Month: December 2012

 

Spotted Pardalote | Flickr – Photo Sharing!.

Did a run down to the Treatment Plant in the late afternoon.  Concept was simple.  FInd a spot where the birds might be active on dusk and wait. While it was a bit of fun, the score card was pretty low, but we had a picnic, Peek-nic on the seaside and listened to waves, and the birds and felt the light breeze on our brows, so what’s not to like.

On the way to the location we had a look at the screechy falcon, and she didn’t disappoint.  But she managed to upset a Willie Wagtail by landing in the same tree as said Willie had a nest, and a battle ensued.

In the end the Falcon gave in, which is more to the credit of the wagtails perseverance than the Falcon’s desire to move.

Just to add to her misery, a pair of Black-shouldered Kites have nested in the same area, and the male came by to give the poor old Falcon a bit more of a hurry on.  Being stooped by a Black-shouldered Kite was just to much for her dignity and she retreated down the roadway to a safe tree, to be harassed by some Welcome Swallows who soon lost interest in the game. She sat in the tree and complained to her young.  The nest is one she’s used in a previous season, and without getting too close (See reference to Bird Photographers Code of Practice and best OHS management in a previous ramble), we think that the nest contains Two young.  Which would be really nice.   They both seemed quite large, (the little tiny bit of each we could see from a distance) so probably be on the wing in the next couple of weeks.  Then perhaps she’ll calm down again.

As the sun set, I turned my hand to landscape photography, and sort of remembered how much fun that used to be. Might even give it a bit of a revival.

 

 

 

 

 

 

No doubt about it, you have to have a sense of humour to attempt to photograph birds.
We’ve been working with this pair now for about three weeks. The male has become particularly confident around me.
Today, he dropped by for a quick once over, and then went back to his feeding duties.
He dropped onto a tree quite close, in fact closer then the lens can focus. Normally the technique is to move the camera-tripod-photographer back a bit, but the scrub prevented that happening. But give the camera credit, if found something to focus on. His Tail!
Thought I’d share it, as it amuses me no end. Enjoy.

She on the other hand is quite happily setting on her brood. She has about another 8 days to go before hatching, and I think this is her third attempt. Hope she’s successful this time.
We don’t go near the nest, or try to take great close ups of her at work, the bird photo police will come round and revoke our license or the ground will open up, I’m not sure which.
We do recognise the Bird Photographers Code of Ethics and Best Practice and leave nesting sites alone.

However there is much to be said for a shot of him feeding her, on the nest, and they are both confident around us. Only thing is of course the consequence of predators following our scent.

I think the code of ethics thing is great. I used to judge national and international photo competitions in the 1970/80s, the number of bird on nest photos was obscene. What was even more pornographic was the damage that was done removing boughs, twigs, digging into nests, and other damage. The worst one was a shot of a nesting Scarlet Robin, and the main protective branch showed hatchet marks where the outer cover had been removed.
In those days, the ‘nature’ photographer, would set up and then go to a motel and let the motion detector take the pics.
No wonder we have a code of ethics.

Via Flickr:
Focus
Focus Focus. This bird is so close that the lens coulnd’t get focus, but did manage to get the tail sharp. Less than 4.5 metres. He has become confident with me.

This post is sort of a anniversary edition. It is just on twelve months ago that I got fair dinkum about finding a replacement for the old Mac Mobile Me website.  After playing around a bit I settled on using WordPress as the home for Birds as Poetry.

Thanks to all those who have looked, commented, sent me a note or simply said they read what goes on.  Hopefully I’ll find enough bird images to get me through 2013.

After nearly six months exile on the Backpaddock area i journeyed out there in the strong windy/showery conditions.

I was looking for any sign of Red-capped Robins in the area near the gate and also the now somewhat elusive White-throated Treecreeper.

Not much to report from about the gate area, and I took a walk over the hill and down into the dry creek that runs from Gellibrand Hill.  There are some real purple patches along there and today was no exception.
A beautiful female Rufous Whistler was looking for food for her young and eventually found a big grey bug, and sped away to deliver the goods.

I heard and then saw three male Redcaps in areas along the creek-line down to the little dam near the Police Paddock fence line, and then across to the four ways junction and a small family of Grey Fantails.

After a fruitless search along the ridge line, I cut back toward the three-way junction and there found a male Red-cap hard at work feeding a fledgling. By the look it has been out of the nest for a week or more.  He ensconced it in some fallen branches and then disappeared. He almost certainly has one or two others “planted” in the general area.  Perhaps he keeps them apart for insurance or protection, loosing one doesn’t mean they are all gone. Anyway I waited and after about 30 minutes, he was obviously not in a hurry to return, so I moved on.

On the way back, Will O’Scarlett came out to see what I was doing, and then sped off across the paddock so I lost him completely.  No sign of any young and he didn’t seem to be hunting.

So there are still things happening in the Backpaddock, the robins have been fortunate in getting some young off, and she will probably have another attempt in a few weeks, might even get a third one in before the season ends.  All very interesting.