Even though Winter seems reluctant to make way for Spring, it’s still the season of new life in nature. Its been an opportunity to get out and about and as you’ll see from some of the images below, this included a few days in Tumut on the western side of the Snowy Mountains. I’ve also introduced a new aspect to my nature and wildlife photography. I’ve called it “Intimate Nature” and it is a mix of macro photography and close-ups of nature.There’s an image from my Intimate Nature page below. I hope you have time to explore it. Greg
(Click on images to enlarge)
A further update from Panboola Wetlands. Mum Swan and her remaining Cygnet are doing well. You might remember from earlier posts that she lost four babies and her mate and has been left to raise junior by herself. She’s doing a great job (very protective!), but there’s still a way to go. It takes up to eight months before cygnets can fly, so parents are land/water bound until then. And it’s another two to three years before black swans reach full maturity. I wonder what the future holds for this little one?
A Spring-time couple, these Chestnut Teals, like black swans, mate for life and stay together even outside the breeding season. They share parenting responsibilities after the female hatches between nine and eleven eggs. They live along the east coast and the main threats they face are foxes, ravens, lizards, and raptors, and the loss of coastal wetlands to development. This pair are happily enjoying life at Panboola Wetlands.
As mentioned, this month included a few days in Tumut. The town has a wonderful Wetlands area. It has 20 hectares of native bush, creeks, rivers and lagoons. There are good walking tracks (some can get a little damp if it rains) and these Corellas, like their larger cockatoo cousins, nest in hollows in trees. This pair have found a hollow with both front and back entrances. Talk about upmarket housing!
When I think of Galahs, I think of large noisy flocks, but this one (also in the Tumut wetlands), was by himself, sleeping peacefully in a dead tree nicely posed for this shot.
A young Kookaburra all fluffed up in the early morning light, perching quietly in the sun on what was a cold Spring morning in Tumut. You can see the buds just appearing on the tree.
Another image taken in the Tumut wetlands, this Superb Blue Fairy Wren was busy chasing small insects. As a result, capturing this image took some patience, but just sitting watching these busy little birds brings its own rewards.
A Joey Kangaroo at Wallagoot Lake peeking out of mum’s pouch at the strange man with a camera early one morning recently. Mum wasn’t worried in the slightest, concentrating on her breakfast. Lots of little ones around at the moment, and all called Joey. Must be really confusing!
Taken at Narooma, this Pelican was almost touching the water as it headed for a free feed. The feed was being provided by a couple of fishermen gutting their catch and tossing the remains to a group of waiting pelicans and cormorants. Interestingly, the cormorants, although a quarter the size of the pelicans, were the ones in charge, chasing the larger bids away from the handout.
As mentioned, recently I’ve been taking an interest in Intimate Nature Photography. The tiny world we find at our feet is stunning if we take the time to look. Like other forms of photography it requires its own unique skill set (and lots of patience!). It forces you to slow down, not such a bad thing. This is an image of a tiny section of a new reed stalk taken at Panboola Wetlands. From now on, along with wildlife, you can expect to see more of this type of intimate nature photography.
If you are interested in seeing more Intimate Nature images, click on the image to go to my new Intimate Nature page.
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