Tag Archives: Photography

Caution – Falco Berigora

Over the last month I have been making weekly visits on my own and with friends to the Victorian Western Treatment Plant in Weribee. It is an amazing place for birds any time of the year. At the moment there are many species of Raptor stopping by and taking advantage of the conditions and hunting opportunities. At least one species has even started to nest and raise chicks.

On this occasion, I was on my own reviewing the usual areas and seeing what had changed since I had last been here in February. I found this Brown Falcon enjoying a bit of late afternoon sun on an old wooden sign. It spotted something nearby and took off.

Brown Falcon - Falco Berigora, Western Treatment Plant.

Brown Falcon – Falco Berigora, Western Treatment Plant.

Brown Falcon - Falco Berigora, Western Treatment Plant.

Brown Falcon – Falco Berigora, Western Treatment Plant.

Hosier Lane Selfies

I walked through Hosier Lane yesterday to check the latest wall art and found quite a few people visiting – many internationals, including a Spanish family, who I kept seeing around where I was photographing. I ended up taking a few street shots of them as well as they were funny to watch, enjoying themselves. I was using my very wide angle lens so I could not stand right back and pretend that I was doing anything other than taking photos of them…other than a quick glance they did not seem to mind at all

Hosier Lane,Melbourne CBD

Hosier Lane,Melbourne CBD

Hosier Lane Selfie

Hosier Lane Selfie

Hosier Lane Selfie

Hosier Lane Family Selfie

Hosier Lane Tourists, Melbourne CBD

Hosier Lane Tourists – mum using the Selfie stick – it took her a few goes at trying to photograph them rather than herself (and I think me over her shoulder)

Hosier Lane Tourists, Melbourne CBD

Hosier Lane Tourists – hamming it up,  and another couple taking a selfie

My own Hosier Lane Selfie

My own Hosier Lane Selfie – I thought I would give it a go as well…no smiling please this is serious…

Protest and Statement Street Art

At various street art sites you can always find good examples of protest and statement art. They are usually much smaller and one needs to look in the out of the way places along the laneway walls. The pictures below were taken in the last week.

Protest and Statement Art, Duckboard Place

 Statement Art, Duckboard Place

Protest and Statement Art, Hosier Lane

Statement Art, Hosier Lane

Protest and Statement Art, Duckboard Place

Protest and Statement Art, Duckboard Place

Protest and Statement Art, Duckboard Place

Duckboard Place

Odd Melbourne: Shopfronts and displays

It is not everyday that you find a giant cross in the window display of a clothing  shop.  Apparently the shop has a “unique style with sophisticated quirk”.

Shopfront, Flinders Lane

Shopfront, Flinders Lane

And this Building display window has been converted into the seating area for about 5 customers for the Switchboard Cafe – one of the tiniest cafes in Melbourne with a small hole in the wall for coffee and food prep –  room for one,  under the stairwell of the Manchester Unity Building – where the old electrical switchboard was located.

Switchboard Cafe, Manchester Unity Building

Switchboard Cafe, Manchester Unity Building

Graffiti Birds

Birds and Street Art, a great combination…

Birds, ACDC Lane

Birds, ACDC Lane

Bird, Hosier Lane,

Bird, Hosier Lane,

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Bird, Union Lane

Union Lane Colour

I often walk down Union Lane to check out the large colourful works along the walls. In the last few weeks quite a few good quality pieces have suddenly gone up and I took advantage of some clear weather and good light to take a few shots.

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Union Lane Street Art, Melbourne CBD

Juvenile Grey Butcherbird

While looking for a couple of recently reported Boobooks along  Elster Creek today, I came across this young Grey Butcherbird. It was hunting in the school veggie patch. They eat a variety of food including other small birds. The brown and yellow feathering indicates a juvenile. I often hear and see these birds around the neighbourhood but this my first pic of a local bird.

Juvenile Grey Butcherbird

Juvenile Grey Butcherbird

Galah vs Dandelion

Recently on a beautiful sunny Winter’s day, moving around the golf course and trying to avoid the wayward shots of beginner golfers, I came across a pair of galahs feeding on grass seeds along one of the fairway edges. They let me get fairly close and did not move off until a Magpie barged into the pair to investigate their food source – a defenceless dandelion seed head.

Galahs, Elster Creek,

Galahs, Elster Creek,

Galah, Elster Creek

Yum Yum

Galah, Elster Creek

II

Galah, Elster Creek

A miffed Galah after a Magpie crashed the dinner table…

Secret Places – disappearing Melbourne

A little laneway off Exhibition Street, Melbourne CBD,  leads to a dead-end and an old building that won’t be long for this world…

Old Building

Not a lot of time left for this old Building

Off the hip: Bookstore window

A bit of a wonky shot. Shooting from the hip takes a little getting used to. I liked the shop window display – it had a busy-ness that appealed to me with the books covering random subjects.  After processing I realised that there was not a single book displayed that I have read. I did find one on birds that I will have to go back and possibly purchase. From memory it was 6 books for $50 not Books for $50 – my wonky aim again…

Melb CBD Bookstore

Melb CBD Discount Bookstore – click to enlarge

Lethal Weapons?

I noticed 5 Masked Lapwings along Elster Creek recently that seemed to be in a constant state of agitation with each other. Several would stood tall and thrust out the wing spurs when another pair flew over or around them. Spur-winged Plover is an alternate name for Masked Lapwings. I knew about the spurs but had not  seem them closely until I had developed these shots. The male tends to have larger spurs.

Lapwings use these spurs against potential predators or anyone coming too close to nest sites and chicks. While the attacks can seem quite aggressive,  the birds rarely strike their ‘victims’, preferring a close approach to scare them away. The species is fearless and I have seen them go after much bigger birds like Kites and Eagles.

The birds I saw below did not attack each other but did make quite a bit of noise and displayed much posturing.

Masked Lapwing

Masked Lapwing (aka Spur Winged Plover)

Masked Lapwing

Masked Lapwing strutting his stuff

Masked Lapwing

Spurs on display

 

Off the Hip: Eyes of Youth?

Part of the “Shooting from the hip” series.

Drops of Youth?

Drops of Youth?

Things you find in the Street

Walking along Bourke Street looking for interesting angles I came across this guy and his two friends standing at the Corner of Bourke and Swanston Streets.

Swanton St Statue

Smoko break on Swanston Street.

Secret Places – Block Arcade

Looking up at the Block Arcade at the Victorian era iron fretwork holding up the dome of the arcade.

Block Arcade Roof,

Block Arcade Roof, Melbourne CBD

Up the stairwell behind the lifts…

Block Arcade Stairwell Letterboxes

Block Arcade Stairwell Letterboxes

Secret Places: The Royal Arcade

Looking through the roof of the Royal Arcade – a building sails by…

 

Mystery site

Royal Arcade, Melbourne CDB