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.
Read MorePhotographing and paddling on Lake Burley Griffin over summer 2020-21
Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake located in the middle of Canberra city. For some people in the city it is an unofficial division between the north and south of the city. While the lake was part of the original design of Canberra financial decisions taken at the creation of Canberra meant that the lake was only completed about five decades after the rest of the city. However, now, it is an integral part of the urban life-style of so many Canberrans, whether they play on it, around it or just enjoy a passing glimpse as they commute near it. The lake is a place I enjoy greatly, whether I am in my kayak paddling on it or on my bike cycling around it. It is also a location that attracts a lot of wildlife, especially birds.
This post sort of fell together when I realised that I had a number of photographs related to the lake and the waterways connected to it. I therefore decided to do a large post to include all those photos together. The post is an eclectic mix but I hope that you like the photographs below.
Read MoreNature and natural beauty of Shoalhaven Gorge - January 2021
Shoalhaven Gorge is a stunningly beautiful gorge just a few hours from both Sydney and Canberra. I had paddled up the Shoalhaven River in July 2020 but I had not gone as far into the gorge as I wanted. So, jumping ahead to January 2021 I was fast running out of time to paddle the gorge before I needed to return to work. My initial plan was to do a two day trip with an overnight stay in the gorge but for a number of reasons I could not make that a reality. In the end, I was left with the option of waking at 4AM to drive almost three hours in order to paddle 13km up the river and 13 km back down, to then drive another almost three hours to be back in Canberra that night with my family. It had to be done. And, I am glad that I did paddle in the gorge, the beauty of the location and animals that I saw made the trip more than worthwhile. I watched a White-bellied Sea Eagle fly along the river and I also had to chase away a Lace Monitor from my stationary kayak were just two of the encounters that will stay with me. I hope that you like the photographs below.
Read MoreWaterbirds, Lizards and Dragonflies - Cycling and Photographing the northern Centenary Trail on Friday, 15 January 2021
On Good Friday 2019 I went for a ride around the southern section of the Centenary Trail, taking my camera with me so that I could photograph interesting subjects that I found. Back then I the only lens that I had to use for such a trip was a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM that had been a kit lens with my first DSLR that I bought, about ten years earlier. I was using that lens because I wanted something would give me some range but I did not want to take my bulky Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM, mainly because I was worried about breaking it. Since that ride I had always intended to complete the Centenary Trail by riding the northern section and also take a camera along, however, now I would take a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM and a Canon EF40mm f2.8 STM so that I was better prepared for what I may see.
Read MoreNankeen Kestrel, Rainbow Bee-eater and some wonderful insects - Photographing at Gigerline Nature Reserve in November 2020
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.
Read MoreJuvenile Striated Heron, Pacific Black Ducks and life in the mangrove forest - Paddling and photographing along Cyne Mallowes Creek on Thursday, 7 January 2021
I had felt that my paddle along the Clyde River in November had not been the best choice for photography and that the area must have had more to offer. The night that I returned from that trip I looked at Google Maps to see where else I could paddle in that area that may have better photographic opportunities. My searching led me to consider the small, tidal Cyne Mallowes Creek that was not far north of the put-in location that I used. A little bit of internet searching showed that this creek may be a good choice for taking some interesting shots. So with some free time in early January 2021 I decided to head down to Nelligen again to try my luck up that creek. I am very glad that I did because I had a wonderful experience. I saw my first Striated Heron and I even switched to a macro lens to capture some of the interesting subjects that I found where the creek got shallow near its end. I also enjoyed drifting along with the current photographing crabs among the mangroves. I hope that you like the photographs below.
Read MoreGrey Fantail on a nest, Superb Fairy-wrens and a lot of insects - Photographing at Denman Prospect on Saturday, 2 January 2021
I had recently ridden my mountain bike through the area of Denman Prospect, not realising that there was some bushland there. I was interested in returning with a camera because Denman Prospect is on the edge of Canberra, facing to the west and north-west, with rural land between it and the mountain ranges. While the bushland was very near a growing suburb I thought that it may be worth a visit to see what wildlife was around. I was so glad that I did visit because I had a wonderful morning and stayed far longer than I planned. I spent most of my morning exploring Stringybark Hill, which did not seem to be an official reserve and contained what looked to be a lot of new growth native forest. I probably heard more birds than I saw or was able to photograph because the bush was reasonably thick, with a dense canopy that hampered lighting but also kept the undergrowth under control. The open areas had tall grass and other plants, keeping me on the look out for my first opportunity to photograph a snake, which did not happen. I really enjoyed my walk and I was constantly distracted by things to photograph. I will certainly be returning to this site in the future. I hope you like the photographs below.
Read MoreAustralasian Pipits, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters and interesting ruins - Photographing at the Glenburn Heritage Precinct on Sunday, 27 December 2020
I had been thinking about cycling and photographing at the Glenburn Heritage Precinct for a while without committing to the ride but then I decided to put the idea into practice after some friends were talking about a separate trip that they were planning. So on Sunday, 27 December 2020, I set off very early in the morning for the car trip to the start of the trail. The precinct is on the left-hand side of the Kings Highway just after the road crosses the Molonglo River on the east of Queanbeyan. The area consists of the ruins or remains of a rural community that tried to establish itself in the area in the 1800s. They did not succeed, eventually abandoning their former homesteads and other buildings. They tried hard to make the community thrive, even establishing a school for a period of time but it was not to be. This area has now been turned into a heritage precinct that consists of three trails. Because the ruins are situated in two clusters, the trails form an inverted triangle from the Kings Highway entrance. One trail takes visitors to the western ruins, while another trail heads to the eastern ruins and the remaining trail is a loop that covers both sets of ruins. The full loop is approximately 12 km that follows fire trails, grass tracks or occasionally disappears under overgrown vegetation. I took my mountain bike because I wanted to cover the distance at a reasonable pace but still be able to see things. The trail was not challenging although the Glen Burn Creek had some water in it, so my feet got a little wet crossing it but that was a nice way to cool them off. I thoroughly enjoyed my morning at the precinct, being a little upset when I realised that it was over. I liked seeing the early settler history of the area as well as the wildlife that I encountered along the way. I would go back because I am sure that I would see things that I missed. I hope that you enjoy the photos below.
Read MoreLittle Black Cormorant and a Dusky Woodswallow - Paddling and photographing on the Clyde River on Sunday, 15 November 2020
This post is also a bit different to my normal posts because there are not many bird or wildlife photos below, but not through a lack of trying. I had been thinking about going for a paddle on the Clyde River for a while but the opportunity never really came up until November. Then, when it did arise, it was almost a spur of the moment thing. As a family we had nothing to do one Sunday, when the weather was forecast to be fantastic and I realised I had a chance to let my family stay home while I undertook the trip. I did not really want to go on a Sunday because I knew that the river, as well as the roads, were likely to be busy. I was right. I had originally planned to paddle further up the river but I think there was a slight flow in the river and the number of powerboats on the river kept reminding me that I was not really far from the crowds. Do not get me wrong, the powerboat drivers were all considerate, giving me plenty of room and generally passed me at a reasonable speed but the noise and the resulting wake meant it was hard to focus on the nature. In the end I decided that I was not really getting the chance to see wildlife, possibly because there was too much activity on the river, so I might as well turn around. I am keen to try the river again, but not on a weekend and I may try to turn off the main channel to see what a smaller creek has to offer as far as wildlife photography opportunities. I hope you enjoy the somewhat limited pictures below.
Read MoreGang-gang Cockatoos, other parrots and some cute jumping spiders - Photographing around Red Hill Nature Reserve and Hughes in Mid-October 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.
Read MoreThe biggest huntsman I have photographed - Photographing around Lake Burley Griffin on Saturday night, 3 October 2020
I feel that I am on a quest to get more photographs of the frog species around Canberra. That somewhat Quixotic quest, given how hard it is to find frogs, saw me out on this Saturday night with a headlamp and my camera walking around a shore of Lake Burley Griffin. I was hoping to find some frogs to photograph, but the title of this post is a bit of a spoiler. I heard a lot of frogs but I could not see any to photograph. I consoled myself when I came across the largest huntsman spider that I have been able to photograph. I really enjoyed photographing this amazing looking spider, but I certainly made sure I did not get too close. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.
Read MoreAustralian Pelican on the Molonglo, Galahs and little birds - Photographing in a pine forest on Sunday, 27 September 2020
Australia has some native conifers but they are in small numbers so there are no massive pine forests such as exist in Europe and North America. The pine forests in Australia are generally commercial pine forests that tend to contain Radiata Pine (Pinus radiata), which is considered a pest outside of these commercial forests because it is such a successful and quick growing tree. These commercial forests are generally open to the public, with a number located close to Canberra, which were generally planted to improve Canberra’s water quality because previous agricultural clearance activities caused too much erosion that carried soil and other substances into the Canberra water supply. One forest sits behind the National Zoo and Aquarium at the south-western end of Lake Burley Griffin, where the Molonglo River continues below the Scrivener Dam.
I had seen a number of photograhs from inside pine forests that inspired me to take some shots as well. The challenge with pine forests is the light, because the conifers are good at blocking out light so when sunlight gets through there tends to be a lot of contrast between the dark and light areas. Pine forests are not my favourite locations to photograph in because most native animals have not evolved to live in them, so they are generally devoid of a rich diversity of life.
With that said, I did find some interesting subjects to photograph on my way to the forest, especially around the Molonglo River where an Australian Pelican was swimming on the river. There were also a number of birds in the trees at the Yarralumla Equestrian Centre where I parked my car so I could walk to the forest.
I hope you like the photos below.
Read MoreA rain-drenched orb-weaver spider and rain drops on leaves - Photographing around home on a wet Sunday afternoon, 20 September 2020
Sunday, 20 September, was one of those rare occasions when I did not head out somewhere to photograph. There was heavy rain and the rain radar showed that the downpour was going to continue for a while so I decided it was not the morning for photography. However, later that day I thought I would have a walk around our yard to see what subjects I could find to photograph in the rain. I was inspired to try this by a good friend of mine. I was speaking to this friend on the Friday beforehand and we discussed the forecasted bad weather for Sunday. My version of the conversation is that my friend said that I was a wimp for not photographing in the rain, although my friend might dispute that account. However, since this is my blog post, my version stands.
Read MoreHoneyeaters, Rufous Whistler and a multitude of small birds - Photographing at Paddys River on Sundays, 6 and 13 September 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.
Read MoreSulphur-crested Cockatoo, flowers and small wildlife - Photographing around home in early September 2020
Canberra has been reasonably lucky with COVID-19. As spring arrives there are no lockdowns and people are able to go out with minimal restrictions to enjoy the bush that surrounds and enters Canberra. While I still love getting out to the lovely natural areas around Canberra I can still find some interesting photographic subjects around my own home. Spring has brought out flowers, that have attracted insects and the birds are coming back as well. I thought I would gather some recent photos into a single post of some of the things that I photographed in my garden; subjects that did not really fit into other posts.
Read More400 million year old rocks are worth photographing - Photographing at the Deakin Anticline on Saturday, 5 September 2020
400 million years ago Australia was still part of the content called Gondwanaland, small plants had already commenced growing on the dry land and some marine creatures had probably evolved into insects but these were early days for complex lifeforms on land. Vegetation was basic with probably nothing tree-like existing. This was also tens of millions of years before dinosaurs arose. Normally the rocks from this period would be buried deep beneath the current surface of the earth but there is an anticline, where the rock layer has been bent upwards, in the suburb of Deakin that was further expose because it was also the site of white clay mining that was used to help build Canberra.
Read MoreYellow-rumped Thornbills, Scarlet Robin and Red-necked Wallaby joey - Photographing at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve on Sunday, 30 August 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.
Read MoreSnow on the Brindabella Ranges around Canberra - Photographing around Canberra on Sunday, 23 August 2020
I am creating a pattern of starting posts with apologies and this one also starts with an apology. I am sorry, there is only a single picture of a bird below. I set out to meet a friend at the Stony Creek Nature Reserve to photograph birds and wildlife there but snow fell around Canberra on Saturday, 22 August and was still lying on the Brindabella Ranges the next day. As I was driving the 25 minutes to the nature reserve, and I was only about five minutes drive from my house, I looked out and saw the scene in the photograph at the top of the post. There is no doubt that I love bird and wildlife photography but I cannot ignore scenery like that when the sky makes it even moodier thanks to the dawn’s red glow and brooding clouds. I had to pull over to take some photographs. Coincidentally, while I was photographing, my friend phoned to say that he may be late or may not be able to get to the reserve as he was also photographing what he was seeing. We agreed that sometimes, when photographing, you just have to go with what is presented to you. Eventually, we did meet up, but on the road to the reserve where we both had pulled over to take more photographs. I stopped a couple more times on the way to the reserve. I also bumped into a nice guy who, like us, was out photographing the scenery. My friend and I eventually got to the nature reserve but it was then that a large cloud blocked out the sun. While was saw a number of birds the light was not bright enough to get good shots, so I only took one, possibly half-reasonable, shot of a Crimson Rosella. I was not disappointed with the morning because I really enjoyed the scenery and I thought that Stony Creek Nature Reserve was definitely worth another visit. Later that morning, I took my camera out to the yard, while I was supposed to be gardening, to take some shots around the garden. To cap off this very different photographic journey to the one I had envisioned, I had found a wombat skull in my touring around on Sunday and spent a couple of nights during the week trying to come up with the best way to photograph it. All in all, those change of plans on Sunday turned out for the best and I had a lot of fun. I will be back to photographing birds again but I do consider myself to be a nature photographer as well, so it was exhilarating to expand my photo collection that day with some different shots to those that I usually take. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.
Read MoreSuperb Fairy-wrens, Australian Wood Duck and Galahs - Photographing at Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve on Sunday, 16 August 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.
Read MoreAustralian Pelican, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Lace Monitor and other amazing wildlife - Photographing north of Newcastle, Australia in November 2019
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.
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