This weeks blog post is a a walk thought the shots taken this weekend in the Australian Botanical Gardens, Mount Annan.
Next Saturday morning (10th Dec) will be my first photography workshop held in the gardens and I did a trial walk through this weekend of the walk we'll be taking in the gardens. So the first set of shots are shots taken form the walk we will be doing then later on I went a little further and got a few extra shots for the week.
This first set of shots is taken just near the plant bank, a small group of gum trees with several hollows has a lot of interest. This first shot shows a Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossis Haematodus) at a hollow a few minutes before a Red-rumped parrot came out of it.
This shot shows a pair of Rainbow Lorikeets investigating a different hollow in the same tree, this one is the home to a pair of Galahs and their young.
This shots of one of the Galahs (Eolophus roseicapilla) standing watch.
Opposite these trees is the woodland area of the gardens with Cumberland plain woodland. This shot of an Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides) was taken from the trees looking in tot her woodland through the trees, The bird was a fair way off so this one’s pretty heavily cropped so starting to lose the quality in this image.
The young Galah stuck its head just out of the hollow to see whats going on around and what all the fuss was about, so with luck this weekend it will be a lot more active and showing it self off to the world.
Not to miss out this Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) also came in to get its portrait taken, these aren't always the best with the white bird against a light background so getting the exposure right is critical for these ones.
The parent Galahs were content to just sit around and doing a spot of feather maintenance. as seen in this shot.
This ones of a White-plumed Honeyeater, currently building its nest not that far of the main walking track, You can see all the spiderweb its been collecting to build its nest with under its beak and across its chest.
Next up is a series of shots of a Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) The first two shots are taken and the background is a bit distracting with all the branches behind, but then it moved on to a second branch where I got a cleaner shot with less distraction in the background.
Next up A Scarlet Honeyeater (Myzomela sanguinolenta), I've caught a glimpse of this one in the past but never managed a shot, not the best shot, but clearly the scarlet Honeyeater, these ones are high up in the canopy and don't stay still for long, but there were a few about so hopefully we'll be in luck next weekend.
This ones of a Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa) young in the dam opposite the plant bank.
After the test walk checking out the timing of the walk I went up to the main lakes near the visitors centre The usual lake inhabitants were there. This ones of the common Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata).
Next up an Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae) in its reed nest in the lake.
One of the young Little Pied Cormorants (Microcarbo melanoleucos) has made its way out in the lake this week so this ones on one of its first venture so hasn't had time to get its feathers dirty yet.
This ones of a Hardhead (Aythya australis) (White eyed duck) taking a bath in the middle of the lake.
By then I thought that was it for the day so was heading to the car. In the Carpark I ran across these Musk Lorikeets first time I've got a shot of these in the gardens, so two new birds this week now down to 66 birds to go in the gardens now.
So that's it for this weeks shots, a little late getting this one out due to preparing the presentation and training notes for the Bird photography work shop, The works shops now over now, next blog post I'll tell you how it went.
So that's it for this weeks blog. Thanks for dropping by my blog.
Glenn.
This weeks blog post is a walk through of the shots taken this weekend in the Australian Botanical Gardens, Mount Annan. Only had a short time there this week so didn't get to spend to much time there this weekend.
First up around the plant bank I came across this Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla) There was a pair of these in this gum tree this one on guard over its hollow the other was a little higher up in the tree. This is the same hollow I've been at the last few weeks.
In the same stand of gum trees, was this Olive-backed Oriole (Oriolus sagittatus) These ones have a very unique call and so you often hear these first and then go looking for them to photograph. These are quite colourful and about the size of a Noisy Miner.
An Australian Raven (Corvus Coronoides) was being pestered by its young looking for a free feed not sure it seamed to get what it was after, form what I can see looked like it was passed a small rock to play with. AS seen in the third shot in this series.
This ones almost guaranteed of being seen each week he Long-Billed Corella (Cacatua Tenuirostris) in its hollow. This ones seen a few years looking at its beak, looks a little worse for wear over the years.
As always around the Stolen Generation Memorial is a colony of Bell Miners, (Manorina melanophrys) This one was high up in the tree as is most times so not the best angle for a shot of one of these. But if any one ever wanted to know what a bell bird looks like, this is one.
Walking along the Stolen Generation path but in the clearing opposite the plant bank on the board walk I spotted this Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) looking for lunch as it sits in its tree surveying the ground.
From there I drove up to the connections gardens and found another new bird for me, I know these have been in the gardens before but I've never spotted one, this week I not only spotted one but did manage to get a coupe of shots of the Dollarbird (Eurystomus orintalis), not the best quality as it was from some distance away and as I moved closer it didn't stick around for a second session. I was short of them this weekend so didn't get to spend time tracking this one down this week, but one to look out for in future visits. So another one ticked off the list only 66 to go now to cover all the birds listed and having a presence in the Australian Botanical Gardens, Mount Annan.
The last tow shots for this week where taken under the canopy in the connections gardens of a Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus) . These made the number one spot in the Bird life Australia Bird count again this year so two ears in a row now that these ones are leading the rush.
Next up in a nearby tree is this noisy miner just sitting and waiting probably a lot safer where it is.
So thats it for this weeks short walk in the Australian Botanical Gardens, Mount Annan, thanks for dropping by my blog, I'll be back next week with more.
Glenn.
Welcome back to my weekly blog, this week again a walk thought of the shots taken on the weekend in the Australian Botanical Gardens, Mount Annan.
First up something different a bee hive in a hollow of a gum tree. The bees are always active around this one and looks to be traces of honey below the hollow on the trunk. This ones in the first group of trees in the gardens just as you drive in, before the main ring road around the gardens.
In the same area I noticed the amazing textures on this branch in a nearby tree, I'll have to revise this one a few times to see what I can work with this one, different light and different focal lengths, but the patterns are amazing on this one.
Again this shots from the same location a small water holes at the base of all these trees so plenty of Bird life around these ones, this ones a female Red-Rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus) at another hollow. Again all these are before you hit the main ring road in the gardens.
Next up around the back of the waterhole on the flats was this Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia) This ones been around the east few weeks so a few shots of this one now of late. The trick here is to get the exposure right without blowing out the white feathers.
From there I moved on a little further thou not to far this ones on the first large lake as you drive into the gardens, in the reeds while trying to catch a shot of the Australian Reed-Warbler I say the reeds move thinking it was the reed-warbler I found it was instead a Litoria fallax (Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog). I don;t have to many shots of front for the gardens so even wiht the reeds in the way this one turned out OK.
Across the lake on a small island a pair of Little Black Cormorants (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) were sitting around drying off. The black contrasts nicely with the greenery in the Background in this shot.
From there I drove up to the connections gardens to see if there are any Mushrooms about this week after not finding any the last few weeks, this week was not to be any better so no luck finding mushrooms to shoot, So had to look for something else and came across this acacia seed pod, which made for an interesting subject.
After no mushrooms and time getting away I headed down two the two main lakes to see what was about and came across this Male Red-Rumped parrot, pretty plain to see how this one got its name.
This one was most co-operative so I managed both front and back shots of it.
Flying up the lake was this Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) on its way to its nest. Even zoomed in as largest as I can this one is still heavily cropped so the image is stating to loose the detail in this image.
These next two are of the young in their next arguing over a bit of bark The Second shot has them on the lookout for the return win the next meal.
Last up for this week a little Black cormorant again cursing the lake this time. These ones sit low in the water all the better for diving.
Thanks for dropping by my blog this week, I'll be back next week with more.
Glenn.
This week’s blog posting is a walk-through of the shots taken last weekend in the Australian Botanical Gardens, Mount Annan.
This first series of shots are of three different Bird types all nesting in the same gum tree, Guess this is apartment living bird style.
This tree is out the back of the plant bank so will be one of the stop offs on my upcoming Bird photography workshop held in the gardens. https://www.australianbotanicgarden.com.au/What-s-On/Bird-Photography-Workshop
First up a pair of Long-billed Corellas (Cacatua tenuirostris) The first two shots are taken about 90 degrees apart so same place just a different angle sometimes taking a few steps either way makes all the difference to a shot. The first shot is more a profile shot of the birds.
This next one is more front on showing more of the bird, this one shows more of the details of hollow these ones have claimed.
This next one is the same shot as above but given a bit of extra processing in Topaz Impressions II giving that painting like feeling to the image. I masked out the birds so they are more the actual photograph and the tree and background are the painting effect
This same tree had a Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus) also investigating a smaller hollow, this one was on the underside of a branch, so the bird was all but upside down when it came to the hollow. These ones are pretty heavily cropped in so starting to show the effects of being too heavily cropped in.
A pair of Galahs (Eolophus roseicapilla) have also taken up resedance in the same tree so a real community set up in this one now, this is the same hollow from a few weeks that the Galah was using the gum leaves to clean it out. (If you missed the post check out the one from 17/9/2016 which shots the Galah doing its dusting)
I managed to capture this White faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) as it struck for a small fish. These are quite common in the gardens in the various water holes around the gardens.
Next up I found a new bird I hadn't captured in the gardens before an Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti). This one, there was a complete family so I managed to get a shot of both Male and female plus the young as well. I didn't manage to get a really clean shot of these as they weren't co-operating posing wise but I'll check them out again next week and see if I can do better now I know where these ones are hiding.
Last up for this week’s shot is this shot of a Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla) a small group of these was bouncing around me again never staying still long enough to get a clean shot so again a shot with a stick in the way. But this one certainly wasn't shy and came quite close, but not close enough without a stick for cover. maybe next week. We'll see.
So that’s it for this week shots in the Australian Botanical Gardens, Mount Annan. Another bird found so that’s now 110 out of the 177 birds listed in the gardens, so only 67 to go now. Slowly but surely I'll get there, well get close, some of the birds listed are pretty rear so may not ever get there but half the fun is trying each week. This week found another one so always hope.
Well that’s it for this week blog post, thanks for dropping by my weekly blog, I'll be back next week with more.
Glenn.
This weeks blog is a walk through the shots from this weeks walk in the Australian Botanical Gardens, Mount Annan. Again no mushrooms to be found this week so all bird shots this week. Some news for those that follow this post regularly, the Garens have asked me if I'm interested in running some photography workshops in the gardens, with the first one starting on the 10th December 2016 see the link below from the Gardens website for the details.
https://www.australianbotanicgarden.com.au/What-s-On/Bird-Photography-Workshop
More news to come on other activities in the gardens when I have more details but a few exciting things coming up for me with the gardens in teh coming months.
So this weeks shots started again around the plant bank with the Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoeucos) This ones there most of the time but a little timid so if you move to try and get a better angle it usually takes off. So not the best view this week of this one.
Next a Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis) This one was a bit high up in the tree for a good shot, the trick with this type of shot is to get the exposure correct, with the light background you need to compensate for the light background, but if you lower the camera and expose for the tree trunk then recompose on the bird you have a better chance of getting the exposure correct. As in this shot.
The Long-Billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris)is still in its hollow peering out. Again with the light back ground (Sky) you need to expose for the tree trunk and recompose or use live view and zoom in on the bird and set your exposure there.
Next up a Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis) these are quite common around the connections garden. Also very common in my own backyard.
Also about was quite a few Spotted Pardalotes (Pardalotus punctuates) These can be heard calling out around the top of the connections garden and often pose for a while while calling out. This one was calling out for a while, but didn ;t move to ta location where eI could get a clean shot today. This was the best I could do with the part of the branch coving the body of the bird.
In the same area was this little Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis) This one as usual was perched in its tree studying the ground when it punched on this lizard, it then proceeded to strike the lizard against the log it was on, much like you see a Kookaburra do when it finds something.
From the Connections gardens I headed off down to the main lakes to see what has going on there after last weeks shots of the swallows feeding. First up I found this Royal spoonbill (Platalea regia) in amongst the lily pads you can see the reflection of the lily pads on the birds body.
I walked around the lake this week and found on the far side the swallows in feeding mode again but this time much closer so the next series of shots shows the parent bird fly in and feed the chicks on the branch the fly off.
For these shots the camera was set up onto tripod exposure and focus preset and just wait for the right moment and hit the shutter button with continuous high speed set. So again a few good shots here happy with these.
So that's it for this week shots from the Australian Botanical Gardens. I'll be back with more next week.
Thanks for dropping by my blog.
Glenn.