Author: David Jenkins

Natural History Photographic Essayist

Why I wonder, do we have to talk about Ethics?

Posted in Uncategorized7 Comments

Not much of a subject really in a bird blog.  Is it?

For quite awhile I’ve had a disclaimer on this blog of our birding practice(s).

I’ve been challenged, (accused is too strong a word-but you have to sit in my seat to appreciate the difference), that we (EE and I) take ‘liberties’ with the birds we photograph.

Here is the summary of what I’ve said previously.

Addendum: Just to be very clear.  These birds are not baited, called in, or in anyway interfered with.   We don’t use: hides, camo gear nor setup stations.  We mostly sit, and work for acceptance. We are simply recording the activities of a very relaxed and completely confident bird.  We strive for connection and if a bird exhibits any ‘stress’, we leave it in peace.  No photo is worth stressing the bird.
Now you know!

Long term readers will be familiar with my quotes from Jon Young’s “What the Robin Knows!”.  Short version   Jon Young strives for and encourages “Connectedness”.
“One day I will see a bird and a thin thread will form between me and the bird. If I just see it and don’t recognise it, no thread is formed.  If I go again and again, the thread is strengthened each time. It will eventually grow in to a string, then a cord, then a rope. This is what it means to be a Bushman, we make ropes of connection to all aspects of the creation” Introduction, page xxv.

We strive to keep that connectedness, in some very special instances the birds respond in a most enchanting way.  For those, we are able to raise great stories.

Brad Hill, is a Canadian photographer, and I follow his work regularly.

He has posted recently posted a timely  “Code of Ethics for Bird Photographers”. Thought you might like a different perspective.  See it here  http://www.naturalart.ca/voice/photography_ethics.html

 

Oh, and here is a bird that had developed connectedness with me.
Her name was Primrose.  A lovely female Red-capped Robin at Woodlands. Most days as we walked past, she would deliberately come out for a visit.

Red-capped Robin
How close can you get? Now turn to the right, work it, work it.

The header photo is from the Kestrel Series and there are several blog posts back a year or two about that extended moment.  Her name was Elizabeth— Jane Austin fans will understand.

Keep takin’ photos.  We do.

In the School with Choughs

Posted in Uncategorized, White-winged Chough, You YangsTagged , 3 Comments 
Flow with whatever may happen 
and let your mind be free. 
Stay centered by accepting 
whatever you are doing. 
This is the ultimate. 
Chuang Tzu

 

We’d been sitting quietly for awhile. Infact long enough to enjoy at least one cuppa and think longingly for the Thermos for a second.

It’s the You Yangs. Near the old, now unused, Duckponds School building. We were making one last session at finding the Jacky Winter pair and to see what the Eastern Yellow Robins were up to.
And.
To tell all the truth.  Not much.  Yep, that’s it. Little, a void, devoid, uninhabited. Departed, moved on, relocated.

And its been like that for quite awhiles. Many of the more productive spots we’ve been visiting, have been, well, decidedly UNproductive.

I knew there were White-winged Choughs on the other side of the main road, as their calls were quite clear.

1802-12_DWJ_3288.jpg

Continue reading “In the School with Choughs” →

Purple-crowned Lorikeet: The Art of the Impossible

Posted in Purple-crowned Lorikeet, The Office, UncategorizedTagged , 2 Comments 
“Forget the years, forget distinctions. 
Leap into the boundless and make it your home!”
― Zhuangzi

 

Here’s a quick one as I’m still smiling after watching it happen

Take two Purple-crowned Lorikeets in preening mode.  Have one of them decide that its more fun on the other side of the branch.
Imagine (if you will), it can fly across to the new spot.

But.

Our hero of the moment takes a much  more direct approach.  Had I but known this would have been so much more fun to see in video.

Enjoy

1802-11_DWJ_2483.jpg

Nothing like a preen and a wingstretch to build a pair bond

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Inside the World of Bee-eaters

Posted in Rainbow Bee EaterTagged 7 Comments 
	“The wise man knows that it is better 
	to sit on the banks of a remote mountain stream 
	than to be emperor of the whole world.” 
	― Zhuangzi

One bird that is somewhat elusive and challenges us to keep going out to find new areas is the Rainbow Bee-eater.

We’ve been known to drive to Newstead, and sit quietly on the creek bank that runs through the cemetery as its usually a honey-pot area for them during nesting season.   Of course the opportunity for a pie at the Guildford General Store might have something to do with that journey as well.
The You Yangs Park is also a well known area for them, although the nesting there is generally on private property and access is a bit more difficult.  We also see them at Mt Rothwell Conservation Area, and no doubt they nest there, but it’s also not an easy access to organise.

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Office Addendum

Posted in Uncategorized2 Comments

Given our somewhat fling of success the previous evening, EE decided that an early morning start to have a look and see if we could locate the Nankeen Night-herons and Sacred Kingfishers would be a good use of our time.  And as my poor old foot had survived the first outing, it might be good of course, to well, test it a bit further. Thanks.  Such is the medical profession. Of which EE is not one. 🙂

It did seem quite bright sunshine and blue sky as we loaded Sir Perceval, and head out.  But as soon as we were past the halfway point, the clouds rolled in, and was that rain I detected on the windscreen.  “Oh, Jane said on the telly news that it wouldn’t rain today”, she confidently replies.
Oh! Good!

It seems to me, and I might of course be speaking out of turn, but the weather tv folk must always be talking about a specific house in a specific (unspecified of course) neighborhood, and the rest of us can just take pot luck.  I’m also of the opinion, and I could of course be speaking out of turn again, but it seems to me, that said weather spruikers are probably less accurate than the other dudes who do the ‘Your day by the Stars’, readings— Just sayin’.

Highlight of the day was two Wedge-tailed Eagles either in dispute or play. Regrettably little sunshine and too far far away.  But an amazing sight. Continue reading “Office Addendum” →

Enjoying the Evening Light at The Office

Posted in The Office, Werribee River ParkTagged 3 Comments 
 Flow with whatever is happening 
and let your mind be free. 
Stay centered 
by accepting whatever you are doing. 
This is the ultimate.
Zhuang Zhou

Truth be told, its been quite a long time between drinks at “The Office”.
A lot been happening, but mostly, the weather, a sore heel that slows down my walking, lack of birds and perhaps general sloth has kept us away from The Office at the Werribee River Park.

You could also add the amount of time spent looking for and not finding those elusive Sacred Kingfishers, but that would be at tad churlish methinks.

So it was with quite a high degree of expectation that we loaded up Sir Perceval, and headed on one of his amazing Quests.

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Wrestling with the enigma that is Goschen

Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , 9 Comments 
"The oftener one sees,

the better one knows;

the better one knows,

the more one loves."

Charles Kingsley

We’ve been up to the family acres for the annual family pilgrimage. Somehow or other the January time frame suits this sojourn and regardless of the weather we journey up.
Swan Hill is the destination and of late we’ve been staying across the river (That would be the Murray River for the geographically embarrassed), at the Murray Downs Golf Resort.

When I was but a mere broth of a lad, the area was mostly salt bush and mud flat, but good old ingenuity, and the application of many hundreds of thousands of dollars has transformed the area to a fine golfclub resort.  And the side benefit for the average birder is that the many water features and trees has provided a suitable haven for many of the birds of area. But, more of that on another blog methinks.

A few kilometres down the road from Swan Hill is a small isolated patch of scrub, that is now incorporated into the “Goschen Roadside Reserve”.

And is wont of those in the Parks department it is now suitably fenced off to keep undesirables on the outside and protect that which is on the inside. Not that there is much to protect anymore.

And so begins the enigma. Goschen was to be a little township that happened after the first world war. (Yes, it should be in caps, but really does it deserve such honour?) Many such small communities were established.  But, the one thing about Goschen is— Lack of Water (in caps because, well, it’s the singularly most important part of the enigma)

Drive just 5 more minutes down the road and you’ll come over a sandy rise and all is green before you.  The result of irrigation. Water. And the rich farming area of grapes, stone fruit and citrus.  Just 5 minutes.  Had the water extended out to Goschen, then all would have been different and hopes and dreams would have turned to riches, instead of just being blown away like the dust.

To their credit, the early settlers and the government officials of the time, did try.  A school, community hall, cricket field and tennis courts were all part of the scheme and were built.  Now all that remains is a plaque for the school—and some of the old concrete flooring in the toilets—the community hall rapidly deteriorating as the fencing off has protected it somewhat from vandalism, and also meant it is ignored by the fence erectors. A search among the long grass to the east will also find the remains of the concrete cricket pitch.

The years past and the area, as often happened began to revert to its ordinary existence. And the area became a little haven for birds both local and migrants.

And another challenge. An area that can be an honeypot on occasions and frustratingly quiet on others. It’s not just a seasonal thing, nor a food thing. It’s Goschen.

 

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Postcards from Mt Rothwell

Posted in Mt Rothwell, Superb Fairy-wrenTagged , , , 10 Comments 
We don’t need to know what it looks like (whatever it is), 
but what it might mean—what it might feel like. 
More than ever, we need images that speak to a deeper part of our humanity 
than the thirst for details. 
We need, and hunger for, context, insight, hope, 
and the kind of visual poetry that stirs our hearts, 
sparks our imaginations.
David DuChemin

Posted 28 Jan 2018

A few days before our sojourn up to the ‘old’ country, we were part of Werribee Wagtails quarterly bird count at Mt Rothwell.

In line with the weather all around, it was hot.  But we managed some good numbers in the first morning walk and at lunch time were sitting in the shade of the office area.  The ranger in charge  (Should that be hyphenated?) Ranger-in-charge.  There—setup a hose and sprinkler to give the little garden area a bit of relief.  This one action of course brought all the small bushbirds out for a bit of a cool off.

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In the Cool of the Morning

Posted in Blue-faced Honeyeater, Peaceful Dove, Swan HillTagged , , , 6 Comments

We’ve done our week up at the family acres, and enjoyed some great family time. Super fun to catch up with the relatives and share memories, food and great conversation.  But.  The heat was not enjoyable.  Funny, we all noted as little kids, we were much too busy running under the sprinkler on the lawn and enjoying cold drinks to really notice how hot it actually was.

Don’t start me on ‘global warming’.  It was always hot, with many days over 100 F, (38C) so not much has changed.

We had the opportunity to fit in a bit of bird photography, and choose the early morning cool as the best time.  Evenings are good too, but there is always a lot of dust in the air and the colour temperature brings white balance complications.

One spot at the Murray Downs Golf Resort is a haven for Rainbow Bee-eaters and White-breasted Woodswallows.  They congregate there in large numbers, so it was a good place to start.

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+ It is So Hot +

Posted in Goschen, Hooded RobinTagged , 6 Comments 
“It's like a finger pointing away to the moon. 
Don't concentrate on the finger 
or you will miss all that heavenly glory.”
 Bruce Lee

“It’s 115 degrees in the Waterbag”, my dear old Dad was wont to proclaim on scorching hot days.  (115 being in degrees Fahrenheit)
We were travelling past Goschen after a week up at the family acres and suffering through a run of days above 40C. This morning it was already 44C and not even yet mid-morning. (And we had at least 4 hours of roadwork ahead of us).

To add to the difficulty there was a strong northerly wind blowing as well.   For the geographically and meteorologically challenged, that means the winds are carrying very hot air down from the interior of Australia and a quick look at your average Aussie map will show that there is a lot, mostly, of desert out there.  About 70% of the land mass is semi arid or arid.  That’s about 5.3 Million square kilometers.
And most of it was concentrating on Goschen.

To be honest, we should have just kept going, a nice cool drink and a pie at the Eaglehawk Bakery was our next stop.
But, well, you never know do you?

However after about 30 mins of blistering wind, little shade and myriad flies, it was time, as they say, to let discretion have the better of the moment, and we sat in the pathetic shade of the old—now badly deteriorating and neglected— Goschen Hall.  A quick cuppa, a snack, and, well, we’d be on the road.

Speaking of family, my Mum always used to say, “Nothing like a hot cup of tea on a wretched day.” And as the kettle was always on the stove, the teapot sitting on the side and plenty of rich sugar in the bowl, perhaps she was right about a hot, black, sugar rich  cuppa.   At least the time taken to sit, sip, enjoy, and talk about things did help to pass the time away.

We’d seen little of the bird life of the area that morning. Unlike a few days before when only time for other commitments dragged us on our journey.  More of that on another blog.

As we sat, a tiny blur of wings landed in a tree not far from us.

A Hooded Robin

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Sharing a Few Golden Moments over Breakfast

Posted in European GoldfinchTagged 6 Comments 
No one longs for "content", 
what we want is connection.
We want hope.
We want to look at something and feel
something deeper than whatever it is
that moves my finger to click
the Like Button.
David DuChemin.

 

January 14, 2018

Long time blog readers will no doubt be pleased to have noted that I didn’t do the normal, ‘bare my creative soul’ post this year and instead seemed to have skipped it this time around.  And rightly so too, as someone said not so long ago ‘the blog is good, but I just ignore all that philosophical stuff”—not exactly the words used, but I’ve cleaned it up for general consumption.

I’ve been working with a photo mentor, David DuChemin, (again should be obvious from the direction some of the posts here have taken), good to have a mentor, keeps me focused, honest with my work, and challenges the things that I see as ‘comfortable’.

But they do get picky.  Like “So, what’s your project for 2018?”  Blank look, stares at feet, thinks of principal’s office all those years ago, and responds,  Ohhh, I dunno!

And what’s with the project stuff anyway.  I take pictures.  More pondering and ever so slightly drifting toward the philo-pile commented on above.

So I was sitting in the kitchen, popping the muesli into the bowl, in the early morning, and looking out the window at the wonders of the world outside. Not much really as a colorbond fence is about all that stares back at me.  When I heard a lovely musical bird call.
Looking up it was one of a pair of European Goldfinch that have been messing about in the yard over the past few months.

Then, it departed and a much higher pitched and urgent call came from the clothes-line on the other side of the fence.   And as I strained to see thought the fence, behold—as they say in all the best scripts—behold (well it was so good I thought I’d use it again) a young Goldfinch landed on the fence in front of me.

 

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Life with a sprinkle of Choughness

Posted in Uncategorized, White-winged Chough, You YangsTagged 2 Comments

Long term readers will know of my fascination with all things Choughness.

White-winged Choughs can be both frustrating and rewarding to follow.  Some families seem to have a high human tolerance and I’ve had them hunt around my feet and sit on the same log with me.  Others. No matter how much time I spend, they just keep moving on.
They are not the world’s greatest aeronauts and I often think that if they can run to the next location that is their preferred method of locomotion.

They also have quite well established family rules. Which they understand, while I must guess what is going on.  And at just about every encounter, I come away impressed by some new view of choughness.

One family we see regularly in the You Yangs have just managed to get a couple of young ones off the nest.   Now comes the job of teaching these little ones all the rules of choughness.   And its a big task.  The young birds are quite clueless. And they have an average attention span of about 1 millisecond.   “Is it food”, seems to be the total of their ability to reason.   So the adults have to spend quite a bit of time working with young. And because of their lack of reason, they are easily enticed away by other families offering “bigger grubs”.  Oh boy, I gotta go

Choughs need quite a large family size, at least six or seven adults to raise a young.  Larger groups have more flexibility and its reported, more success.

Found the family at work around some rocks, and settled down for a sprinkle of choughness to add to my day.

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Grebes On Show

Posted in Australasian GrebeTagged 12 Comments

We have as they say, been having a bit of a lean time with our birds of late.  Seems the weather, the season, the food, the  lack of time in the bush, all have contributed to a fairly, well, lean period.

We were all prepared to enjoy a season with a pair of Jacky Winter, but due to unfortunate circumstances, perhaps bad weather, they lost the clutch a few days from flight.  A local Tawny Frogmouth clutch came, and went, and so did the various Magpie-lark families.  So its been a bit of a well, you know, lean time.

We have been watching a pair of Australasian Grebes at the Werribee Mansion Ornamental Lake, and they have had as similar story of clutches started, but not completed.
So it was quite intriguing to watch the pair in breeding plumage potter about on the water, but not really get much accomplished.

Then a couple of weeks ago, we found they had begun again to ferry weed and mud about and had a platform securely in the reeds.

And today we took a few minutes to go see how things had progressed and, well, they had progressed.

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