Tag Archives: Nature Photography

Baby-sitting a Crested Shrike Tit

Posted on April 29, 2015 | 5 comments

A few weeks ago I spent the weekend down the coast and visited old haunts and a few new ones. I stopped by Greens Bush with not too much hope as it was overcast and quite dark in the forest. I heard some unusual calls and soon found a family of Crested Shrike Tits moving through the canopy along the creek. It was the first time I had seen this species at Greens Bush. They were at a decent height and moving around quickly. I decided to cheat and used my Bird App to play their calls to see what they would do. They come straight down from the canopy to look for the stranger. I set up my iPhone on a branch around head height and moved back to try and entice the birds into the area for a few shots.

Crested Shrike Tit, Greens Bush, Victoria

Crested Shrike Tit looking for the strange bird

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I noticed a strange thing – one of the young birds, which was closest to the iPhone, started making the sign for “please feed me, I am hungry, please feed me” . It crouched down and shuddered its wings. After a few minutes it flew next to the iPhone and just sat there while its parents moved off back into the canopy and further along the creek. The juvenile was just happy to stick around and listen to the playback calls. I was playing the Crested Shrike Tit group feeding call so it was quite comforting and non-threatening. (After watching and taking photos for a few minutes I retrieved the phone and let the Shrike Tit rejoin its family).

Juvenile Crested Shrike Tit, Greens Bush, Victoria

joining in the chorus of recorded Crested Shrike Tits feeding…

Grey Kangaroo, Greens Bush, Victoria 11 April 2015

Grey Kangaroo, Greens Bush, Victoria – I always see a Grey Roo at Greens Bush

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Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australian Birds, Bird Photography, Crested Shrike Tit, Greens Bush, Grey Kangaroo, Nature Photography, Photography, Victoria

The Tagged Tern of Stone Pier

Posted on April 26, 2015 | 4 comments

This Crested Tern appears to be a regular visitor to the Elwood Beach Stone Pier. I saw him when I visited the beach recently to take shots across Port Phillip Bay. The Tern is tagged with a metal band. It must be a good hunter – whenever it went up to look into the water for fish, several waiting Silver Gulls followed it very closely – hoping to steal his catch. I failed miserably to take any flight shots as he was just too close for my lens (and skill level) and I was shooting wildly, staggering around the pier like a drunken sailor. After a while he rested on the stone wall and waited in hope that a fisherman would throw some bait his way.

Tagged Crested Tern, Elwood Beach, 18 April 2015

4 Comments

Posted in Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australian Birds, Bird Photography, Crested Tern, Elwood, Nature Photography, Photography, Victoria

Something a bit different…Jacobs Ladder

Posted on April 22, 2015 | 2 comments

On the weekend I walked down to the beach with my photography mate and neighbour Ron. We watched the weather come across the bay and took photos of the Jacobs Ladder that was created by a break in the clouds and the sun coming through over Williamstown.

Jacobs Ladder over Williamstown from Elwood Beach – 18 April 2015

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Posted in Elwood, Photography, Victoria, Williamstown

Tagged Australia, Elwood, Jacobs Ladder, Nature Photography, Photography, Victoria, Williamstown

The wary ablutions of a Welcome Swallow

Posted on April 21, 2015 | Leave a comment

On a recent walk to the local lake I was walking along the edge for a while and watching for the Spotless Crake that has taken up residence on the small island in the lake. Standing still for a while I happened to look up and on a branch of a dead tree overhanging the lake I noticed a Welcome Swallow. It had just landed and was now grooming in the late afternoon sun-light. It made fast motions and was quite aware of everything around it including me. Butcherbirds were calling so it knew that a possible predator was in the area. The swallow would be very hard to catch in the air but possible to take when on a branch. I have not taken any decent shots of a Swallow in the air so took advantage of one that remained fairly still for a few minutes.

Welcome Swallow, Elsternwick Park Lake, Victoria, 6 April 2015

With fast grooming motions

it gave attention to every long feather

stopped for another quick look around for danger

waggled its tail feathers

gave special attention to the flight feathers

every feather inspected and put back into position

all done…and now another quick flight to catch a snack over the water…

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Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australian Birds, Bird Photography, Elsternwick Lake, grooming, Nature Photography, Photography, Victoria, Welcome Swallow

Gang Gangs of Anglesea Heath

Posted on April 20, 2015 | 1 comment

There is something special about Gang Gang Cockatoos. They are rarely seen, sound like creaky hinges and are not as raucous or as gregarious as other cockatoos. They are usually found higher up in the taller trees. I have only seen them a few times in my life and the first was when I was 19, camping on my own at the Cathedral Ranges north of the Black Spur. The male’s bright red head had always made an impression on me. It was many years before I saw another one.

On the last day of birding on my recent Easter trip to the Bellarine region of Victoria, I got up early and drove down the coastline to Anglesea Heath. It is a vast region of heathland, scrub and trees. It has many tracks to explore and I gave the Liberty Outback a real bush bashing. In the middle of the park is a coal mine and a power station – quite strange to find and hear. Where I stopped the car to look at the power station and view a roadside sign and map, I noticed bits of seeds and leaves dropping onto me and the car. In the tree above me was a small flock of Gang Gang Cockatoos – several females and at least one brightly headed male. The male was taking a nap while the girls chewed on the gum nuts. They were not very far off the ground and I had a good chance to take a few pics between the branches. They were not bothered by me at all.

Gang Gang Cockatoo, Angelsea Heath, Victoria, 4 April 2015

Napping male Gang Gang Cockatoo, Anglesea Heath, Victoria, 4 April 2015

Female Gang Gang Cockatoo, Anglesea Heath, Victoria, 4 April 2015

Female Gang Gang Cockatoo II, Angelsea Heath, Victoria, 4 April 2015

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Posted in Birds, Victoria

Tagged Anglesea Heath, Australian Birds, Bird Photography, Gang Gang Cockatoo, Nature Photography, Photography, Victoria

Birds of the Bellarine

Posted on April 19, 2015 | 2 comments

The second day of my Easter trip exploring the Bellarine Peninsula took me to several coastal parks and bushland reserves and while the number of birds were not large the photo opportunities to get closer to the regulars was quite good.

Black Wallaby, Ocean Grove Nature Reserve, Victoria 4 April 2015 – feeding on new grass growth after a bush fire in the area.

The Lookout – Red Browed Finch, Ocean Grove Nature Reserve, Victoria 4 April 2015

Silvereye, Lake Connewarre, Victoria 4 April 2015

A careful selection

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I just want to sing ! – Superb Fairy Wren, Lake Connewarre, Victoria 4 April 2015

Welcome Swallow, Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve, St Leonards Victoria 4 April 2015

A squadron of Pelicans flew over me as I walked along the Point – there were 6 large birds flying in perfect formation gliding along the coast.

Australian Pelican, Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve, St Leonards Victoria 4 April 2015

Red Browed Finch, Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve, St Leonards Victoria 4 April 2015

Opposite my accommodation in Queescliff was a park overlooking the beach and the heads at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay. In the park are some large mature trees planted by the early settlers of the area. The trees are stunning and beautifully shaped by pruning and the wind. The one below reminded me of a giant bonsai. I spent some time one evening in nice late afternoon light walking around it and using my wide angle lens trying to capture the feeling. I failed miserably – I never thought that taking a photos of trees would be so much harder than birds.

Conifer, Queenscliff, Victoria 4 April 2015

Pine, Queenscliff, Victoria 4 April 2015

While I was staying at Queenscliff there was a full eclipse of the moon that lasted for several hours and finished with a rare blood moon. While I did not stay up for the full blood moon (too cold and I had an early start the next day), I did get a few early eclipse shots trying out various settings. I got very few clear shots due to clouds but was happy enough with the one below.

Lunar Eclipse, Queenscliff, Victoria 4 April 2015

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Posted in Animal, Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australian Pelican, Bellarine, Bird Photography, Black Wallaby, Lunar Eclipse, Nature Photography, Red Browed Finch, Silvereye, Superb Fairy Wren, Trees, Victoria, Welcome Swallow

The Lonsdale Lakes of Bellarine

Posted on April 18, 2015 | Leave a comment

Over Easter I explored the Bellarine Peninsula, south of Melbourne and the other side of the opening of Port Phillip Bay. I have not been down this way before for photography and birding so it was all new. I researched some tips from John (my birding mate) and hit a few sites over several days.

The first area was the Lonsdale Lakes starting at Lake Victoria. It is a flat area with wide mud banks and a fairly shallow lagoon. It is quickly drying out but obviously still has a good food supply for the various species I came across: Swans, Stilts, Red Necked Stints, Red Capped Plovers, White Faced Herons and Gulls.

The vegetation long the lake side and paths is low scrub, shrubs, grasses and salt -bush and various succulent type plants -all very tough and hardy for dry, salty and windy conditions. It is quite attractive in the right light too with many shades of green…

The path along the lake’s edge

Lake side vegetation

Red Capped Plover – a tiny young bird in a wide expanse, well camouflaged when hiding beside a small rock

Red Capped Plover

Red Capped Plover II

Red Capped Plovers

Red Capped Plover III

Red Necked Stints flying in

Many Black Swans were feeding in the shallow water and flying over to fresh feeding grounds

I watched this White Faced Heron for a while and took a few shots as it fed in the mud along a nearby creek. At one point it stood quite still, did a full body shake and then went back to feeding. It might be part of a grooming action or just bringing in more air under its feathers as the day got later and cooler.

White faced Heron

White faced Heron II

White faced Heron III

White faced Heron IV

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Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australian Birds, Bellarine, Bird Photography, Black Swan, Lake Victoria, Lonsdale Lakes, Nature Photography, Photography, Red Necked Stint, Vegetation, Victoria, White Faced Heron

Colours are the smiles of nature….

Posted on April 16, 2015 | 3 comments

Colours are the smiles of nature ~ Leigh Hunt

And when it comes to colourful birds there aren’t many, if any, in my area that can beat a Rainbow Lorikeet. They are a gregarious species that have become the main parrot of the Melbourne Suburbs. Not that many years ago they were found further out in the country-side but the last big 12 year drought ended a few years ago and the result was an influx of birds and some decided to stay. The Rainbow Lorikeet has grown in numbers and now can be found in most areas. Even with all the colours, excitable chatter and feeding noises, once they are quiet and sitting in a gum they are invisible. Their colours are rich underneath but from above are an almost uniform green: good for camouflage and hiding from raptors.

I found this pair in a road side Conifer along St Kilda/Elwood beach grooming and just enjoying themselves on a warm Autumn afternoon.

Rainbow Lorikeet

Rainbow Lorikeet – every nook and cranny is colourful

Rainbow Lorikeet with something to say

Rainbow Lorikeet

Rainbow Lorikeet – I think this is called photo bombing…

This is the end Beautiful friend, this is the end my friend (but a colourful rear end)

3 Comments

Posted in Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australian Birds, Bird Photography, Nature Photography, Photography, Rainbow Lorikeet, St Kilda Beach, Victoria

Thornbill and the Irregulars…

Posted on April 15, 2015 | 4 comments

While waiting for a neighbour to come by so we could walk over to the lake and along Elster Creek I saw this little Brown Thornbill in a tree that overhangs my front garden. Not a very common bird in inner suburbia unless you have good undergrowth for it to escape the attention of other aggressive birds and the predator Butcherbird. I have seen the Thornbills for a couple of years now in the street so the cover must be improving.

Brown Thornbill

After watching the Thornbill for few minutes we walked over to the Lake and saw a few birds, some regular and some not some common.

Australasian Grebe in breeding plumage – one of the three Grebes we see in Victoria but not very often at the Lake

Willie Wagtail – a regular in low numbers

Masked Lapwing – usually a few somewhere in the area and often heard during the night flying over the suburb squawking loudly all the way.

Male Magpie Lark – a crazy bird during breeding season – will attack any reflection of itself even in sunglasses on top of a woman’s head…

Female Hardhead – not that common here. Also called a White-eyed Duck due to the males white eye ring. Has found sanctuary here to escape the current Duck Season.

4 Comments

Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australasian Grebe, Australian Birds, Bird Photography, Brown Thornbill, Elsternwick Lake, Hardhead, Magpie Lark, Masked Lapwing, Nature Photography, Victoria, Willie Wagtail

And One Chick became Two….

Posted on April 14, 2015 | Leave a comment

After my last visit to the lake to observe and photograph the Spotless Crake and the Grebes I went back a few days later and while watching the Grebe with the chick we noticed another little head… a second chick.

Previously we had seen the Grebe with one chick:

Hoary Headed Grebe with a passenger

And then we saw the Grebe with two little passengers…

Hoary Headed Grebe and chicks

Hoary Headed Grebe and chicks – one at the front being fed a morsel while in the back seat the second chick tries to climb on board.

Hoary Headed Grebe and chicks – mum leaves the chicks on the surface and dives to the bottom for food

Hoary Headed Grebe chicks

Two tiny Grebe chicks barely heavy enough to break the water tension,

Hoary Headed Grebe and chicks – back with dinner.

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Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australian Birds, Bird Photography, Elsternwick Lake, Hoary Headed Grebe, Nature Photography, Photography, Victoria

Autumn along Elster Creek

Posted on April 10, 2015 | 1 comment

After viewing the Spotless Crake and the Grebe for an hour or so and seeing what else turned up, we wandered over to Elster Creek and the golf course to see what was happening in a different patch of the neighbourhood.

Autumn foliage along the Creek

Crested Pigeons are nervous at the best of times but this one decided we were interesting (3 blokes carrying camera gear and pushing a bike) and flew down to within 20 feet or so and came strutting straight towards us. It stopped 10 feet away gave us a good looking over as I unslung my camera gear and then flew off in its usual style (mad panic). I am thinking this bird may need glasses….

Crested Pigeon

Crested Pigeon II

Talking of crazy birds – I spotted several Long Billed Corellas near the lake on one of the golf fairways. They were having a grand old time digging up the fairway looking for onion weed bulbs. Each one excavated a deep hole of several inches and grabbed a mouthful of bulbs and chewed them with obvious pleasure. Even walking up pretty close did not spook them. This was my first sighting of these birds in the area. Their cousins, the Little Corella seem to be more common here especially in the last few years with a flock of 400+ roosting in the local trees over winter.

Long Billed Corella – not the greenskeepers best friend….

Long Billed Corella

Long Billed Corella – enjoying the bounty

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Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australian Birds, Bird Photography, Crested Pigeon, Elster Creek, Long Billed Corella, Nature Photography, Photography, Victoria

It is Autumn but the Grebes think it is Spring.

Posted on April 9, 2015 | 2 comments

While we were watching the Spotless Crake, I took a few shots of the Hoary Headed Grebe that had passed by just below the platform we were standing on. Usually Grebes don’t get too close to humans and will automatically dive under water if they feel threatened in anyway. Just looking at them directly can make them disappear. This one stayed nearby and did not dive at all, it just dibbled a bit under the surface. The young eagle-eyes of one of my fellow birders noticed a splash of orange/red on the grebe’s back and said that it might be injured. Meanwhile I just kept shooting…..

Hoary Headed Grebe

Hoary Headed Grebe with a little splash of colour in the centre of its back.

and then out popped a hitch-hiker….

Hoary Headed Grebe with very young chick

Hoary Headed Grebe – the grebe is a small bird and its chick is tiny…

Hoary Headed Grebe – feeding very small bits of weed

Hoary Headed Grebe – get along mummy….

Birds will continue to breed through Spring/Summer/Autumn if there is a stable food source and minimum threats. The local birders have not seen Grebes breed at the Lake before and it is a good sign.

2 Comments

Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australian Birds, Bird Photography, Elsternwick Lake, Hoary Headed Grebe, Nature Photography, Photography, Victoria

I spotted a Crake, a Spotless Crake

Posted on April 8, 2015 | 2 comments

A fairly uncommon bird was seen at the local lake a few weeks ago and when I received the call from the local birder network, I quickly grabbed my gear and headed over to try my luck.

The Spotless Crake is a tiny wader that skulks in the reeds along muddy edges. I have not seen one locally and not many anywhere else. This little bird was quite adventurous and not timid at all. It occasionally bolted back into its little tunnels along the bank but soon came out again.

Spotless Crake – passing a tennis ball which gives an idea of its size.

Spotless Crake II

Several other birds were nearby that did not seem to bother the Crake very much. The only bird that had a go and made the Crake jump a bit was an aggro Willie Wagtail and as soon as it moved on the Grebe popped back out again.

Little Pied Cormorant – in the dead tree above the Crake

Little Pied Cormorant – near the Crake.

Spotless Crake and Grebe

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Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australian Birds, Bird Photography, Elsternwick Lake, Hoary Headed Grebe, Little Pied Cormorant, Nature Photography, Photography, Spotless Crake, Victoria

Drop Bear and Robin

Posted on April 7, 2015 | Leave a comment

I recently visited the family farm for a few hours of stacking 2 tonne of firewood with Fanior Ann and Henry Martin. After the job was done and the payment of lunch was settled, I had plenty of time to pass by Moorooduc Quarry to see how the Peregrine Falcons were getting on. I only heard and glimpsed one of the resident falcons but I did have good views of a Wedgetail Eagle drifting over on the afternoon air currents – too far above for any good shots. I found a few of my regular sidekicks as well as an ancient(ish) rock drawing of the legendary and deadly Drop Bear….

Brown Thornbill

White Eared Honeyeater

White Eared Honeyeater II

Drop Bear – on the other side of the quarry I noticed an old warning etched into the rocks – everyone has a different opinion on what a drop bear looks like – this is as good as any I have seen.

Eastern Yellow Robin

Eastern Yellow Robin in a typical hunting pose – about to launch down onto the ground after a meal…

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Posted in Animal, Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australian Birds, Bird Photography, Brown Thornbill, Drop Bear, Eastern Yellow Robin, Moorooduc Quarry, Nature Photography, Photography, Victoria, White Eared Honeyeater

Braeside Park in March

Posted on April 6, 2015 | 4 comments

After our walk into the Woodlands Park wetlands we crossed over into the Braeside Parkland and had look around the usual spots. It was pretty quiet overall and the water has dropped considerably with many birds moving on until the lakes start to fill up again. I did mange to get a few interesting shots.

Great Egret on a dead tree roost in the middle of the evapourating lake.

Juvenile Grey Butcherbird

Superb Fairy Wren -shot taken from the inside of the Bird Hide through glass. The Wren’s frenetic hunting in the grass and the window glass made for a strange effect.

Straw necked Ibis – straw neck feathers on show and as well as the vibrant colours the wings.

Straw necked Ibis II

4 Comments

Posted in Birds, Victoria

Tagged Australian Birds, Bird Photography, Braeside Park, Great Egret, grey butcherbird, Nature Photography, Photography, Straw necked Ibis, Superb Fairy Wren, Victoria

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Tag Archives: Nature Photography

Baby-sitting a Crested Shrike Tit

The Tagged Tern of Stone Pier

Something a bit different…Jacobs Ladder

The wary ablutions of a Welcome Swallow

Gang Gangs of Anglesea Heath

Birds of the Bellarine

The Lonsdale Lakes of Bellarine

Colours are the smiles of nature….

Thornbill and the Irregulars…

And One Chick became Two….

Autumn along Elster Creek

It is Autumn but the Grebes think it is Spring.

I spotted a Crake, a Spotless Crake

Drop Bear and Robin

Braeside Park in March

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