on Sunday, 3 February 2019 - Nestling Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and some gorgeous King-parrots

Jon Steinbeck February 5, 2019

I was unable to undertake my usual Saturday morning walk around Red Hill Nature Reserve so I headed out on Sunday for what ended up being a shorter walk than normal. Despite that restriction, the weather was superb with a beautiful blue sky, barely any wind and a mild temperature. The birds, while not too “exotic”, were plentiful, with enjoyable photographic subjects. Although Sulphur-crested Cockatoos do not have the same concerns attached to their breeding as do Gang-gangs, I was excited to see a Sulphur-crested nestling in a tree hollow I thought was being used for that purpose. I also found a group of Australian King-parrots feeding in trees just off the path who were very calm about me taking photographs. It was just a wonderful morning to be wandering around with a camera, so much so I was later getting home.

The Little Pied Cormorant dispelling water after a dive

Photographing around South Head, Sydney on Monday, 24 December 2018 - Surprised to see New-Holland Honeyeaters, lovely to see beautiful Superb Fairy-wrens and a Little Pied Cormorant

Jon Steinbeck January 31, 2019

Over Christmas 2018 I was up in Sydney visiting some of the locations I grew up in; many, many years ago. So, yes, this post is a little delayed. Indeed, even though I was only there for three days, I have three lots of photographs. Initially, I was planning on doing just one large post, to get this out of the way. However, as I was looking through the photos it brought back the good memories of both my youthful days as well as the lazy, family-oriented Christmas I had just enjoyed. None of these photographs are particularly earth shattering but this post, along with the next two (plus one more of the animals around my parents’ house) did let me see a side of Sydney I have not seen in any detail for a number of decades. The various places also allowed me to see how the wildlife I grew up with in Sydney has endured and, in some cases, has changed. This first post is about a lovely Christmas Eve morning I spent walking around the tip of South Head in Sydney, from Camp Cove out to the actual headland itself. I did not expect to see a New Holland Honeyeater out on this bit of headland that marks the entry to Sydney Harbour. I was also thrilled to get some pictures of a Little Pied Cormorant, a bird I see in Canberra but is also happy to fish in saltwater as well. I hope you enjoy the pictures below.