Tag Archives: bird

Silver Gull in flight

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Silver Gull
Silver Gull

Birders and photographers scorn at the Silver Gulls. They are common birds and often get in the way of humans. However, they are an extremely successful species that have learnt to live with people and take advantage of the circumstance. Unfortunately, they have a extremely annoying call that irritates a lot of people. They also steal food from people when they are unattended. Hence, they don’t have the best of reputations.

These photographs of a Silver Gull was taken on 4 November 2024 at the Oak Street Wetland. The sun is still rising and there is a slight hint of golden light on the Gull.

Nikon Z 9, Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S @ 1/2500s f/6.3 ISO280

Portrait of a Dusky Moorhen

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Dusky Moorhen

I was telling a birder that I have never taken a decent photograph of a Dusky Moorhen. He said that I had all the opportunity in the world at Oak Street Wetland and Trin Warren Tam-boore. As a photographer, I was never happy with a photograph taken while standing on a high bank shooting down at the bird.

Fortunately, on 4 November 2024, this Dusky Moorhen swam across my path as I was taking photographs of other water bird at Oak Street Wetland. The warm morning light caste a golden orange light on the Moorhen. Still it was a bit far away. I would have preferred the Moorhen to be closer to me. Nevertheless, it is my far my best picture of a Dusky Moorhen. I am hoping to do better next time.

Nikon Z 9, Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S @ 1/640s f/6.3 ISO450.

Hardhead bathed in the morning light

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Hardhead

This photograph of female Hardhead was taken in the morning of 4 November 2024. The sun has just risen and the sky was relatively clear. It cast a beautiful warm light over Oak Street Weland.

The female Hardhead is distinguished from the males by the colour of her eyes. The females have dark eyes while the males have white eyes (male Hardhead).

Nikon Z9, Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S @ 1/640s f/6.3 ISO1100

Eurasian Coote: residents of Oak Street Wetland

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Eurasian Coot

Since I started visiting Oak Street Wetland, there has always been the presence of the Eurasian Coote. I think we can safely say that the wetland is their permanent home. However, the population of Cootes is not constant but fluctuates over the seasons. You can count on seeing a Coote or two if you visit the wetland at any time of the year.

This photograph was taken on 4 November 2024 a few minutes after sunrise – the so-called golden hour. The inhabitants of the wetland was bathed in a beautiful warm tone of the rising sun. It makes waking up early for photography very rewarding.

Nikon Z 9, Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S @ 1/640s f/6.3 ISO360

Silver Gull

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Silver Gull

When ever you visit Trin Warren Tam-boore, you will also see a Silver Gull or two or more. They will forage on the oval next to Trin or soaring in the sky above the Park. It has never to clear to me why they are attracted to Trin.

This photograph of a Silver Gull was taken on 3 November2024 at the oval.

Nikon Z 9, Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S @ 1/500s f/6.3 ISO1250

Australian Grebe in breeding plumage

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Australasian Grebe
Australasian Grebe

The Australian Grebes have shed they winter coat and put on their breeding plumage. In past years, the Grebes have built their nest at the Oak Street Wetland and produced a few chicks.

This year, the Grebe number seemed to be lower. At one point, I observed 3 Grebes but, recently, only 1 Grebe had been seen. Hopefully, there is at least another Grebe hiding in a nest in the midst of the reeds.

These photographs of the same Grebe is taken on 3 November 2024.

Nikon Z 9, Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S @ 1/500s f/6.3 ISO5600

Eurasia Coot in a windless morning

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Eurasian Coot

This photograph of an Eurasian Coot was taken on 3 November 2024. As I recalled, the wind was light but weather was cloudy. The pond at the Oak Street Wetland was clam. This provided me with an opportunity to capture a fairly low key image of this Coot.

Nikon Z 9, Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S @ 1/500s f/6.3 ISO6400

A most difficult subject: Little Wattlebird

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Little Wattlebird

I often find the Little Wattlebird very difficult to photograph. It is always in dense bushes or trees that made it difficult to get a clean shot.

On 27 October 2024, this Little Wattlebird was spotted to top of a tree. While it was not a great photograph (it had the sky as the backdrop and I was shooting from lower ground), it was probably the best photograph of this species I have taken so far. Hopefully, better opportunities will arise in the future to allow me a better shot at this bird.

Nikon Z 9, Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S @ 1/640s f/6.3 ISO360

Laughing Kookaburra appears again at Trin Warren Tam-boore

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Laughing Kookaburra

Kookaburras, when they decided to appear, are usually seen at the White’s Skink habitat near the drain. This Kookaburra was observed at this location on 27 October 2024.

It was rather quite that morning but it sat on the branch without even trying to obscure itself. For some reason, it is always a delight to spot a Kookaburra at Trin.

This photograph does not have the best background but the light coloured Kookaburra and the darker background seems to make this photograph worked.

Nikon Z 9, Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S @ 1/800s f/6.3 ISO1250

Hardheads at Oak Street Wetland

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Hardhead (Male)

Hardheads are native Australian ducks. Although not always present at Oak Street Wetland, they can be found there most times.

On 27 October 2024, about 6 of them was observed at the Wetland. This male Hardhead posed for me by swimming across the break in the reeds as I held the camera low close to the edge of the pond. The sun was behind the cloud, so I wasn’t fortunate enough to have light like this photograph. Perhaps next time one of these Hardheads can pose for me again with better light.

Nikon Z 9, Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S @ 1/640s f/6.3 ISO2000