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.

Common Stingaree under a rock ledge at Parsley Bay(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 1600, 35mm, f/5.6 and 1/250 SEC] in an Aquatech Elite II sport housing and PD-140 Lens Port) — Common Stingaree under a rock ledge at Parsley Bay
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 1600, 35mm, f/5.6 and 1/250 SEC] in an Aquatech Elite II sport housing and PD-140 Lens Port)

First underwater photography and other shots around Sydney in April 2021

BirdsinCanberra April 11, 2021

Over a year previously, in March 2020, I purchased an Aquatech Elite II underwater housing for my Canon EOS 7D Mark II. I had been inspired to try underwater photography by looking at the amazing photos from under the sea and I really wanted to be able to take some shots myself. However, that was when COVID-19 really hit, and just like so many other people, I had to pause my plans. In December 2020, I thought that I would be able to finally use the kit during the Christmas holidays but a new COVID outbreak in Sydney meant we could not go there at that time. So, it was finally at Easter this year that we visited Sydney and while my family slept I headed down to one of my favourite harbour beaches, Parsley Bay, to take an initial foray into underwater photography. I sucked! However, I gained a lot of experience and I knew why people take the effort to shoot photographs underwater, there was so much to photograph. I was hooked and I am looking forward to taking more photographs so that I can hopefully improve. I realise that it will be a while before I am taking decent underwater photographs so to ensure that this post is not too disappointing I have also included below some aerial shots from Nielsen Park and as well as some shots from a garden in Sydney. I hope that you like the photographs below.

Frilled Bark Moth with half a wing missing - the struggle for life in the macro world is always ongoing(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/20 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash and five shot focu… — Frilled Bark Moth with half a wing missing - the struggle for life in the macro world is always ongoing
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/20 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash and five shot focus stack)

Small animals, big battles - Cataloguing the struggles of nature with macro photography in November and December 2020

BirdsinCanberra March 25, 2021

Coming home one day I saw a moth with half a wing missing on a wall of our house. I almost went past it thinking that it would not make a good subject because it was so damaged. However, it got me thinking about how these tiny creatures that we barely notice in our daily rush experience very real struggles to avoid being killed either as food or in some other dispute. This post was inspired by the number of ‘incomplete’ little creatures I started to notice around my house. While photographers understandably concentrate on taking the perfect shot of the perfect specimen, I wanted to look at documenting the struggle that is invisible to us most of the time but is happening in our own gardens. These are not cute and cuddly creatures but are animals that we can see if we take a moment to notice the small, exciting world just outside our door. I hope you find the photos below to be of interest.

Twig-like Katydid on our fly screen door(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/18 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite) — Twig-like Katydid on our fly screen door
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/18 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)

Macro photography around home in November and December 2020

BirdsinCanberra March 21, 2021

Sometimes home is a great place to take photographs because there is a wild jungle in the garden with all sorts of wonderful creatures contained within. Over the summer of late 2020 I found myself always taking a camera with me when I was out gardening or doing other things in the yard. I always wanted to be ready to take those fleeting shots of the amazing tiny animals that keep us company but we barely notice. Sometimes, an overturned clump of mud would come alive with life or a pruned branch would reveal an insect upon it. This led to a lot of random photographs that did not really fit in other posts so I knew that I would have to do a compilation to include them all. Over time I became fascinated with those small creatures and I find macrophotography allowed me to see them in far more detail than my eyes did. Sometimes they were not so small, like the truly amazing looking Twig-like Katydid at the top of this post. In the small ones, sometimes the shots revealed colours that we were not able to see, I became amazed at the colours in some flies. I know that insects and spiders are not everybody’s favourite subject but I find them fascinating and I hope that you like the photographs below.

Emerald Moth at night around Blue Waterholes(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite) — Emerald Moth at night around Blue Waterholes
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)

Natural beauty of the Long Plain, Kosciuszko National Park in March 2021

BirdsinCanberra March 17, 2021

My good mate and fellow photographer BigFigTree said he wanted to try to get some atmospheric shots of the wild Brumbies on the Long Plain in Kosciuszko National Park, and that there was a spare seat in his car if I wanted it. I jumped at the chance so we decided to do the trip over the Saturday and Sunday of the Canberra Day Long Weekend. I am so glad that he invited me because it opened my eyes to a whole wilderness just on the outskirts of Canberra that is so beautiful. We had a great couple of days, stopping to take photos, camping beside the beautiful Blue Waterholes and just moving at a slower pace. Our Brumby photographs did not turn out well but we found so many other subjects. He is a great photographer and I would recommend checking out his Flickr feed, linked above. It really was a fun two days and I hope that you enjoy the photographs 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.

Head shot of a Great Cormorant(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC]) — Head shot of a Great Cormorant
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Photographing and paddling on Lake Burley Griffin over summer 2020-21

BirdsinCanberra February 8, 2021

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.

Might have been practicing with the drone but I always have time to photograph Yellow-rumped Thornbills(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC]) — Might have been practicing with the drone but I always have time to photograph Yellow-rumped Thornbills
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC])

Practicing with the drone around the National Arboretum on Monday, 18 January 2021

BirdsinCanberra February 5, 2021

I normally treat my DJI Mavic Air 2 as an addition to my photography, not the main means for me to capture my shots. Because of that, I find that I am probably not using it as much as I want to and consequently, I am not learning how to take photographs with it. With that realisation in mind I set off to the National Arboretum on Monday, 18 January 2021 with the idea to use my drone as the main means of photography. I still had a DSLR with me but I wanted to concentrate on using my drone so that I could try shots that I had not used before and also understand how to use the drone to capture compositions. Unfortunately, I arrived at the Arboretum later than I had hoped so I was facing harsher light than I would have preferred but I still wanted to practice. Consequently, this post is a little light on with birds and other wildlife shots but with that said I hope that you still enjoy the photographs below.

White-bellied Sea Eagle when the heat was getting to its highest level(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC]) — White-bellied Sea Eagle when the heat was getting to its highest level
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])

Nature and natural beauty of Shoalhaven Gorge - January 2021

BirdsinCanberra January 31, 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.

Eastern Bearded Dragon that I almost ran over(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 160, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC]) — Eastern Bearded Dragon that I almost ran over
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 160, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])

Waterbirds, Lizards and Dragonflies - Cycling and Photographing the northern Centenary Trail on Friday, 15 January 2021

BirdsinCanberra January 20, 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.

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.

Juvenile Striated Heron hunting for food in the mangrove forest(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC]) — Juvenile Striated Heron hunting for food in the mangrove forest
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])

Juvenile Striated Heron, Pacific Black Ducks and life in the mangrove forest - Paddling and photographing along Cyne Mallowes Creek on Thursday, 7 January 2021

BirdsinCanberra January 12, 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.

Grey Fantail on a nest(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]) — Grey Fantail on a nest
(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])

Grey Fantail on a nest, Superb Fairy-wrens and a lot of insects - Photographing at Denman Prospect on Saturday, 2 January 2021

BirdsinCanberra January 10, 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.

Australasian Pipit with a juicy caterpillar(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC]) — Australasian Pipit with a juicy caterpillar
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])

Australasian Pipits, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters and interesting ruins - Photographing at the Glenburn Heritage Precinct on Sunday, 27 December 2020

BirdsinCanberra December 31, 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.

Little Black Cormorant in the middle of the Clyde River(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC]) — Little Black Cormorant in the middle of the Clyde River
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])

Little Black Cormorant and a Dusky Woodswallow - Paddling and photographing on the Clyde River on Sunday, 15 November 2020

BirdsinCanberra December 20, 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.

Two Silver Gulls in the Molonglo River beneath Scrivener Dam(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 100, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC]) — Two Silver Gulls in the Molonglo River beneath Scrivener Dam
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF70-200mm f/4L IS II USM [ISO 100, 200mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])

Water birds, overgrown paths and flowers - Commuting and photographing in Canberra in November 2020

BirdsinCanberra December 8, 2020

Canberra is a very bike friendly city. I tend to commute on my mountain bike so that I can also ride some of the winding trails on my way to work because I find it is a great way to wake-up, clear my mind and be ready for the day ahead. My usual commute routes have changed character over the last month or so because of the heavy rains that have fallen on this recently very dry city. There is so much vibrant growth that some narrow trails are more traces of dirt through metre or higher thick vegetation. I thought that the overgrown paths may be interesting to photograph and I am not sure when the next La Nina event over Australia will be so now was a good time to photograph these totally transformed places. I normally leave home early enough so that I can have a fun ride and still get to work with plenty of time to spare. I was also fortunate because we had a work lunch one day that allowed me to leave early so I could take my time on the ride home. I really enjoyed combining photography and mountain biking, the synthesising of which gave me new appreciation for great routes I ride regularly because I was looking at them in a different way. This post is a little to my normal posts, a bit light-on in regards to animal life but I was able to photograph some water birds and I also have some macro shots from my house at the end. I hope that you like the photographs below.