Good bird photo site: Canberra Ornithologists Group
There are some wonderful bird photographers who are prepared to show off their photos to the world. One such group of photographers is the Canberra Ornithologists Group (COG) in our nation’s capital city.
It is well worth a visit.
Links:
- Canberra Ornithologists Group Photo Gallery
- Canberra Ornithologists Group – their home page
- Birds of Canberra Gardens – a useful guide
- Trevor’s Photo Gallery – don’t forget to visit my photo gallery – and I invite you to give the photos a rating.
Crested Pigeon
Just one of many hundreds of photos in my gallery.
Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
A Great Bird Photo site
I enjoy looking at photos of birds on the internet. It is a great way to learn about birds from all over the world, many of them species one cannot hope to see in the flesh in one lifetime. Of course, looking at photos can be time-consuming.
One such site is called the Green Backed Heron: bird photography and identification (sorry – that link no longer works). It is well worth a visit – but give yourself some time to look at all the wonderful photos.
When you come back you might like to visit my photo gallery here (sorry – my photo gallery has been removed). It contains not only photos of birds, but animals, native Australian flowers, scenery shots of Australia, Nepal and Thailand and much more.
Here is a sample photo: click on the image to enlarge.
Budgerigars, Cleland Wildlife Park
Updated 18th February 2017
Whistling Kite at Swanport Reserve, Murray Bridge
Whistling Kite
A few days ago we had a picnic lunch at Swanport Reserve. This reserve is about a ten minute drive from home. It is about five kilometres south of the CBD of Murray Bridge. This pleasant reserve is a favourite of many locals for ‘picnics, barbecues, fishing and it has become one of my favourite birding spots.
Whistling Kite
This is one very reliable place to see Whistling Kites, as shown in the photos on this page. Come to think of it, Whistling Kites are found all along the River Murray. They are also present throughout most of Australia in suitable habitat. Their preferred habitat seems to be near watercourses, lakes, estuaries, swamps and open forests. Its distinctive (and diagnostic?) whistling call is a common sound in rural areas of Australia. Here I must give a note of warning: Black Kites sometimes give a similar whistling call, albeit somewhat more muted and not as frequent nor as shrill.
Whistling Kite
I am still having some trouble taking photos of flying birds. The one above of a soaring Whistling Kite is not as sharp as I would like, but it is the best of a bad lot. Significant though is the diagnostic underwing patterns of the feathers, and so it is worth showing. One day I need to spend a few hours practising taking photos of moving birds. If any of my readers have hints on doing this, please leave a comment.
Click on the photo to enlarge the images.
Good birding sites
Here is another collection of good birding sites that are worth a visit:
- Birding Kuwait – very strong on excellent photos with only minimal text. (Rating 9/10)
- Oygarden Birding – about birding in Norway with plenty of photos and some explanatory text. It has two drawbacks in my opinion: the photos only enlarge slightly and the black background makes reading the text difficult (it hurts my eyes). Still worth a visit. Rating 5/10)
- African Bird Club – an excellent resource for birding anywhere in Africa. The photo gallery has nearly 7000 photos of over 1500 African bird species. Every African country has a section devoted to it, including a map. There is also a section giving advice on what books and CDs to buy. Rating 9/10.
- Brdpics – yes – I spelled it correctly – he has a matching number plate on his car – Bill Schmoker’s Birding Blog from Colorado. Many excellent photos, some cartoons and some amazing animated GIFs of birds. And if you ever suffer from a bad hair day, you won’t want to look at this amazing duck! Worth a good look. Rating 8/10.
Stay tuned for more good birding links in coming weeks.
In the meantime – can you recommend any?
Australian Pelicans
Most people would be able to identify a pelican if shown a photo of one. In fact, most people really love pelicans and enjoy watching them on rivers, lakes, ponds and the ocean. Many would count them as one of their favourite birds. In Australia they would be instantly recognisable to most people because they are so common in many parts of the country where there is suitable habitat.
Samela Harris, a regular columnist for South Australia’s daily newspaper, The Advertiser, has compiled a lovely little site as a photographic tribute to the pelicans of Victor Harbor, the coastal town just south of Adelaide where she lives. She has included many beautiful photos as well as links to this popular coastal town and holiday destination.
Samela is the daughter of well known poet and former bookseller, Max Harris.
Links:
- Aussie Pelicans – with photos by Samela Harris
- Victor Harbor Tourism – plenty of information for the visitor.
- Granite Island Recreation Park – at Victor Harbor you can walk across a long causeway to Granite Island about one kilometre off the coast. Walking trails cover the perimeter of the island with spectacular views in all directions. Granite Island has a breeding colony of Little Penguins. This is a must if visiting Victor Harbor.
- Victor Harbor – a series of articles I have written about this lovely spot. I have included many photos as well.
- Pelicans – a list of articles about pelicans from my archives.
Australian Pelican