Lake Anderson, Chiltern (Part 1)

The Melbourne Birdlife Photography Group weekend in Chiltern began with a walk around Lake Anderson. The lake acts as a storm water sink and, with a lot of recent rain, the water level was high. This meant that there was no shallow water or mudflats around the banks so no wading birds were present but there were plenty of the usual suspects:

 Eurasian Coots and Dusky Moorhens swam around the reeds.

Dusky Moorhen, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/1000

Eurasian Coot, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/1250

There were plenty of ducks: Hardhead, Australian Wood Duck and Pacific Black Duck

Hardhead, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/16, 1/250

Hardhead, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/1600

Australian Wood Duck, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/11, 1/1000

Australian Wood Duck, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/1600

Pacific Black Duck, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/800

Pacific Black Duck, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/640

Pacific Black Duck, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/400

Little Black Cormorants and Great Cormorants were in, on and around the lake.

Little Black Cormorant, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/2500

Little Black Cormorant, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/3200

Great Cormorant, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/1600

We heard Australian Reed Warblers and Little Grassbirds in the reeds but only Superb Fairy-wrens came out to be photographed.

Superb Fairy-wren (male), Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/1250

Superb Fairy-wren (male), Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/1000

Superb Fairy-wren (female), Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/2000

Superb Fairy-wren (female), Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/1600

Next morning, back at the lake.

A Morning on the Gold Coast - Part 2: Emerald Lakes

After somewhat sparse experiences at Coomera and Coombabah Lakes Mangroves, I headed for Emerald Lakes in Carrara and was not disappointed. An hour walk around the lake on the corner of Birmingham and Nielsens Roads provided a great array of the usual suspects:

Dusky Moorhen, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8, 1/640

Eurasian Coot, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8, 1/640

Hardhead, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8, 1/640

Intermediate Egret, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8, 1/800

Little Egret, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/400 

Pacific Black Duck, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8, 1/400

Purple Swamphen, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8, 1/250

Royal Spoonbill, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/500

Royal Spoonbill, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/640

Royal Spoonbill, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/500

Willie Wagtail, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/500

...but, for a southerner, who doesn't get to see them very often, this flock of Magpie Geese was the highlight.

Magpie Goose, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11, 1/160

Magpie Goose, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11, 1/250

Magpie Goose, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8, 1/400

Magpie Goose, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/800

Even this Royal Spoonbill seemed to appreciate the show!

Magpie Goose + Royal Spoonbill, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11, 1/250

Hunter Wetlands Centre

The Birdlife Photography workshop was held at the Hunter Wetlands Centre. Jo and I visited this centre 30 years ago, a few months after it had opened, and it was fantastic to see the vision become a reality.

After some great workshops in the middle of the day, we opted to take some time in the afternoon for a walk around the wetlands and managed to capture some great birds in the Azolla-covered pond right in front of the visitor centre.

Australasian Grebe, Hunter Wetlands Centre, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11 1/400

Intermediate Egret, Hunter Wetlands Centre, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/500

Little Black Cormorant, Hunter Wetlands Centre, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11 1/500

Magpie Goose, Hunter Wetlands Centre, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11 1/640

Plumed Whistling Duck, Hunter Wetlands Centre, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/500

Dusky Moorhen, Hunter Wetlands Centre, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11 1/160

More birds were spotted a little further afield

Australian White Ibis, Hunter Wetlands Centre, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/6400

Wandering Whistling-Duck + Grey Teal, Hunter Wetlands Centre, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/6400

but the highlight was when we returned to the main pond and an Intermediate Egret landed in the Casuarina tree close by.

Intermediate Egret, Hunter Wetlands Centre, Newcastle NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/1000

Freckled Ducks at Begola Wetlands

While walking around the Begola Wetlands in Ocean Grove yesterday I spotted Freckled Duck among the reeds and swimming around the middle of the lake. As it's been six weeks since my last bird outing, I couldn't help taking a late afternoon visit today to see if I could photograph them. I have seen one or two Freckled Duck here before but not in the numbers that are there currently. There were at least 50-60 birds and maybe many more hidden among the reeds.

Freckled Duck, Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove

Many of the usual suspects were also in, on and around the reeds.

Grey Teal, Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove

Purple Swamphen, Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove

Chestnut Teal (male), Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove

Dusky Moorhen, Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove

Two Great Cormorants were sharing the top of a stump as preening post.

Great Cormorant, Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove

Australian Magpies were hunting for food in the grass around the edge of the wetlands.

Australian Magpie, Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove

I also found 6 Latham's Snipe but they were typically secretive and cryptic. This is the best photograph I managed.

Latham's Snipe, Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove

As I was about to leave, an Australian Reed-Warbler, which had been singing from within a large bush at the side of the lake, popped out to sing on a small dead reed in relatively open view but completely silhouetted against the setting sun. Environmentally, it is upsetting to find so much litter in these wetlands but in this case the old bottle adds to the photographic aesthetic (if I stop thinking of it as a bottle).

Australian Reed-Warbler, Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove