What a beautiful lizard. I think it is a Bearded Dragon but happy to stand corrected. It was a great photographic subject, absolutely not going anywhere else on this hot day.
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Monday, 7 January 2013
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Hey ma, I'm growing up!
This is a very cute, young Welcome Swallow. It has several siblings and cousins at the pond and they like to sit around together and observe the world, often balancing on reeds like this, bobbing up and down. The young swallows are not nearly as shy as the Reed Warblers and four or more will sit together.
I've been reading a lot about photography since I got my new camera and am still not too wise. For now all my shots are jpeg with no post production except cropping. I relate to the school of photographers whose job is done when the shutter button is pressed! I know this swallow photo is a long way from a perfect image, but it's so sweet I had to show you. And if I wait till everything is perfect, well no blog.
And here is something else I have learned. Catchlights. They are the little shiny dots in the eye. Can you see them? Apparently they make wildlife photographs more appealing.
I've been reading a lot about photography since I got my new camera and am still not too wise. For now all my shots are jpeg with no post production except cropping. I relate to the school of photographers whose job is done when the shutter button is pressed! I know this swallow photo is a long way from a perfect image, but it's so sweet I had to show you. And if I wait till everything is perfect, well no blog.
And here is something else I have learned. Catchlights. They are the little shiny dots in the eye. Can you see them? Apparently they make wildlife photographs more appealing.
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Great Cormorant
Cormorants are proving hard photographic subjects for me. They may look nice and still on those dead branches, but up close they are panting like anything, on these hot days at least, and I end up with many blurry images. Finally this Great Cormorant got the idea to take a swim. After that, it was easier to get a better picture. Voilà.
Monday, 31 December 2012
And then there was one
Our family returned after a some days away for Christmas to find just one swanling at the pond.
Who knows what happened. Maybe the stronger swanlings fledged and this one was left behind for now. The swanlings are the right age for fledging, just, according to my ancient but trusty Reader's Digest bird book. They'd been skimming across the pond for a few weeks and testing their wings a lot.
Alternatively the remaining parent, we think the mother, took fright after the loss of her partner, and moved the strongest swanlings on. There are many waterways close by that are safer than here.
Who knows what happened. Maybe the stronger swanlings fledged and this one was left behind for now. The swanlings are the right age for fledging, just, according to my ancient but trusty Reader's Digest bird book. They'd been skimming across the pond for a few weeks and testing their wings a lot.
Alternatively the remaining parent, we think the mother, took fright after the loss of her partner, and moved the strongest swanlings on. There are many waterways close by that are safer than here.
Sunday, 23 December 2012
Black Swan
One of the parent swans died a few days ago. Its body is floating in the pond near the reeds. The other swans swim close from time to time and take a look like they know it should be with them.
I can't think of any good reason for a swan to die in the prime of its life and I suspect it choked on plastic. My husband thinks a wound from a dog. It's all speculation of course and we'll never know. It's sad to think that these swans will not return here year after year.
All the work of the parent swans is paying off for the swanlings, as they are very strong at four months, and are now learning to fly. As I approached the pond this morning, I witnessed a flight demonstration. The remaining parent leapt out of a nearby tree and flapped noisily across the pond. It then made a huge amount of 'YEAH told ya I am the greatest' swan noises to impress all in the vicinity. It was pretty cool. I hope I see more of that.
I can't think of any good reason for a swan to die in the prime of its life and I suspect it choked on plastic. My husband thinks a wound from a dog. It's all speculation of course and we'll never know. It's sad to think that these swans will not return here year after year.
All the work of the parent swans is paying off for the swanlings, as they are very strong at four months, and are now learning to fly. As I approached the pond this morning, I witnessed a flight demonstration. The remaining parent leapt out of a nearby tree and flapped noisily across the pond. It then made a huge amount of 'YEAH told ya I am the greatest' swan noises to impress all in the vicinity. It was pretty cool. I hope I see more of that.
 |
| A very fuzzed out swan pic but beautiful none the less. |
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Sunday, 9 December 2012
Nankeen Night Heron
My children assure me that NOTHING ever happens at the local pond. That opinion is possibly not shared by the two Night Herons that flew over this morning, and caused the greatest disturbance since, let's see, the Canberra Show.
There I am, new camera in hand for five minutes at most, quietly snapping one or two patient swanlings, when suddenly the sky is alive with menacing magpies and what seemed liked dozens of other bogan birds, giving raucous chase to a pair of Night Herons. There was no way the bush birds would allow the herons to land and even the birds in the water got worked up.
My photograph is fairly ordinary but I'm posting it in case they never re-appear. Next time I will try to remember that the new camera has a viewfinder. That might help. Working out my new camera will be a steep learning curve. Expect a lot of photographs of magpies to follow.
There I am, new camera in hand for five minutes at most, quietly snapping one or two patient swanlings, when suddenly the sky is alive with menacing magpies and what seemed liked dozens of other bogan birds, giving raucous chase to a pair of Night Herons. There was no way the bush birds would allow the herons to land and even the birds in the water got worked up.
My photograph is fairly ordinary but I'm posting it in case they never re-appear. Next time I will try to remember that the new camera has a viewfinder. That might help. Working out my new camera will be a steep learning curve. Expect a lot of photographs of magpies to follow.
Sunday, 2 December 2012
Superb Parrot
Walking the beat this morning I was lucky to come across a non usual suspect parrot, happily feeding on grass seed. As many Canberrans have recently sighted Superb Parrots, it was not too hard to figure this one out. Unfortunately this superb Superb did not find me nearly as captivating as I found it, immediately outmaneuvering me in the direction of old growth eucalyptus, with this photo the only evidence.
It's a stunning parrot huh?
It's a stunning parrot huh?
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