A bit of birding in lieu of a pelagic trip

The pelagic birding trip we were booked on today from Port Fairy was postponed due to the weather so I dropped into a few places on the way home to see what I could find.

First stop was the wetlands at the start of the Port Fairy Rail Trail. Several Golden-headed Cisticola were calling from the reeds but they stayed in the centre of the wetland so I couldn't get any closeup shots. This was the best I could do.

Golden-Headed Cisticola, Port Fairy Rail Trail
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/400

Golden-Headed Cisticola, Port Fairy Rail Trail
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/500

Three Common Greenshank were feeding along the edge of the Moyne River but only one was close enough for a half decent shot.

Common Greenshank, Moyne River, Port Fairy
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/1000

I tried Belfast Beach but there were people and dogs along the beach so I didn't bother looking for any birds and headed for Killarney Beach, where I found three of my fellow pelagic-trip refugees and we took a walk along the western end of the beach. We spotted six Hooded Plovers but decided not to approach them too closely as they were fairly skittish. A pair of Kelp Gulls was hanging around on the shore and this one stayed still long enough for a long-distance shot.

Kelp Gull, Killarney Beach
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/2000

There were also Sooty Oystercatchers and Australian Pied Oystercatchers flying around.

Sooty Oystercatcher, Killarney Beach
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/2000

Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Killarney Beach
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/500

Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Killarney Beach
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/1250

Lunchtime was beckoning so I grabbed take-away in Warrnambool and went to Thunder Point to eat and watch the avian passers-by. These two Little Ravens sat right next to the car allowing me this shot out of the window.

Little Raven, Thunder Point, Warrnambool
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/11, 1/250

The final stop before heading for home was a quick drop-in to Lake Purrumbete just outside of Camperdown. There was very little bird activity on the lake but this Little Pied Cormorant posed for a few shots on a fence post in the middle of a flooded paddock - again shot out of the car window.

Little Pied Cormorant, near Lake Purrumbete
Pentax K-1, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/2500

Indented Head Fly-by

I spent today with the Melbourne Birdlife Photography Group, checking out some of my favourite sites around the Bellarine Peninsula. Unfortunately, the weather was dismal - grey clouds and drizzly rain - for most of the day but we managed to get a few shots of birds in flight at the last stop for the day at the Indented Head boat ramp. Indented Head juts out into Port Phillip Bay, intersecting a well used seabird flight path, so it's a great place in the late afternoon when birds are heading back to roosting sites for the night. With heavy cloud cover, the light was not great so it was a constant balancing act of trying to get the best ISO and aperture to maintain at least a reasonable shutter speed but a few cormorants and gulls provided some entertainment.

The lights and railings on the jetty provide roosting spots for the gulls

Pacific Gull, Indented Head
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 extender), ISO 400, f/4, 1/4000

Silver Gull (immature), Indented Head
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 extender), ISO 400, f/4, 1/3200

while they wait for the returning fisherman to throw them some scraps.

Pacific Gull, Indented Head
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 extender), ISO 400, f/4, 1/2000

Pacific Gull, Indented Head
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 extender), ISO 400, f/4, 1/1600

Silver Gull (immature), Indented Head
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 extender), ISO 400, f/4, 1/6400

Little Pied Cormorant, Indented Head
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 extender), ISO 640, f/4.5, 1/1000

Pied Cormorant, Indented Head
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 extender), ISO 640, f/4.5, 1/2000

Balyang Sanctuary and the Barwon River

With a public holiday today and reasonable weather, I was looking for somewhere local to go birding. There were a few too many people and dogs frequenting the beaches around home to make it worth looking for wading birds so I headed into Geelong to check out the birds at Balyang Sanctuary and the adjoining Barwon River. Balyang Sanctuary was the focus of one of my earliest posts in this blog but I have not been there with the camera for several years and there are usually cormorants and darters breeding on the river so I was looking forward to seeing what I could find.

As I was preparing the camera and tripod, an Australasian Darter took off from a branch on the other side of the lake and I managed to get one shot off hand-held with whatever settings I had on the camera at the time. Fortunately, I had the ISO up and aperture large enough to get a reasonably fast shutter speed (1/640) on Aperture Priority, though nowhere near fast enough to freeze the wings - I only really got them like this because they were at the top of the wing beat so not moving very fast. I was on single shot auto focus so I couldn't manage to get any more shots.

Australasian Darter, Balyang Sanctuary, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/8, 1/640

There were several species of ducks on the lake, including a pair of Chestnut Teals that cooperated long enough for me to get a shot of each.

Chestnut Teal (male), Balyang Sanctuary, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/320

Chestnut Teal (female), Balyang Sanctuary, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/400

However the most interesting birds on the edge of the lake were Red Junglefowl (Domestic Chicken), with this rooster foraging along the bank. There are frequently domestic ducks and geese around this lake but I've never seen chickens before and this male is pretty close to wild-type.

Red Junglefowl (Domestic Chicken), Balyang Sanctuary, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/1600

The duck boxes that have been constructed in various locations on the lake also make great landing platforms for other birds to shake themselves dry after a bath.

White-faced Heron, Balyang Sanctuary, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/4, 1/1600

In addition to the lake, the sanctuary also has an area of open woodland and several species of birds utilise the holes in old River Red Gums for nesting.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Balyang Sanctuary, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/11, 1/400

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Balyang Sanctuary, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/11, 1/125

Rainbow Lorikeet, Balyang Sanctuary, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/11, 1/125

But not all the parrot action was in the nest holes...

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Balyang Sanctuary, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/2500

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Balyang Sanctuary, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/2000

and the highlight was this pair of Long-billed Corellas.

Long-billed Corella, Balyang Sanctuary, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/400

Long-billed Corella, Balyang Sanctuary, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/500

Long-billed Corella, Balyang Sanctuary, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/500

Long-billed Corella, Balyang Sanctuary, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/500

The sanctuary is adjacent to the Barwon River where there are often ducks and coots on the river - no ducks today but this Eurasian Coot was swimming close to the bank in lovely light and showing bow-wave ripples in the mirror-like water.

Eurasian Coot, Barwon River, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/1000

Cormorants and darters can be found perching along the river

Australasian Darter, Barwon River, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/800

Australasian Darter, Barwon River, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/1000

and nesting in the trees along the west bank.

Little Pied Cormorant, Barwon River, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8, ISO 400, f/8, 1/1250

Little Pied Cormorant, Barwon River, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/11, 1/500

Little Pied Cormorant, Barwon River, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/1600

Little Pied Cormorant, Barwon River, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/2000

An Australasian Darter nest was also in this cluster of cormorant nests

Australasian Darter (juveniles), Barwon River, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/11, 1/800

with four young darters squirming for room

Australasian Darter (juveniles), Barwon River, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/11, 1/320

under the not-so-watchful eye of Dad.

Australasian Darter (adult male + juveniles), Barwon River, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/11, 1/500

It's amazing how much difference there is in size within clutches like this.

Australasian Darter (juveniles), Barwon River, Geelong
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 400, f/11, 1/250

Ricketts Point...for Bob

This afternoon I had the great pleasure of attending the launch of the book: Teacher Inside Out written by Bob Whiteway. Bob taught high school for 40 years, including the 6 years I spent at Beaumaris High School in the 1970s. He has been an active environmentalist and advocate for marine conservation for many years and was instrumental in the creation of Ricketts Point (in Beaumaris) as a marine sanctuary (see The Age article from 2003). As I've noted in several other posts, I grew up in and around this beautiful beach so, in Bob's honour, I spent a couple of hours there late this afternoon photographing the usual avian suspects.

Australian Pelican, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/11, 1/200

Australian Pelican, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/11, 1/400

Australian Pelican, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/5000

Australian Pelican, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/11, 1/400

Black Swan, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/2500

Australian Pelican, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/2500

Australian Pelican, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/3200

Australian Pelican, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/2500

Little Pied Cormorant, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/11, 1/200

Little Pied Cormorant, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/2000

Pacific Gull (immature, 1st year), Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/2000

Pacific Gull (immature, 1st year), Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/1250

Pacific Gull (adult), Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/1250

Pied Cormorant, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/4000

Pied Cormorant, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/2000

Pied Cormorant, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/4000

Silver Gull, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/800

Silver Gull, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x1.4 adapter), ISO 800, f/4, 1/8000