This week’s blog post will be a walk thought of the last few weeks walks in the Australian Botanical Garden's Mount Annan, apart from last week when the the rains came down in a big way, the gardens actually closed on Sunday due to the wet conditions, here’s a link to the Garden's Facebook footage of the water, a few of the locations are where I take some of my shots from so you can see a little wet there for these. 

https://www.facebook.com/AustralianBotanicGarden/videos/1196231800389209/?pnref=story

The previous three weeks I've managed to get out thou and here are some of the shots I managed to get out there plus some more practice at the Digital Art work with some of the shots with mixed results. 

​The first shots here are a series of shots of a Noisy Miner (Manorina Melancephala) taking a bath by flying into a small dam opposite the plant bank the last two are the better of this series of shots here. The first two the focus seemed to have eloped onto the water droplets and reflection rather than the actual bird, but happy with the final two there. 

This shots of a Grey Butcherbird (Cracticis torquatus) feeding on a case moth larvae it found in the gum tree. 

The grass at the tunnel to the plant bank has started to have mushrooms growing there each week so now a regular spot for me to check each week now, This one is focus stacked and lit with two speedlites you can see the effect the second light at the rear has on the steam on the left. Buy dropping the power so as not to over power the shot but just give enough to add a bit of a glow makes a good effect I think. 

The next two are the same shot but after giving different effects to the shot. Again practicing some of what I learnt on the Steve Parish, Western MacDonnell ranges photography tour. This one gives it misty feeling to it. 

Where as this one is more of an Alice in Wonderland feel to it. 

There next one as a small mushroom growing up in the connections gardens, this one had only just pushed its way through the bark coving on the garden bed so had a bit of debris on the top. Again focus stacked and two lights

The next ones of a small light blue flower that was growing amount the maiden hair fern. So tried to get a shot with the flower contracting the greenery, didn't get this one right its missing something for this shot for me. 

I then went down to the main lakes and had a look what was about, got quite a few shots of birds in flight this time round. The first ones of an Australian Raven ((Corvus Coronoides) 

This next ones of a Peregrine Falcon, Iv'e seen this one a few times now of a late afternoon as it flys across the lake, but never managed to get a good shot of it, this week I did better but still not great, but one to look out for of a late afternoon. The other birds give out their alarm calls when its in the air so when you hear them you know to look out for something that has them worried. 

I did manage to get a couple of decent shots of some Australian Wood ducks (Chenonetta Jubata) coming in to land on the lake Late afternoon the light was just right and enough of it to be able to freeze the action so happy with these two shots. 

Then I just practiced panning shots of what ever flew in front of me, the trick with darker birds and in bright blue sky is to set the exposure on manual by setting it on the nearby grassy hills or some distance trees and then sticking to that and just focus on the bird as it flys, Well thats the way I've done these ones and pretty happy with the results expire wise, if you use an auto function it will more than likely expose for the sky and you'll have a black bird with no details. 

Magpie-Lark  (Grallina cyanoleuca)

Little Pied Corm​orant (Microcarbo Melanoleucos) Would have been better had I framed this one to the left but I'm luck to get them in the frame at times hand held with a 600m lens. The lens is great but not the lightest thing to swing around at times.  

An Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis Moluccan) Taking its afternoon bath on the island in the middle of the lake. 

This next series is again of a pair of mushroom growing outside the plant bank. The first one is the normal shot then the next is the same show but playing with it with different effects, and applying different textures to the end result. Again this was trying things out seeing what works and what doesn't some are again better than others. 

An Australian White Ibis in the small dam opposite the Plant bank. 

Soon joined by a White Faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae).

This one I caught the Noisy miner taking a drink with a great reflection, I didn't have time to reposisiont to get clear of the grass this time, but will keep an eye out next time and see if I can get in a better position. 

An Eastern Great Egret (Ardea modesta) patrolling the shores of the first main lake in the gardens. 

One of the little Yellow thornbills (Acanthiza nana).

The Birds of Prey were out as well this ones of a Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides) as it sits high on the high tension power lines watching the world go by. 

The next is a series of a pair of Black Shouldered Kites (Elanus axillaris) These ones have the most amazing eyes with bright orange eyes against the white bird. Happy with some of these and one I've already had printed large just waiting from me to mat and mount it so it can be hung on the wall here. 

This ones a little smaller being a little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) as it did a circuit of the lake. 

In the main lakes there was also a pair of black swans (Cygnus atratus) that seem to betraying out the lake for size.

This pair are the same ones as above but one week later, again the first shot is the original and the next are variations of this shot with different effects, again just trying things out experimenting with it all. 

So thats it for this weeks blog, a round up of the last few weeks shooting for those that missed the weekly shots, the weathers looking better for this weekend and a long weekend here as well so we'll see what I can come up with this weekend when I get out. 

Thanks for dropping by my blog, be back next week wth more. 

Glenn.