na nÉan

Little Corellas and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos

2020-03-16T16:33:00.001+11:00

Traralgon's oak trees attract big flocks of Little Corellas sometimes, and this week we were lucky to have a flock visit our street's trees. While gold-detecting at one of the local parks we came across some Sulphur-crested Cockatoos catching some zzz's in another oak tree, so I took the opportunity to take advantage of the dappled sunlight and get a few snapshots of them.

framed red-capped plovers

2020-03-02T14:45:00.000+11:00

2017 photo update

2020-03-02T14:42:00.001+11:00

Visit to Cooper's Creek near Walhalla yielded a couple of good sightings of Gippsland Water Dragons, a Silver-eye, and lovely scenery of steep fern gullies and flowing streams.

Rainbow Lorikeets on an apple tree

2020-03-02T12:15:00.000+11:00

Sunday, 1st March, 2020

En route to the supermarket in the afternoon these Rainbow Lorikeets were making a meal of a local resident's apples in Traralgon, Victoria. Some of the bolder ones stayed to pose for pics in the tree, however the light wasn't great for photography given the overcast sky and rain clouds brewing. Photos by Jarret Purkis

The vocal talents of a male Superb Lyrebird

2013-08-20T17:04:00.002+10:00

Superb Lyrebird male
Although not great picture quality, we captured the vocal talents of a male superb lyrebird 13/7/13 during a bushwalk, they are great mimics and here you can hear him mimic perfectly the calls of a Black Cockatoo, Eastern Whipbird, Yellow Robin, Eastern Rosella, Kin Parrot, and Wattle bird, among others!

Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary: Willow's Whisper to the World

2012-09-21T21:58:00.001+10:00

POSTED BY JOANNA LUCAS, copyright: All content is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without proper credit and a link to the original post. Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary: Willow's Whisper to the World
this is a must-read, but a heartbreaking blog post, I'm crying my eyes out after reading it...

Lakes Entrance Getaway

2012-06-08T00:04:00.002+10:00

Lakes Entrance is around 200km East of Latrobe Valley in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.

where Victoria is in Australia

where Lakes Entrance is in Victoria

Recently we were fortunate enough to spend a long weekend at this lovely spot, staying at the fantastic Lakes Country Cottages in the picturesque hills above the town. What lovely hosts they are at these self-contained cottages, and the scenery, comfort, and convenience there was perfect!

Of the many highlights during our visit, the best was undoubtedly seeing hundreds of dolphins just metres away from the beach at Lakes Entrance. They made a large whirlpool around a school of fish and it was amazing to see the Terns in their hundreds working with the dolphins from above to catch their prey. Pod after pod came jumping through the waves for quite some time before the tide began to go back out and with it, the dolphins.

Dolphins at Lakes Entrance beach

We also visited some of the many lakes around which are a haven for birds and wildlife, and despite some bad weather, captured some shots of the many species of water birds that abounded.

pair of pelicans on the shore of one of the lakes

Intermediate Egret on the shore of one of the lakes

Lakes Entrance is also close to the Great Dividing Ranges, and in the bushland around the town we spotted some woodland birds too.

male King Parrot

pair of Eastern Rosellas

Great Egret on the jetty near the many boat cruise lines at Lakes Entrance

flock of Little Corellas, an unusual visitor to our next door neighbour's Cotoneaster plants, seen before we took to the road

wallaby at Sale Botanical Gardens en route to Lakes Entrance

female Satin Bowerbird

Grey Shrike-Thrush

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Bronze-wing Pigeon

Swan sitting on nest at shoreline of one of the lakes

(unidentified) Duck at the same lake as the swan above

Intermediate Egret

male King Parrot

Chestnut Teal male and three females near Nyerimilang Heritage Park

There are so many attractions in and around Lakes Entrance that are too many to mention here, and a long weekend was simply not long enough to do justice to it. Despite that, we thoroughly enjoyed our jam-packed getaway and can't wait to visit this region again.:)

Banded birds at Jack Smith Lake Reserve

2012-01-27T03:29:00.000+11:00

Information Board near the entrance

As a volunteer for a Coastal Weeds Project (being jointly undertaken by Birds Australia and Melbourne University), I recently visited my local beach to collect some data, and do a bit of birding whilst there.

wildflower at Jack Smith Lake

I visited Jack Smith Lake Game Reserve as a result, which is located on the coastline near Woodside beach, part of 90 mile beach-a pristine stretch of beach in Gippsland, Eastern Victoria.

Red-capped Plovers

It was a very hot, sunny day with very little wind, so it was so refreshing to reach the sand and feel the cooling sea breeze. There were few birds on the beach this time, but as the day began to end and the fierce sun started to go down some red-capped plovers were running along the sand some distance away. The photo of them included is terrible but the best I could manage before they took flight, and not wanting to go home without photographing a single bird I didn't delete it!
The Lake in the Reserve was low in water compared to the last time I visited in October, and the birds there were extremely wary. It was impossible to go close enough to the lake to photograph the duck species I could see in my binoculars, so I was not able to identify any of them unfortunately.

Little Black Cormorant on Jack Smith Lake, Black swans, Eurasian Coots and unidentified duck species in the background

The best I could manage was this pic of a Little Black Cormorant shot from full zoom range while I concealed myself behind a banksia tree. I also saw some Hoary-headed Grebes in the lake, but being such small birds the photographs of them shot from such a distance were not sharp enough to include here.
The Lake has many nesting boxes and old fence posts for perching in it, but gun shooting is still permitted at this reserve. I observed many spent shell cases on the ground around the foreshore of the lake, so it appeared the bird's wariness was due to this. I personally find duck shooting an absolutely abhorrent practice, so it was distressing to see the shell cases and the fear shooting had caused these peaceful and harmless birds.
I can understand the shooting of feral animals that cause damage to the delicate ecological balance of native species of flora and fauna, but other methods of control might be more humane. The shooting of native ducks however is something I can't understand at all....

juvenile Copperhead

Walking back and forth from the lake to the beach throughout the day meant I was lucky enough to spot a baby snake basking in the sun, despite the absence of birds during the hottest part of the afternoon. A young Copperhead was gracefully winding it's way across the sandy path leading through the dunes. It's head size was only that of a small skink, and it's total length was around 35cm. You can bet I was careful to observe the ground very carefully for it's relatives after seeing this beauty!

juvenile Copperhead

Back on the beach early in the evening and there were still very few birds around other than the ubiquitous Silver gulls and the larger Pacific Gulls, the latter of which kept a constant vigil of the tide by flying up and down the beach in search of food.

Pacific Gulls

I almost missed noticing a group of Crested Terns because of this until I was very close to some Silver gulls hanging around near some fishermen. When I was only metres away I finally saw that some of these 'gulls' were in fact, Crested Terns.

Crested Terns, some banded

Crested Terns

I was even more surprised when I looked at the photos back home and saw some of the Terns were banded! In contrast to the birds on the lake, these terns were remarkably approachable, allowing us to near them within metres without showing any signs of distress. For me this showed the excellent handling skills of the person(s) involved in banding them, and after the distressing observations of the terrified lake birds it was very encouraging to experience.

2 banded Crested Terns

The sun was setting back at the Lake in the reserve when the sound of many small birds twittering filled the air. Among the branches of a Banksia a family of Silvereyes were busy chorusing. Being on the Southern coast of the mainland directly North of Tasmania, I wondered if they were of the migratory Tasmanian race of Silvereye, however I didn't get enough photos of the fast-flying little beauties to be able to tell with any degree of certainty. Lacking the expertise myself as well I cannot identify their race from the photos here, but I wonder if anyone reading could tell me? It would be great to know if so.

fledgling Silvereye

pair of fledgling Silvereyes

On the subject of reader feedback, if anyone can send me some information on anything I can do to help duck shooting become outlawed in Victoria I would greatly appreciate it.

Crested Terns, some banded

One of my last photos here from Jack Smith Lake Game Reserve is of one of the many Eastern Grey Kangaroos living there. Its wonderful to drive out of the reserve at dusk as this is when they appear in large numbers, happily grazing in family groups on the grass either side of the gravel road in the reserve.

young Eastern Grey Kangaroo

It's also when I have been rewarded every time I've visited with a glimpse of some raptor species, on this particular day it was a Brown Falcon with a swamp rat in it's talons, having just seized it from the road adjacent to a reed bed.

banded Crested Terns

Jack Smith Lake Game Reserve is a beautiful spot to visit for a day, and the coastline is totally superb. There are numerous bird species known to inhabit this spot including Blue-winged and Orange-bellied Parrots. Please click on the enclosure link for more info on this spot should you like to visit it too.

little bird footprints in the sand (sunglasses in shot to give an idea of bird size)

Summer Roos, Cockatoos, Wrens and flowers in blue hues

2012-01-09T12:39:00.002+11:00

wildflower at Traralgon South
Flora & Fauna Reserve

Thank goodness the heat wave stopped long enough for us to venture out again this summer into some of the beautiful spots Gippsland has to offer! Since it's cooled off into a comfortable average temperature in the mid-twenties, a couple of areas visited since my last post have been Blue Rock Lake in Willow Grove, Traralgon South Flora & Fauna Reserve, and the Billy's Creek section of Morwell National Park. Despite it's namesake, Morwell National Park is not in Morwell at all, it's actually closer to Jeeralang and Budgeree in the foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges and technically it's location is Yinnar South, but for some reason it's named 'Morwell National Park'...? The Morwell River, although fairly close by, does not run through it either, so it's a mystery to me as to why it's named after a town that is actually a few towns away.

Superb Fairy-wren at Blue Rock Lake

The Morwell National Park is in two separate sections a short drive's distance away from each other. The more popular section is in Kerry's Road and features an electric bbq, information shelter and bush toilets near the car park area. There are a number of walking tracks traversing a variety of landscapes here, while the other section, Billy's Creek, is situated on Junction Road or alternatively can also be accessed from Braniffs Road.

Superb Fairy-wren at Blue Rock Lake

This section has a number of walking tracks of various difficulty and length, the main track on the flats and following the bends of Billy's Creek. The views from Clematis Track are well worth the hard work of climbing it, while the main track reaches an old weir before steep cliffs and thicker forest reward the visitor. We visited Billy's Creek a number of times this past fortnight to cool off under the shade of it's gums and dip our feet into the clear water of the creek in the late afternoons. On the most recent visit we were greeted by Eastern Grey Kangaroos along the track quite a few times, photos of which can be viewed below.

Blue Rock Lake, Willow Grove

The Blue Rock Lake is near Willow Grove, on the way to Mount Baw Baw on the other side of Latrobe Valley. After another hot day we decided to go there for a bbq, a walk, and for birding as the afternoon is the worst time of all at our house on a hot day. Unfortunately for us the lack of insulation in the ceiling means by early evening the house is swelteringly hot inside, despite our best efforts to keep it cool throughout the day with the blinds, windows and doors drawn/closed. This manages to keep it fairly cool until the afternoon, as the floor to ceiling windows facing the sun at that time intensify it's rays and heat up the entire house. Its usually a good time to go elsewhere though and by the time we get home the heat has subsided, well if it hasn't got too hot already that is.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

It was lovely and cool by the water of Blue Rock Lake, and many birds were observed but only a few captured on camera this time. Even though it was a hot day it was fairly quiet there with only a few fishermen seen nearby, and no noisy boats or other people to scare the birds away. It was blissfully cool, peaceful, and tranquil actually, with really thick grass you could take off your shoes and sink your toes into.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Look at the muscles on this big guy!

Don't get too close to Big Daddy!

Mother Eastern Grey Kangaroo

Traralgon South Flora & Fauna Reserve was absolutely devastated by the 2009 bushfires, and almost 3 years on it is still regenerating slowly. The soil there is mainly sand, a remnant of a bygone era when the valley was under water. The coast is actually some distance away from this area so it is always intriguing to me to find sandy soil and typical coastal vegetation growing there. The middle storey is predominately banksias, with an understory of various rushes, wildflowers and other typical native plants found in sandy soil such as tea tree and grass trees. The lack of substantial new growth there meant there were very few birds to be seen, where once it was full of the sound and sight of birds. I recall seeing my first Rufous Whistler there years ago...

Family trio: junior, mother and father Eastern Grey Kangaroos

Moth at Traralgon South Flora & Fauna Reserve

female Eastern Grey Kangaroo at Morwell National Park, Billy's Creek track

'I can poke my tongue out at you too cheeky!'

'Nah, this grass is too yummy to worry about you..nom nom..'

happily grazing together: 3 species of Cockatoo-Galahs, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos & Little Corellas at Glengarry

Celebrating Birds and Biodiversity this Christmas

2011-12-27T13:57:00.001+11:00

Received this fabulous video from Cornell Lab of Ornithology with my email subscription for Christmas, and now would love to share it here in the same spirit-it's a really great clip, enjoy!

This inspiring footage of birds and wildlife celebrates the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's long-standing tradition of documenting and sharing information about the natural world. Thanks to you, that tradition continues. We hope you'll keep watching, listening, and exploring with us to improve the understanding and protection of birds and biodiversity.

Australian Warbler, Hoary-headed Grebe, Australasian Grebe, and Yellow-billed Spoonbill

2011-12-16T02:43:00.003+11:00

Its been a little while since I posted, however we have been just as busy birdwatching as usual!
Two different locations feature in this post, but I have only selected the more interesting birds to write about from the many locations visited since my last post.

Australasian Grebe at Heyfield Wetlands

Yellow-billed Spoonbill at Heyfield Wetlands

Last weekend we had planned to visit the Heyfield wetlands but the weather was just too hot, so we ended up visiting a few days later when it had cooled down, in the late afternoon. It was great to see a Yellow-billed Spoonbill and two Australasian Grebes in addition to the usual birds observed there.

Yellow-billed Spoonbill at Heyfield Wetlands

Hoary-headed Grebe at Glengarry

Another spot I discovered recently closer to home is a large lake in Glengarry on Glengarry North Road. Heading North the lake is on the left and directly opposite on the other side of the road there is a swamp with a large reed bed in it. The reeds on either side of the road are alive with the song of Reed Warblers, while on the lake many different species of water birds can be observed. The lake is large enough that breeding birds can hide and nest on the far side, and far enough that binoculars are needed in order to observe the large variety of species present. Even with binoculars, I couldn't say for certain that I identified all the duck species there, some were too far out of range and as they were breeding I did not wish to disturb them by approaching any closer than the roadside.

Hardheads, Pacific Blacks, Eurasian Coots, Chestnut Teals, Black Swans, Australasian and Hoary-headed Grebes at Glengarry

Australian Reed Warbler at Glengarry

Hoary-headed Grebe at Glengarry

Australasian Grebe in breeding plumes at Glengarry

short clip to hear the call of the Australian Reed Warbler, location: Glengarry

This location is remote enough that the birds present are very shy, and are clearly not used to the presence or prying eyes of humans, but close enough in driving distance that it's just a short trip to reach it. We have only ever stayed at most for ten minutes at a time to maintain the safety the birds breeding there obviously feel. A further five minutes drive North and you are at the foothills of the Great Dividing Ranges and dense forest.

Red-kneed Dotterels

2011-12-07T02:52:00.001+11:00

Another species recently sighted at The Traralgon Vineyard's lake was the Red-kneed Dotterel. The owners of the vineyard have done a marvellous job of building a picturesque lake on land that is a natural floodplain, and vegetating it with native aquatic plant species. The driveway up to the reception and restaurant area of the business is flanked on either side with two large lakes, both of which boast a large variety of water birds not commonly seen in the area elsewhere. A few species of duck appear to thoroughly enjoy the island built into one of the lakes, and have made themselves well and truly at home there. Among the species already mentioned in a previous post about this location, one can also be lucky enough to observe Grey Teals, Chestnut Teals, Hardheads, Wood Ducks, Cockatoos, Welcome Swallows, Fairy Martins, Australasian Grebes and Pacific Black Ducks. These are just the species I have observed during very short visits there, as I am certain there are many more.

Red-kneed Dotterel feeding in shallows at dusk

From Drop Box

Last time I visited this spot was also when I first saw Hoary-headed Grebes, so it really shouldn't come as a surprise that Red-kneed Dotterels are there also, seeing as the two species are often seen together.

In the next picture, Grey Teals can be seen swimming in the background and middle, whilst a Red-kneed Dotterel is staring at the camera in the foreground.

On the drive there, two Black-fronted Dotterels were running about near a puddle in the centre of the gravel road, completely unperturbed by my car approaching them, and happy to continue pecking at the puddle. The shots taken of them were blurred unfortunately, however I did get good shots of them last time I visited. Probably the same brazen pair too, for they were also too busy feeding on the grassy curb of the vineyard's driveway to move aside for the car!

From Drop Box

Little Corellas at Noon and Dusk

2011-12-05T04:44:00.000+11:00

A couple of years ago I first heard the familiar sounds of Little Corellas calling while flying overhead here in Traralgon. I knew their calls from having heard them every year on summer holidays as a kid along the riverbanks of the Murray, when we would stop over at Echuca en route to Bright, in the North-East of Victoria. Never had I known them to be this far South though, and over the last few years their numbers have increased here in Central Gippsland.

Little Corella awakening from a midday siesta. shot taken about a year ago

Sleepy summers: snoozing during the heat of the day, shot taken about a year ago

It was a surprise however, to find a large flock of Little Corellas happily grazing on the ground at Traralgon Railway Conservation Reserve this evening. I have observed them in much smaller numbers previously at this location, but they had always seemed somewhat intimidated by the resident Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. Not tonight though! Not only did they seem quite at home there, but they remained quite approachable while preparing to settle down to roost.

Some of the flock grazing

A playful partnership...

It was a great pleasure to watch the playful antics of pairs before they began mutual preening of one another, and the affection they displayed to each other was captivating.

round 1 begins!

Let's play!

aerial acrobatics

awww...love is grand

Tuckered out for the day

A fine pair

Hello there!

Ready to roost

Eventually as the light faded, they bunkered down for the evening, while the Sulphur-crested Cockatoos were doing likewise on the opposite side of the Southern Reservoir, albeit with a lot more raucous screeching than the milder-mannered Little Corellas. I wonder if the Little Corellas will become permanent residents there too?

The Week of Rain and Water Birds

2011-12-03T02:58:00.001+11:00

The new camera arrived this week, and with it, so did the rain-lots of it!
Dying to test run the camera out though, we ventured out into the mud and cold at every available opportunity, and were pleasantly surprised with some unusual bird sightings.

juvenile Red-browed Finch at Wirilda, Tyers River

The most surprising species to be observed were some Hoary-headed Grebes. Having never seen this species before, I am assuming that's what they were- going on just other people's photos I sought out afterward. I wouldn't say with all certainty that they definitely were this species as I saw them from a distance, and while looking through heavy rain.

Hoary-headed Grebes on the lake at Traralgon Vineyard

The location of these Hoary-headed Grebes was another surprise in itself. Driving back towards Traralgon from Heyfield, we were almost all the way into town when I saw an old railway bridge I thought I'd like to photograph.
As such, I turned off the main highway and down a road leading to Traralgon Vineyard (according to the sign), in an effort to get closer to the old bridge. Instead of the bridge though, our attention was swiftly caught by a huge lake in front of the vineyard restaurant, which appeared to be a regularly flooded paddock. For there in front of us on this massive lake, were a huge number of water birds of various species.

Black-fronted Dotterel at Traralgon Vineyard

White-necked Heron at Wirilda Environment Centre, Tyers

Shot with the new camera, 2 male Superb Fairywrens

immature Dusky Moorhen, Traralgon Conservation Reservoir

shot with the new camera at dusk, Great White Egret on Northern Retention Pond, T.R.C.R

the same cygnets pictured in a post a few weeks ago, now much larger, but minus another cygnet of the brood, T.R.C.R

I shot what I could without getting the (old) camera too wet in the rain- hence the poor photos of the Grebes, but was happy nonetheless with having seen a species I've not observed before, especially so close to home! The very next day the new camera arrived, and I couldn't wait to go back to shoot some better shots. Disappointment set in though when once again, the rain belted down even more heavily and I only managed to shoot one shot of a Black-fronted Dotterel. I shot that from the odd angle inside the car too, as I was loathe to get the new camera rain-damaged on it's first outing. The Grebes were right out in the middle of the lake and there was no way I could approach them close enough to photograph them without getting saturated. Maybe I will attempt it again on the weekend....

Other photos this week were shot at Tyers and Traralgon Railway Conservation Reserve (T.R.C.R) using both cameras. Other commitments and the weather both prevented any trips further afield, so here's hoping the weekend opens up some better opportunities for birding and photography.

The Black-fronted Dotterel at the new lake

2011-11-26T22:58:00.185+11:00

Masked Lapwing

The children had been looking forward to the annual Traralgon Show this weekend, so it was during the course of buying take-away for a quick dinner before the Show that we discovered a new local spot for birding.
"Where are we eating dinner Mum?" our youngest, Stevie, asked after we'd picked up some junk food from the drive thru of Hungry Jacks.
"I think we should go somewhere nice outdoors that isn't too far away. Maybe the lake a few blocks from here. Got any other ideas guys?" I asked.
Our eldest child Jacob then told us of a duck pond near our house, that we hadn't been to before. Alan and I were doubtful that there was a place like that which we hadn't already heard of, but were nevertheless keen to find it if there was one.

spot the bird!

Sure enough, tucked away behind a new section of housing development and in former swampy paddocks, was a brand new man-made wetland area. It consisted of a succession of ponds around a larger lake and made use of the already present small creeks there. New seedlings still in their plastic jackets were planted all around the lake along with native grasses. A concrete path encircled the lake and two lovely wooden bridges had been built on either side. Although brand new, you can see it has great potential if eventually the paths are joined up to more landscaped areas and the current rundown paddocks are revegetated with natives. Best of all would be if the former swamp it once was is returned to the wetlands it rightfully should be.

Black-fronted Dotterel

Most of the time the paddocks are flooded and overgrown, but they still support a large number of amphibians and birdlife given their relative disuse. The area itself is unsuitable for further housing due to it's proneness to flooding and subsequent unstable ground, however the housing sprawl continues to grow further and further into it. It reminds me of similar areas in Melbourne which were once deemed as complete wasteland, but greedy developers built there anyway then sold up quickly. Without doing thorough research people took advantage of the subsequent cheaper housing prices, despite the dampness, cracks in the walls, unstable foundations, and similar problems that cropped up as a direct result of the type of land they were built on.

s/he camouflages very well....

Since then more modern developments tend to include small wetland areas in their epicentre as a way of beautifying the area, increasing housing values, and dealing with storm water and flooding. It's a shame to see these areas become polluted and strewn with rubbish within a few short years from being so close to high density housing, and by then, the initial developers have moved on and no longer maintain these areas. Friends groups are invaluable when developments reach this stage, however, I digress.
Back to the subject of the new lake in Traralgon.

A pair of Chestnut Teals look to have made their home there, and with luck there will be ducklings swimming around with them soon. Other birds we observed were Masked Lapwings, Welcome Swallows, Yellow-rumped Thornbills, and Black-shouldered Kites. To our surprise, we also saw a tiny wader dart into the long grass and managed to shoot a picture of it. The photo only captured the rear of the bird though, and without being able to see the bird's head I could only identify that it was most likely some sort of small plover. We vowed to return the next day and hopefully catch a better glimpe of it.

satellite view of Traralgon in Eastern rural Victoria

Sure enough, we were lucky today to see the bird once more, and this time, Alan managed to shoot several photos of it. The bird turned out to be a Black-fronted Dotterel, a species which we had never seen before. Further down into the swamps in the long grass we also observed some species of Sandpipers or Curlews, which hopefully we can photograph on our next visit.
Overall, it was very exciting to see this tiny little Dotterel and capture it on film for the first time. I look forward to seeing this area's plants become established and more habitat be provided for more species to call this place home.

the newly planted vegetation is clearly evident in this shot

To buy or not to buy: the Canon Powershot SX40 HS Digital Camera

2011-11-23T22:02:00.003+11:00

Canon Powershot SX40 HS Digital Camera, technical details, reviews

The bridge camera (compact) digital Canon SX40 with 35x zoom is very much on my mind right now, and I am highly tempted to buy it. Although a non-SLR, for it's price, it's very attractive when I consider the price of an equivalent zoom lens for a digital SLR. Of course it could never capture the quality and clarity images of a SLR but when I weigh up the pros and cons, it's all the more tempting. Firstly there is the zoom range-at 35x there are very few other compact cameras that can boast this range, although the clarity of images when used at full range are apparently not great according to most of the reviews I've read. Even so, the weight of carrying around a zoom lens of equivalent range for a SLR is not attractive. Then there are the frames per second capabilites-this camera is capable of 10 or so-an impressive number. I want something that is not going to take a lot of time to set-up, as fellow birders will know, sometimes you only have a matter of seconds to capture that bird in that postion. Many a good photo opportunity has been missed by not having the camera ready at 'that moment'.

Canon SX40

I can see that carrying this camera will be easy and make it readily available to catch those precious times as they happen, especially with a good and comfortable neck strap. It is also capable of capturing HD videos and boasts a number of other impressive features, however I am mainly attracted to it for it's portability and zoom range.

Fuji Finepix S800fd

My current compact camera, a Fuji Digital Camera FinePix S8100fd has a zoom range of 18x (4.7mm to 84.2mm range -equivalent to a 35mm lens with a 27mm to 486mm zoom)which was great for a compact when I bought it. I've found though that there's not much point having a long zoom range when the photos taken at maximum range are grainy with too much noise, as they are on the Fuji.

photo of a Whistling Kite shot at full zoom range on the Fuji....

The major problem I have with it, and hence my wanting to replace it, is the autofocus (AF). It was fine when I first bought it, but lately it more often than not focuses on a small patch of background rather than the bird I am trying to photograph, however looking through the EVF it appears to have focused on the target. It is not until I am looking at the images on computer at home later that I see this problem. As I avoid using the lcd display in the field as it drains the batteries very quickly, it's only after the opportunity is lost later on at home that I see the problem. I try to avoid having to use the spare batteries on the same day as a general rule too, but even when I have used the lcd display to check whilst in the field, it's often still too late to reshoot the same shot. It may very well be the fault of the light or my own through the use of the wrong settings, or alternatively it could be happening as a result of being dropped or knocked that one time too often. Perhaps it's just getting too 'old'....

Here's 2 examples of a shot that could have been good had the autofocus worked the way it should have:

example 1

As you can see, the focus is on the foliage directly behind the bird. Through the EVF however, the AF appeared to lock onto the centre of the shot, ie: the bird-and by the time the shot was taken and I'd reloaded to shoot another, the bird had -typically- flew away. This is where image stabilisation can also a crucial factor, which the CanonSX40 has in an improved mode to what the Fuji has. Slight camera shake when the shoot button is depressed on the Fuji has also caused the AF to focus slightly above the locked-in image of the bird shown through the EVF. Thus an otherwise good shot was ruined.

example 2

I had spent a fair bit of time crouched down in long grass getting attacked by mosquitos and trying not to scratch to get that first shot too! I made sure to wear a little bit of insect repellent the next time, but wasn't lucky enough to capture the bird in a spot where s/he wasn't concealed by the foliage. Another reason the 10 frames per second on the Canon SX40 would come in handy...
Maybe these images aren't the best one to demonstrate my complaints, but given that I have already deleted the shots that perfectly demonstrated them, these were the closest I could find.

So, it comes down now to deciding whether or not to buy the CanonSX40 now, or wait until it's been out longer and the price (around $500-700 currently) has come down, like, for example, after Christmas. I also feel guilty thinking about buying something expensive for myself before Christmas with most of the kid's presents still needing to be bought.....hhhmmm...

UPDATE:
PROBLEM SOLVED!!
After more careful research and many hours reading review after review, I finally decided on a bridge camera that surpasses the Canon SX40 in capabilites and image quality at full zoom, for a fraction of the price: the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ48

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ48

All the reviews I read were consistently glowing, but I have to admit what really sold me were the impressive results from the zoom lens, for example, one reviewer wrote:

"It is extremely difficult to fault the quality of the captured image at all zoom levels, with vibrant, realistic colours and sharp detail characteristics throughout our test results."

You only have to look at the example they included in the pic above, where the top image is the detail captured using the zoom lens at it's maximum range of 32x while the bottom image is shot at actual range, to see the amazing sharpness this camera is capable of. In comparison, all the reviews I read stated that the Canon sx40 lost a lot of sharpness and clarity when used at full zoom range. As the large zoom lens was my main reason for buying the Canon, given the superiority in quality of the Panasonic's zoom (Leica) lens and it's much cheaper price tag, I was easily persuaded!
Naturally I also searched for the best price too, and managed to find a site where it was a third of the RRP.

Now I will be anxiously waiting at the mailbox for it's arrival, and with a bit more luck, I could be shooting some great photos this weekend!

Update Monday 28th Nov 2011: received an email today stating the camera will be sent in the next 24 hours...

Kingfishers!

2011-11-19T04:32:00.001+11:00

Sacred Kingfisher, Sandbanks, Traralgon West
This week we were very lucky to spot two species of Kingfishers locally on short visits to Sandbanks Reserve in Traralgon West, and Wirilda Environment Park near Tyers. We noticed the Sacred Kingfisher pair on an earlier visit this week but didn't capture a clear photo. The light was better for the photos you see here, although it was beginning to get dark, as seen in the two smaller shots.

Sacred Kingfisher at Sandbanks, Traralgon West

Sandbanks was once a popular picnic and sporting area, but today it is rundown and is used as a rest stop. Most of the native vegetation has been removed and the Latrobe River which runs through it is of poor quality and high turbidity by the time it has reached this stage. It would be interesting to find out how Sandbanks was first planned out when white settlers took the land around this area, as there are some very large, old English trees there.

A bicycle race and picnic at Sandbanks in 1902

Below is a short video clip showing the Sacred Kingfisher at Sandbanks filmed by my partner Alan. Although short, you can hear the bird's call in it.

Azure Kingfisher

Sandbanks flooded at the beginning of this week

Sandbanks, flooded, the water had receded back to it's usual depth by the next day

top North-West corner of Sandbanks, usually a small but steep bank is visible, but it's underwater in this shot

Azure Kingfisher, Tyers River

The next Kingfisher we were lucky to see this week was an Azure Kingfisher on the Tyers River, downstream from the Tyers Pumping Station. It was a very hot day and the usually deserted spot was busy with swimmers, so it was a surprise to see this pretty kingfisher so close by. Also spotted were Rufous Whistlers, Goldfinches, Grey Fantails, Tree-creepers, White-browed Scrubwrens, Superb Fairywrens, White-necked Herons, a Striated Heron, Masked Lapwings, Wood Ducks, Crimson Rosellas, Eastern Spinebills, King Parrots, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, a Peregrine Falcon high overhead (which nests on the cliff ledges of the Tyers Gorge further upstream), Wedge-tailed Eagles, and Laughing Kookaburras. Naturally we also observed the Gippsland sub-species of Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters too, the primary reason for visiting. I noticed a pair of them chase a Rufous Whistler out of their territory, which incidentally was also very close to a spot I believe they be nesting in. We heard other bird species too, too numerous to name, but given the heat the frogs were fairly quiet. A storm and a bull-ant bite to my ankle sent us home earlier than usual though, as I stupidly walked into some long grass wearing thongs (given the heat of a 33 degree C day) while attempting to get a good shot of a Rufous Whistler. The things we do to get a good photo! Incidentally Alan fell into the river with his mobile phone in his pocket too, distracted when photographing the Azure Kingfisher. The photos were worth it though, and so far the phone seems to have dried out and is working again. Now, to find out more about Sandbanks and it's history is my next goal. I would dearly love to see it revegetated with Indigenous species and cleaned up, at the very least a toilet and a rubbish bin installed, as currently it's a disgrace. I have a few ideas on a community development project for it but first I need to research the background and find out who is currently responsible for the upkeep of the area.

L. m. gippslandicus, Gippsland Yellow-tufted Honeyeater

2011-11-16T06:28:00.001+11:00

Wirilda

On a recent visit to Wirilda Environment Park (at the foot of Tyers State Forest), I was reminded of the first time we spotted the bright yellow plumage of a pretty yellow-tufted honeyeater, taking a drink from the shallows of the Tyers River a few years ago.

Wirilda

We had never before laid eyes on this beautiful species, and were very excited to be able to photograph them once we had observed and listened to them for some time. We quickly became familiar with their voice and calls, and flashes of bright yellow had us immediately enthralled.

Wirilda

At the time, we were unsure as to their exact species name, so naturally we went straight to the books when we arrived home to identify these intriguing birds. We visited this spot regularly but usually went straight up the walking tracks along the steep embankments either side of the Tyers River into denser forest, and rarely bothered with the large lawn picnic and carpark area. We had discovered a beautiful swimming area about an hour upstream and preferred to take the kids there for a swim instead of the deeper, popular swimming spot near the car park. On the day we were there for just a short visit however, we limited our bird watching to the wetlands adjacent to the picnic and carpark area. It was then that we actually noticed the colony of Yellow-tufted honeyeaters that had been there all along!

Another spot we go for swimming and birdwatching is Bluepools, just out of Briagalong. A walk further upstream away from the picnic area and main swimming hole is a delight for both scenery and birds. At one point the further side of the riverbank is a sheer cliff drop. We were rapt to see the cliff ledges were home to a Peregrine Falcon family, yet nearly as exciting-for us anyway-were the colonies of both White-naped honeyeaters and Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters. We observed and heard them in the flowering acacias along the streambank and in the tops of various Eucalypt trees in the upper riparian zone.

Blue Pools

Blue pools

Gippsland Water Dragon juvenile, also spotted at Blue Pools, Freestone Creek

Blue Pools

Almost a year later, a return visit to Wirilda had me wondering about the sub-species of the Yellow-Tufted Honeyeater we were observing, having read more on the critically endagered sub-species L. m. cassidix since visiting the related recovery project displays at Healesville Sanctuary recently. Was it possible the Wirilda colony was of the sub-species cassidix? I attempted to identify and differentiate the sub-species in the photos I had of both cassidix and melanops from as much information as I could glean from my book collection and online resources, but it proved very difficult. Finally I got in touch with the 'Friends of The Helmeted-honeyeater' to report my observations and photos, and to seek their advice.

Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater
Here's an excerpt from the lovely reply I received:

"...your observations come from areas that...are in the known gippslandicus subspecies range. Individuals of this subspecies can have a helmet; though, usually smaller than that of cassidix (Helmeted Honeyeaters). There is overlap in overall body size between small cassidix and large gippslandicus individuals. Other features that we look at while distinguishing between subspecies are more obscure and require a very good view of the bird. Adult HelmetedHoneyeaters have what we say is an distinct crown line - the gold colour of the head finishes abruptly and the olive-grey colour on the back 'takes over' - this occurs on the back of the head, near where the head joins the neck. However, in immatureHelmeted Honeyeaters and adult and immature individuals of the other 3 subspecies, the two colours merge gradually to produce an indistinct crown line. AdultHelmeted/Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters have red-brown eye colour, whereas, immatures of the various subspecies have chocolate brown eyes. We know that gippslandicus occur at Licola, near the junction of the Macalister and Wellington Rivers. So, the Blue pools/Briagolong birds are not far away from Licola (about 50km). The Tyers River/Wirilda birds are not far from known gippslandicus sites on the La Trobe River at Noojee and Willow Grove. Your photos generally show what appear to be gippslandicus, based on helmet size. The one bird that I thought looked more like cassidix than the other individuals was the photo showing the bird in the canopy of a eucalypt - possibly Manna Gum. The helmet did seem more pronounced and the colour of the bird richer yellow. But, I could not say for certain and in reality, it is more likely to be gippslandicus. Please send through some more photos if you take some more. I'd like to visit the sites one day. We have DNA-sampled many sites where there are gippslandicus individuals. But we have not visited the 2 sites you have been seeing the Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters. Thank you very much again Cindy for informing us of the birds you have been watching and your photos too. I guess at this stage we are saying that the birds are most likely to be of gippslandicus subspecies. I am interested to know if you see any signs of breeding too. Happy birding! Regards, Bruce. Bruce Quin Senior Scientist - Ornithology Helmeted Honeyeater Recovery Program. "

I was very pleased to receive such a detailed reply, particularly as it contained information on how to identify the sub-species. I went out that same day to observe what is most likely the gippslandicus sub-species of this honeyeater and attempt to capture some more photographs of them.

I could hear and see the birds clearly high up in the eucalypt trees lining the river, but unfortunately they were too fast and too far away to capture on camera this particular day. One bird however, kept flying over to a Calistemon close to the wetlands area, watching me very closely indeed. Another watched me from the lower branches of a nearby tree, while the first bird gathered nectar from the blossoms of the Calistemon. I made a video of the birds in the gum trees, but I wasn't able to capture any of them on film. It did however, successfully record the sharp warning calls of the birds. Next time, I will return at a better time of day and with good light in which to try taking some better photographs of the beautiful L. m. gippslandicus species.

video with audio of their warning call

feeding on nectar of Calistemon blossoms

such a shame the auto-focus in this photo captured the detail behind the bird, not the bird itself....

I'm watching you!

but I'll pretend to be part of the tree...

yes I'm looking right at you!

Various eucalypts and other vegetation in the riparian zone of the Tyers River, upstream of the Tyers Pumping Station. The birds are often in the top storey of these tall trees

The local Conservation Reservoir birdlife

2011-11-04T02:49:00.002+11:00

The cygnets this year were originally from a clutch of six, but a local resident told us a fox had attacked and killed the three other cygnets. Unfortunately she had also lost some of her free range chickens to this feral monster, who killed the birds for the 'fun' of it then left their tortured and lifeless bodies in her front garden. My God, I hate foxes so much....

Cattle Egret near Tyers

While we were away last weekend for my birthday we drove through the Nojee State Forest en route to Helesville Sanctuary when a wild dog ran in front of the car on the highway. It appeared to look just like a dingo, but upon stopping to see if we could spot it, we also saw it's pup sitting on the edge of the road waiting for it. The pup looked like a black kelpie cross, and it too, quickly vanished into the forest. Its an amazing coincidence really, as last time we were in the Nojee State Forest to visit the Ada Tree we saw another wild dog. That one looked like an enormous border collie, and like this dingo look-alike, it seemed rather carefree and unafraid of our presence or of being seen. In fact, it trotted along down the gravel road in front of the car for some distance before veering off into the trees.

Reed Warbler at Glengarry

It was the first time we had ever seen a wild dog, so we were terrified of it after hearing some horror stories about being bailed up and attacked by a pack of them from Alan's ex step-father. As a fireman fighting the 2009 bushfires, Mark (Alan's ex step father) had encountered a pack of these wild dogs in a remote area of the bush and was lucky he did not sustain some serious injuries. Another time Alan and I were visiting the Moondarra State Park when we spotted what appeared to be a large black panther sniffing around a camping area. We took photos of it from a distance, and when we got home zoomed the images on the computer to get a closer look.

Chestnut Teal breeding pair

The images clearly showed the 'panther' to be a large, black, and evidently feral cat of a size slighter larger than a regular pet cat. It's tail looked bushier and it's coat coarser than a domestic cat, but it definitely was no panther. It was a lot more fearful than these wild dogs appear to be though, as it ran off as soon as it noticed our presence from around 400 metres away. Feral animals cause massive problems for native wildlife and have greatly contributed to the decline in numbers of many threatened and extinct species.

Coot

I have great concern for the future of lyrebirds in Gippsland if feral animals continue to remain such a huge problem, as they would no doubt be extremely vulnerabletobeing preyed upon by them. Many times we have come across lyrebirds while bushwalking either by following their very loud and easily identifiable calls and mimicry, or just by walking past them where they have remained scratching and foraging in forest debris for food, completely unaware or uncaring of us being within metres of them. I have read and heard many times that lyrebirds are shy and unassuming and hence rarely seen, but have indeed found the exact opposite to be true in my experience. We often see them and nearly always hear them whenever we have bushwalked in habitat suited them.

I have also seen them running across roads while driving many times near bushland too. One ran across the road near Nojee in fact, on the same weekend we were there for a holiday just last week.
I have decided I will put aside some time to think about ways I could possibly contribute to ensuring their longevity as a species, and to the eradication of feral animals as well. So far I have researched volunteering opportunities with Birds Australia and have registered to become an atlasser whilst enquiring about field work involving the critically endagered Helmeted Honeyeater species.

More on that later, but for now, here are some other shots I have taken over the last few days and weeks since deciding to stop all volunteer administration work with Pet Society facebook groups. Yes, I am back to walking, bird watching, and having a passion for the environment once again, and despite my concerns about feral animals, have not felt better in a long time.

36th Birthday Weekend Holiday

2011-10-27T16:34:00.002+11:00

itinerary : Friday

Departing from home mid afternoon, scheduled arrival at 3pm Friday, 29th October,

Destination:

Neerim Country Cottages is a relaxing country retreat for families, reunions and small groups. The cottages are set on 5 acres of park like gardens and is surrounded by beautiful open rural views of Neerim District's green rolling hills leading to Mt Baw Baw.

Features include a solar heated in ground swimming pool in Summer and is an ideal base for Mt Baw Baw ski fields in Winter.

itinerary : Saturday

Healesville Sanctuary
Healesville Sanctuary is Victoria’s top Australian wildlife destination. From our iconic Australian animals to unique experiences such as the Australian Wildlife Health Centre, to the magical bushland environment set amongst the rolling hills of the Yarra Valley, the Sanctuary is an experience like no other.

Exciting new flight spectacular, Spirits of the Sky, in the Flight Arena daily at 12pm and 2.30pm, gates open 10mins prior to shows

Spirits of the Sky from Zoos Victoria on Vimeo.
bbq/picnic lunch at Healesville
Dinner: back at the Cottage (Foodworks nearby)
Spa, swim and walk around Neerim
DVD movie and/or nightspotting

itinerary: Sunday

brunch: toast, cereal, bacon, eggs

Toorongo Falls via Nojee, Nojee Trestle Bridge Walk stopover

Toorongo Falls Reserve circular walking track takes in both the Toorongo and Amphitheatre Falls with spectacular viewing platforms.

The restored Noojee Trestle Bridge is from the old railway line which ran from Warragul to Noojee. This bridge known as No. 7 is the only remaining out of seven trestle bridges on the section of railway line between Nayook and Noojee.

For the journey home

Gardivalia Festival of Gardens: Open Gardens

537 Sunny Creek Rd, Trafalgar

(access via Haynes Track)

Phone 5633 2778

Open Sun 30 October

Large landscaped native garden in the bush has low maintenance and bushfire reduction features, vegetable garden, beehives and chooks.

GardenQuest

2011-10-08T05:38:00.000+11:00

long awaited game on facebook, us lgp players who lost our beloved patches what seems so long ago now have been waiting for this game's launch. Above is a 'sneak peek',,it looks great, so when can we start playing?!