Sunday 31 October 2010

Some Classic Australian Wildlife.

Although I am back in the UK now I'm not at home yet so not able to start putting my best images onto my Website So for now I will post a few more pics on the Blog.
Here are a few Images of classic Aussie Wildlife that I've taken during the last few weeks.

Koala.

Most Koalas you come across in the daytime are sleeping and are not that photogenic but here is one that woke up briefly while I passed by so had to been photographed. A moment later he was asleep again.

Female Kangaroo with Joey in her pouch.

Yes, Kangaroo's are everywhere there is a bit of unfarmed (and often farmed) countryside. But sad to say the place you most often see them while travelling is as road kill. Probably nearly as often as rabbits here in the UK.

Laughing Kookaburra.

Quite often a Kookaburra will let you get really close, just like this little beauty that came to visit us at a remote Cottage we had rented for a few days in the Grampians region. They sit quietly at a vantage point watching for a possible meal and are so engrossed that they don't seem to notice you. Then they suddenly swoop down and take meal from the ground and fly off to somewhere more private to eat it.

Saturday 30 October 2010

Australia in black and white.

Although many of the birds in Australia are amongst the most colourful in the world there are some that's colour is only evident in their personality.

Australian Magpie.

The Australian Magpie has the most amazing song in solo or as a choir.

Australian Magpie.

The Willie Wagtail is an insect eater that fans and wags it's tail in an endearing manner while catching it's prey from foliage or on the ground and even from a vantage point on animals.

Willie Wagtail.

The Magpie-lark is a bird that doesn't stay still and rushes around the ground after food and constructs a nest of mud.


Magpie-lark.



Monday 18 October 2010

Not expecting the unexpected.

How can you be in South Australia and have more cloudy or wet days than sunny ones?
How can you hire a Camper Van and fill it with supplies for a week to go to an amazing "Outback" Nature Reserve and phone the day before to find it's unreachable for the next three or four days because of floods?
How can you run a system update on your mobile and lose your Internet and your Satnav (my only decent map) with it?
How can you buy a Snickers to go with your lunch when it's £1.24 - and to get it that cheap you have to buy two?!?!
How can you drive for two hours to photograph water birds and waders and get this shot instead?

Welcome Swallows.
 Not expecting the unexpected.........

Sunday 3 October 2010

Some Australian Wildfowl and Wetland Birds.

I've been visiting a few places that have Wildfowl and Wetland Birds so thought I'd share a few pics with you.

This little beauty was in a Botanical Garden and was munching on the well kept lawn grass next to the lake. 

Australian Wood Duck.
  This Hardhead or White-eyed Duck was paying a brief visit to a small pond in a Nature Reserve near Adelaide.
Hardhead Drake or White-eyed Duck.
These Pacific Black Ducks are everywhere like the Mallard is in the UK. I think the Mallard takes the honors though. There are Mallards here too.
Pacific Black Duck.
Caught these lovely Black Swans displaying on a lake in the evening light today. Not sure what they are doing but thought it looked quite elegant. They aren't as easy to get close to as Mutes so more of an achievement to get a nice pic.
Black Swans.
Next is a bird that visits the UK on occasion but this is one of a flock that I saw today for the very first time.

Black-winged Stilt.

Tuesday 28 September 2010

Parrots and Punk Pigeons.

I still can't get over the diversity and colourfulness of the birds in Australia and it seems Parrots are the most common type here and probably the most colourful. And do you know what the most amazing thing is? They are all flying free and not imprisoned in cages or aviaries.
 
Galah.

Musk Lorikeet's.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.
 
Eastern Rosella.
 Even the pigeons out here have put their own elegant twist on their appearance.
Crested Pigeon.



Crested Pigeon.


Friday 24 September 2010

First day in Australia.

After about 35 hours travelling and less than 2 hours sleep in the last 42 I arrived in Adelaide at about 7.30 am. As my remedy for Jetlag is to stay awake until the local bedtime I dropped off my bags at my daughter's (Clare) place and she and her boyfriend (Nathan) took me to the local nature reserve and just happened to take the camera.
I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. Numerous beautifully coloured birds everywhere and the odd Koala sleeping in the treetops.
Two birds at the top of my trip hit list after seeing pics of these wonderfully coloured beauties were the Rainbow Lorikeet and the Superb Fairy-wren and I bagged them both on the first day! What a start...

A pair of Rainbow Lorikeets at their nest hole.

Superb Fairy-wren.

Monday 20 September 2010

On my way to Oz.

I started my journey to Australia last night, leaving Heathrow at 22.00.

Busy Heathrow Airport.

What a relief! I got through check-in with all the photography kit. The hand luggage allowence is 5kg and I've got 13.5kg including 1D and 5D bodies and lenses up to 500mm all in my 'Thinktank Airport Acceleration' bag!I've been worrying about it all week and trying different permutations of loading a photo vest with the bodies and a couple of the lenses just to blag my way through if I got Stopped for being over weight. And believe it or not even concidered taking a handbag (yes a handbag) as they are allowed as an extra item. Anyway, I got through with the Thinktank, my laptop and an empty photo vest as carry-on and tougher bits of kit like tripod, spare batteries etc in my checked-in case wrapped in clothes.


My Malaysia Airline plane.

This time zone thing is a bit baffling. Flew through the night, got a couple of snatched shut-eye moments between movies, had breakfast an hour before getting to KL (kuala Lumpur) and landed at tea time!?!? What is that all about?
At KL for about 3 or 4 hours and then onward to Adelaide.
Anyway Burger King is calling but not sure if it's for tea, lunch, or maybe it's breakfast again.

Monday 13 September 2010

Dragonflies in flight.

I've been having a go at Dragonflies in flight over the last month or so and managed to catch one or two like this little beauty.

Common Darter - Gloucestershire August 2010
 More on the Website.

Wednesday 8 September 2010

My first post.

Hello and welcome to the Wildlife Imaging News Blog and my first post.
First of all can I say how glad I am, and how glad you should be that there is a spell checker on here.


Willow Warbler - Forest of Dean April 2010.

The image of the Willow Warbler and has no significance other than to try out my Blog posting skills.
More to follow soon hopefully.