Molting Cicada. Adapt and survive.
.
.
Photo equipment. Canon 5D3, 100mm Macro L, lighting Samsung S3 phone flash with tissue paper to soften light. Lighting specialist ie wife. Handheld, no tripod. Time spent, just over an hour.
PS. Please help me to ID this cicada. Found in suburban Sydney. Please leave a message if you can ID this. Thank you.
Galah, Eolophus roseicapilla, this pink and grey cockatoo is found in all states of Australia. This collection of 3 photos of this Australian Bird were taken by me over many years (2006-2013) using different camera gears.
The above picture was taken in 2006 of a male Galah feeding on the ground. Male and female can be differentiated from the colour of their eyes. The male Galah has deep brown eyes, while the female Galah has bright red eyes.
This photo was taken in 2008, some where near Canberra. This female Galah had sparkling bright red eyes in the good natural light. This Galah was foraging through the native plants, feeding on grass seeds and roots.
This last photo was taken recently at Lake Parramatta Reserve. The female Galah was emerging from the hollow of this eucalyptus tree. This is probably the breeding nest for this galah. They are known to line the their nest with Eucalyptus leaves.
Checkout my other cockatoo pages below:
Gang-gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum)
Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) [1], [2]
Canon EOS 5D Mark III/ Canon 350D
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens
Old Tamron 70-300 lens (for the first picture)
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), large cockatoo found in Australia. Some keep this Australian Bird as pet, which I don’t quite agree. Got wings, must fly free.
Ever wonder what sulphur crested cockatoo’s diet is like? Today 5 sulphur crested cockatoos landed in my backyard and help themselves to the ripen mandarin oranges.
Initially, this bird took a mandarin orange and the other look on.
Before long, every cockatoo for itself. In the background you could see the other Sulphur Crested cockatoo was flying off with another mandarin fruit. These birds were expert in picking the fruit from the tree. Looks like they have done it before.
The mandarin tree in the background.
Beak first into the mandarin orange.
Took out a super juicy mandarin segment. Yummy…
After getting the first few shots, I had time to move into slightly better position for this picture. Trying to get an angle where the branch became less obstructive.
Yum..yum
I am off… This cockatoo flew off for a second serving.
Ended up enjoying his mandarin on the neighbor’s roof.
The left over.
Some gardeners consider Sulphur Crested Cockatoo as pest. They definitely, had quite an appetite for the mandarin orange. I decided to save a few for my own consumption, left few smaller ones for them. After all, these cockatoo need some food too.
BTW, the mandarins are 100% organic. Pesticide free. No artificial fertilizer, just chicken manure and liquid nitrogen waste from a homo sapiens.
Checkout this link on Psittacine beak and feather disease that can affect Sulphur Crested Cockatoo.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens
Nankeen Night Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus), as the name suggested is a nocturnal bird found in Australia and surrounding nations. These photos were taken near my local creek, up stream of Parramatta River (NSW Australia), in summer 2013.
Usually Nankeen Night Heron is only active at night and seldom seen in the day light, unless being flush out from the roosting place. However, this Nankeen Night Heron was seen foraging in our local creek almost daily between Jan-March 2013. Interestingly, you can always find him in the same spot too.
While the local Pacific Black duck did not seems to bother him, any human activity within 30m would vary him. Any closer to that, he would flight. The photo above was taken from behind some thick vegetation. Thankfully, with this nature hide, I could observe this Nankeen Night Heron going about his routine. Shooting through the foliage can be tricky.
Checkout the long slender white plumes from nape, which is well seen in the photo above. These plumes from the nape is seen in adult not only during breeding season, but through the year, unlike little egret or Royal Spoonbill.
Again, I wish I have a 600mm lens, so that I could fill the frame with this Nakeen Night Heron. Anyone got AUD $15000 to spare?
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens
Brown Gerygone, Gerygone richmondi. This is a small brown bird found in the east coast of Australia.
This photo of the Brown Gerygone was taken in Parramatta Lake Reserve during winter 2013. This species is known to catch flying insect for dinner. If you look closely, the Gerygone in the photo had just caught an insect.
Little brown birds are difficult to identify. Special thanks to the experts at BirdForum for helping me with ID. The Brown Gerygone, had olive/brown crown with grayish face and white brow.
2 hours of bushwalk, 1 good enough photo, worth it!
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens
Australian Shelduck, Tadorna tadornoides, is part of the Shelduck family. These photos were taken at Rottnest Island, Western Australia. The Australian Shelduck is found across Southern Australia, including Tasmania. It is locally common, but uncommon elsewhere in Australia.
The Australian Shelduck is a large, brightly coloured duck. Both sexes have different plumage. The male Australian Shelduck’s head and neck are black with a white neck ring. The female Australian Shelduck has a white ring around both eyes.
Female (left) and Male (right) Australian Shelduck.
This female Australian Shelduck was shifting through foamy lake water. I wonder if there was insects or small marine creatures trapped in the foam.
Foam on it’s beaks, as if she had just down a pint of Guinness.
PhD is taking the toll on me. It has taken awhile for me to put up this post, but this blog shall not be declare dead, yet.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens
Red-rumped parrot (Psephotus haematonotus). This pair of Red-rumped photographed at my local patch. It is common to see pairs of Red-rumped parrot bathing in the creek. However, trying to photograph them prove to be a little challenging with the reach of my 400mm lens. I was lucky the other day, while trying to photograph the Eastern Great Egret, this pair landed about 2.5 meters away from me. They probably did not notice me sitting quietly behind a Banksia bush.
The male bird is the colourful one, with red feathers over the rump. The female Red-rumped parrot is olive in colour and does not have a red rump.
Love is… enjoying simple pleasure of life together?
The two photos below were taken in 2008, somewhere in Canberra.
Kissing parrots, unfortunately they were camera shy. When I moved to a better position, the pair flew off.
The green plumage of the Red-rumped parrot is perfect for camouflage while it feed on the ground in ankle deep grass.
It took 5 years and multiple bush walking trips to bring you these pictures. I hope you like it.
Eastern Great Egret (Ardea modesta), this tall and graceful water bird was photographed on Parramatta river in January 2013. Note the breeding plumage, and the lores that are bright turquoise coloured during the breeding season. Compared this with the non-breeding plumage photos [1], [2] taken from sometime ago.
Eastern Great Egret showing breeding plumage. I was lucky once, to photograph this display after multiple failed attempts.
.
Eastern great egret going about his daily feeding routine.
Canon EOS 5Dmk3
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens
My Australian Birds List
Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides), is a commonly seen bird of prey in Australia. This is a photo from my archive, taken in 2009 near Coogee Beach, NSW.
Even though the picture was taken over 3 years ago, I could still vividly remember the feeling when I approach these pair of Nankeen Kestrels. Quietly and slowly, I inched forward towards them. Thankfully, they were not alarmed, and I was able to get up close to them. I still wondered if these pair were juveniles, since they were so innocent to potential human threats.
Nankeen Kestrel twins sitting quietly at the edge of the cliff.
This was one of my best portrait of a bird.
The photo above was part of the Swapping the Stethoscope for a 400mm Lens exhibition.
Canon EOS 350D
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens
Laughing Kookaburra, Dacelo novaeguineae, an iconic native Australian bird. Laughing Kookaburra is the biggest King Fisher in the world. This set of archive photos were taken in 2008, at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Canberra.
Laughing Kookaburra is from the Kingfisher family but fish does not feature regularly in it’s menu. Instead, insect and small animals are it’s staple diet. This sets of photos capture some of the feeding behaviour of the Laughing Kookaburra.
What’s for dinner?
Tasty beetle..
What’s in there?
Juicy maggot, as seen in “Survival”.
This blog is a little neglected, I’m busy with life and career; but I will keep this hobby alive. Coming soon… hopefully will feature some photos from my new toy (yet to acquire), Canon 5D Mk III.
Link to my other Kookaburra page and my Australian Birds list.
exblog2012.wordpress.com 