Guest speaker about Australian birds
White-headed Pigeon
Last week I had the privilege of talking about Australian birds to two community groups here in Murray Bridge, South Australia.
At the first meeting, a church group, I had an audience of eight. Despite the small number, my talk was well received and the photos shown much enjoyed.
On the following morning I spoke to the Mobilong Ladies Probus Club, this time to 108 ladies. Again the talk and photos were well received, and they laughed at my jokes which is a bonus. On the down side, I went a little over time so there was no time for questions.
I have done this presentation to nearly a dozen community groups now so I’m getting a name for myself. I’m prepared to speak to any group about my passionate interest.
I’m even prepared to travel interstate – if a plane ticket is provided! (Hey – no harm in hinting!)
Good birding.
A great photo gallery
I love taking photos of the birds of Australia. I always have the camera ready for taking shots of birds around my house and garden. I rarely forget to take it with me on trips anywhere.
Readers have often commented on the photos they see here on my site. Thank you everyone for your kind words. I get great satisfaction out of taking the photos and your comments are the icing on the cake!
Every now and then I come across another great photo site on the net. I’m especially drawn to those featuring birds, of course.
Recently my attention was drawn to the Bird Observation and Conservation Australia site (BOCA). They have started a very beautiful photo gallery. It features hundreds of wonderful photos of Australian birds. The collection is constantly being added to so it’s worth frequent visits.
Links:
Male Flame Robin, Mt. Macedon, Victoria
Pelicans overhead
Australian Pelicans, Mallacoota, Victoria
We don’t get all that many Australian Pelicans in our garden. In fact, we’ve only ever had pelicans flying overhead on a handful of occasions over the last 25 years or so, despite living only about 5km from the River Murray where they are quite common.
Yesterday my wife noticed two flying overhead but didn’t think to mention it to me until much later. Even if I had known I wouldn’t have been able to get a lovely photo like the one above. I took that on a holiday in Victoria last year. The pelicans in this photo came very close to the jetty where some anglers were cleaning their catch. I guess the attraction of a free feed of fish is irresistible to a pelican. Made the job of getting a photo very easy.
Straw-necked Ibis, Adelaide Zoo, South Australia
1 Comment »24th May, 2010; Category: Aviaries, Ibises, Murray Bridge, Non-Australian birds, Photos, Waterbirds, Zoos
Straw-necked Ibis, Adelaide Zoo, South Australia
The Straw-necked Ibis is a very common bird in the Murray Bridge district of South Australia where I live. I have seen flocks numbering in the hundreds flying overhead, and sometimes smaller flocks land to feed in the open paddock opposite our home. On the odd occasion a few will even land on our five acre block.
It is strange then that I did not have a good close-up photo of this species to show here – until last week when I visited Adelaide Zoo and got the above shot in the walk-through aviary. That’s bird photography for you. I have photos of species I never expected to get, and none of some common species. [Sigh]
The Straw-necked Ibis is a widespread species in northern and eastern Australia and is expanding its range in Western Australia and Tasmania. Within its range it is found in freshwater and saline wetlands, tidal mudflats and swamps. It has adapted to life in pastures and other irrigated areas, lawns, ovals, public parks and gardens.
A photographic study of Silver Gulls part 8
Silver Gull, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Over the last week I shown a series of photos of Silver Gulls. This is the last in that series. For the photographer gulls are often a very good subject for learning the skills of bird photography. Gulls are often quite confiding; you just have to produce some food – like chips – and you will soon have more subjects for your camera lens than you can cope with. On this occasion I didn’t need any food. I didn’t want large numbers of gulls. They were content to stay just a few metres away and let me snap away happily.
As with all photography, shooting birds requires appropriate lighting conditions. It was late afternoon – about an hour before sunset. The sun was almost directly behind me which was good – apart from needing to watch where my shadow fell.
Overall, I am very pleased with the result. I’m still trying to get that elusive stunning shot of a gull in flight. Gulls are ideal subjects for that too. I’ll just need to be patient.
Silver Gull, Victor Harbor, South Australia