| Portraits of Australian Animals | Tilcheff | bloG |

australiannature.com

2012-02-19T13:08:00.010+11:00

I have just finished work on my biggest and most ambitious web project to date - http://australiannature.com/.
I designed and built the site for my friend, the famous Australian wildlife photographer Pavel German.

The site is still a work in progress as the owners need to upload and tag thousands of images, but the framework is ready and fully functional.
I already had some experience with Wordpress when I started the project, but I soon realised that I was too optimistic when thinking that the only CMS I knew would be suitable to handle image galleries out of the box.

After a lot of fiddling with code and styling I managed to get what we needed with a few modified plugins: NexGEN Gallery, Easy FancyBox and Contact Form 7.

I must admit I'm quite happy with the result, the look of the site and the functionality.

Of course, Pavel's and Liz's photos are what makes the place special. Go have a look. The Australian Wildlife and Greeting Cards galleries are nearly done. There are already more than 500 images there.

There have been some reports that the site loads slowly from overseas... It's really fast here in Australia, so it must be a web hosting issue.

ps. And, yeah, I'm still alive, although life hasn't been exactly what I wish it to be.

The fluffy time of the year

2011-12-25T14:30:00.003+11:00

Very hard to spot, this Tawny Frogmouth family was photographed a couple of months ago in Sydney Botanic Gardens. The father was roosting on a nearby branch and the mother and two chicks were deep asleep most of the time. But patience paid off. They woke up for a while and looked at the camera for a few better shots. Light was quite harsh and the scene backlit with overburned patches of white sky... Not the ideal conditions, but the ideal subjects!

Tawny Frogmouth, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

MY Bob Barker in Sydney

2011-11-12T17:48:00.007+11:00

I went to see the Bob Barker today and took a few photos. The ship is ready to take off for Hobart, where all three Sea Shepherd vessels will meet and start this year's anti whaling operation in the Southern Ocean.

As always I made a small donation, wished the good and brave young people on board luck and am hoping that this really is going to be the last year of Japanese whaling.

It is sad and ironic how all camera brands are Japanese and people who want to take good photos have no options but to buy Japanese products. It always is a personal decision, but I boycott Japanese goods and products and my old Canon body and two lenses are the only 'made in Japan' objects that I own. I'm not planning to upgrade and, of course, I can never afford Leica or Hasselblad.

I'm not sure how I feel about the new paintjob. I think that the old all-black Sea Shepherd vessels looked more menacing, mysterious and invincible. This new design is cool, but makes the ship feel a bit like a toy.

MY Bob Barker, Sydney

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Let's wish the Sea Shepherd crew a successful season!
If you're a supporter, you can easily make a donation or buy a great t-shirt or cap. http://www.seashepherd.org/

A 40-year old man who's been playing with cameras for a long time

2011-05-17T09:56:00.008+10:00

cursor: pointer; width: 312px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_OV9QICon5o4/TdWuDf-e4MI/AAAAAAAAHWY/XTGPtdSvudQ/s640/NT_01.jpg" alt="" border="0" />

In my mind the 70s were such a nice and peaceful time. Of course, it was not the 70s. It was my own age and perceptions...

But the world did change a lot. And I changed a lot too. One thing is certain: I'm allowed to play with bigger and better cameras now. Everything else is probably worse.

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos in action

2011-04-09T14:20:00.003+10:00

Here are several cockatoo photos from yesterday. They trigger mixed emotions in me. On one hand I realize that some of them are quite OK, or even good; on the other I feel frustrated, because my camera is not capable of delivering the quality that I want. AF is always hit or miss, fast shutter speeds result in certain softness and if the object is more than 3 meters away AF is very rarely precise.

Now when I wrote all this, I think frustration dominates. I feel that I have missed a great photographic opportunity, because I was limited by my equipment...

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Grey-headed Flying Foxes XXX

2011-04-09T13:53:00.004+10:00

This is another interesting behavioral sequence. I'd rather not comment on the specific actions as it's extremely easy to slip into tasteless remarks. It really amazes me how Attenborough always finds the right balance when he talks about sex.

Grey-headed Flying Foxes, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Buff-banded Rail portrait

2011-03-26T21:23:00.003+11:00

Again this Friday I could spot a Rail and was lucky enough to have it stop and look at me for a second in the middle of a nicely lit spot and beautiful surroundings...

Buff-banded Rail, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Beautiful White Cockie

2011-03-26T21:16:00.005+11:00

The red fruit this cockie was eating addend beautiful colorful accent to the images...

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Juv. Ibis

2011-03-26T21:08:00.005+11:00

More in-focus sharp and detailed images of a young Ibis.

Australian White Ibis, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Baby Rainbow Lorikeets

2011-03-12T12:10:00.008+11:00

But, of course, from a photographer's point of view the most rewarding sequences were the beautiful images of cute Rainbow Lorikeet fledglings that I managed to take. I often hear the typical squeaky call of young Lorikeets, but this was the first time I saw baby parrots just out of the 'nest'.

For ten seconds the parent assessed the risk, decided there was none and then went on to feeding the youngster.

The scene was heart-warming, light was just right, sky was cloudy and the setting was beautiful.

There were two fledglings that could jump into the branches and climb up the tree trunk using their feet and beaks. The next images show how funny and cute they looked with their non-existent wings and tails.

Good luck, little parrots! Hope your primaries grow fast!!!

Rainbow Lorikeet youngsters, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Ibis youngsters

2011-03-12T11:57:00.006+11:00

Another highlight of the day were the young Ibis chicks all at different stages of development. I like to see them with their (still clean) white feathers, fluffy heads and shorter beaks. They really look like cuter more innocent versions of their parents.

Some were practicing flight, doing funny aerobatic tricks in the air, others were begging their parents for food.

Young Australian White Ibis, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Buff-banded Rails made my day

2011-03-12T11:34:00.005+11:00

I've been trying to spot Buff-banded Rails in Sydney Botanic Gardens for years. Even though they are considered common and 'least concern' they seem to be quite elusive and well-camouflaged. Yesterday I spent a few hours in the gardens and was lucky to finally manage to take several decent photos. A couple of Rails walked about foraging in the undergrowth and decided to pay very little attention to the man with the camera who was trying to hide behind a bush...

Buff-banded Rail, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Victory in the Southern Ocean for the Whales

2011-02-20T07:52:00.019+11:00

I have been waiting for this news since my last post!

"The Sea Shepherd ships Steve Irwin, Bob Barker, and Gojira will remain in the Southern Ocean to escort the Japanese ships northward. “We will not leave the whale sanctuary until the last whaling ship has departed,” said Gojira captain Locky MacLean.

“This is a great victory for the whales,” said Captain Watson, “but we did not do this alone. Without the support of the people of Australia and New Zealand, we would not have been able to send voyages out for seven seasons from Australian and New Zealand ports. We are grateful to Senator Bob Brown and the Australian Greens Party. We are very grateful to Mr. Bob Barker for giving us the ship that turned the tide in our efforts to force the Japanese fleet from these waters. We are grateful to all our onshore staff and volunteers, supporting members and ship crews. We are grateful to the Chilean Navy and the government of France for their support. It is a very happy day for people everywhere who love whales and our oceans.”

It’s official – the killing of whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary is over for this season and the whalers did not even take 10% of their quota. Sea Shepherd estimates that over 900 whales have been saved this year.

“It’s a great day for the whales,” said Sea Shepherd Chief Cook on the Steve Irwin Laura Dakin of Canberra, Australia, “and it’s a great day for humanity!”"

Joy as the whale hunt ends - The Mercury

This time of the year again

2010-12-08T16:47:00.020+11:00

I was very glad to read that Sea Shepherd have another fantastic vessel joining their fleet after the upsetting events that happened last year to Ady Gil.

above: MV Gojira, photo: Eye in the Sky

Gojira looks like taken from the Giant Robot cartoons I grew up with in the 70s. I wish it's as powerful and successful as those super heroes. We, the whales and the world need this so badly!

above: MV Gojira in Hobart, photo: Wikipedia

I'd like to wish these men and women good luck and a successful Whale Wars season. Time for the good to start winning.

above: MY Steve Irwin in Hobart, photo: Tilcheff

And another interesting news: Michelle Rodriguez (the tough helicopter pilot chick in Avatar) joins Sea Shepherd for 2011 Antarctic campaign.

***

And completely unrelated thematically, but in the same chain of thoughts.

For the first time since I became Australian citizen about seven years ago, I'm really proud of what another Australian citizen is doing.
Yes, of course, I'm talking about Mr Julian Assange.
I hope he is well.

A crisp Lorikeet

2010-12-06T15:48:00.003+11:00

Three crisp images of one of the Rainbow Lorikeets that often visit me at the window.

Rainbow Lorikeet, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

How extremely exciting!

2010-11-18T18:49:00.007+11:00

Narelle Badalassi, a fantastic artist from Tasmania, has just sent me copies of the linocuts of Australian birds she did, based on some of my photos.

The exhibition is on at the Salamanca Arts Centre in Hobart at the moment, so if you're there make sure you don't miss it!

I find it extremely exciting to see my photos turn into great artwork and am so glad that Narelle chose to use them as inspiration...

Check out her blog to see all the awesome stuff she's been working on!

And these are some posts which show the progress of the work on the linocuts: click, click, click, click and click.

And this, of course, is a collage of my photos...

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Tawny Frogmouth for the PoAA birthday

2010-10-07T22:28:00.001+11:00

I have a calendar on my PC desktop and for 7th October it says "PoAA Birthday". That's why all the posting activity today on this otherwise abandoned bloG. Well... I'm still alive and I'm taking photos.

The photographer photographed while photographing a Tawny Frogmouth.

Tawny Frogmouth

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Some more random photos

2010-10-07T19:27:00.003+11:00

above: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

above: Galah

above: Australian Pelican

above: White Pigeon

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Random recent shots

2010-10-07T19:13:00.005+11:00

above: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

above: Hardhead

above: Australian Raven

above: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

above: Red Wattlebird

above: Purple Swamphen

above: Royal Spoonbill

above: Great Egret

above: Royal Spoonbill

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Australian Brush-turkey

2010-10-07T19:05:00.003+11:00

Australian Brush-turkey

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Double space is a clear sign of hesitation

2010-07-01T20:26:00.003+10:00

If you encounter a text where the author has pressed space bar twice, there's usually only one explanation: an edit that was not done properly! Double spaces are a clear sign of hesitation.

Cygnets

2010-06-20T20:17:00.001+10:00

Black Swans and babies

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Grey Butcherbird

2010-06-20T20:12:00.001+10:00

Grey Butcherbird and youngster

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Heron, Pelican and Cockatoo

2010-06-20T20:10:00.004+10:00

above: White-faced Heron

above: Australian Pelican

above: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Indian Myna

2010-06-20T20:06:00.002+10:00

Indian Myna

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos

2010-06-20T18:50:00.006+10:00

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Some recent close-ups

2010-06-20T18:31:00.006+10:00

above: White-faced Heron

above: Muscovy Duck

above: Laughing Kookaburra

above: Purple Swamphen

above: Black Swan

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Purple Swamphens

2010-05-21T21:56:00.005+10:00

They looked beautiful in the drizzle - the young and the adult Purple Swamphens!

Purple Swamphen, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Bar-tailed Godwits

2010-05-21T21:52:00.006+10:00

According to Wikipedia "Bar-tailed Godwit makes the longest known non-stop flight of any bird and also the longest journey without pausing to feed by any animal, 11,680 kilometers along a route from Alaska to New Zealand."
This is shockingly amazing and so extraordinary!

Bar-tailed Godwit, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Little Black Cormorant

2010-05-21T19:58:00.001+10:00

Little Black Cormorant, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Australian Darter

2010-04-11T17:15:00.004+10:00

I have some new species to add to the bloG, one of them being the Australian Darter. More to come in a month, two or three...

Male Australian Darter, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Dragonfly in flight

2010-04-07T22:15:00.003+10:00

I was quite excited when I succeeded in taking these photos a couple of months ago. The Dragonfly hovered in one spot for a while. Autofocus refused to work: the target was too small. Then I decided to try manual and surprisingly some of the images came out quite crisp.

Dragonfly in flight, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

RIP JDS!

2010-01-29T09:32:00.004+11:00

JD Salinger died Wednesday at 91.
I feel it, more or less, like a personal loss. I lived most of my life 'knowing' him and 'talking' with him, Seymour, Buddy and Holden.

Yesterday must have been The Perfect Day for Bananafish :(

Sydney nightlife

2010-01-01T23:03:00.003+11:00

I recently did several night hunts in the suburban parks around here, just to find out that my camera's AF assist flash is completely useless and the only option for nighttime photography is manual focus. Which in complete darkness, even with the decently good head-mounted torch is not an easy task. Still there are some in-focus images, which I wanted to post before I left. Another difficulty were the glowing red eyes, which look like alien projectors. It takes quite a lot of time to retouch the pupils and make them look at least a bit natural...

above: Common Ringtail Possum, NSW

above: Tawny Frogmouth, NSW

above: Common Brushtail Possum, NSW

above: Common Ringtail Possum, NSW

above: Common Brushtail Possum, NSW

above: Common Ringtail Possum, NSW

above: Tawny Frogmouth, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

This project is over!

2010-01-01T02:15:00.012+11:00

After more than 500 posts,
nearly three years of frequent blogging
and more than a thousand photos published here,
Portraits of Australian Animals goes into history.

I will not delete it right now, but it will fall into deep hibernation for at least a year. I need to reconsider many things, decide how I would like to go on with photography and find a better way of assessing the good from the average photos. During the next 12 months I will post no more than 12 photos and I will start posting again after at least three months' break.

In the next few weeks I will do minor updates to the labels and reorganize some posts just to make them more search engine friendly.

Will I stop taking photos and spending every spare moment that I have outdoors?
Of course not.
But regular blogging has become too demanding and frequent abuse of the photographs has become really annoying. I know. 'If you want to keep your photos private, keep them away from the Internet'. The thing is that I don't want to keep them private. I wanted to share them with like-minded people, but unfortunately too many people with completely different values and agenda took advantage of this 'free' resource, and used it for purposes that I would have never approved.

A hobby is a hobby. I don't want to spend hours and hours tracking down these abusers or sewing them. I've had enough of that with my design and animation work.
I have to move on, focus on other projects, maybe have another blog some day, where those same guys could steal and sell a drawing or two.

I had two main reasons for PoAA's existence.

The first was to share photos, improve my photographic skills and get useful feed-back on this. It worked quite well.
The second was to try and get more people know about the Kangaroo/Wallaby killing in Australia. I hoped to get Nature Blog Network involved into making the problem better known to the world. I did not get the support I'd hoped to get there and left the network.
There was also a third reason - occasional thoughts on animation - which I abandoned quite early as I realized there was no place for it in a nature and photography blog. And animation, the good classic animation, is completely dead anyway, replaced by ugly, anti-aesthetic, inhumane CGI.

A big 'Thank you!' to all frequent visitors and followers of PoAA, to all my Best Blog Friends, who supported me with comments and encouragement throughout the years and best of luck to you all for the future!

A special 'Thank you!' to bloggers who helped promoting PoAA and displayed the PoAA button in their own blogs!

Take care!
Nickolay

ps. I'm leaving the comments below this post open, just in case you want to say something. Thank you for every word!

That was all, Folks!

Cockatoos

2009-12-31T23:20:00.002+11:00

A White Cockatoo was the first exotic bird I saw on my first morning in Australia seven years ago.
A parrot! A parrot! How exciting!
I hope he is still alive and enjoys his long cockatoo life somewhere in this country, where many native animals are called pests and treated as such.
Let's say 'Goodbye' to several Cockatoo species today as this is their final appearance on the pages of this bloG. I wish I could post some Blacks, Gang-Gangs and Cockatiels too, but didn't get the opportunity to photograph them...

above: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Tasmania

above: Galah, Tasmania

above: Long-billed Corella in flight, Tasmania

above: Little Corella, NSW

above: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Tasmania

above: Galah, Tasmania

above: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Tasmania

above: Long-billed Corella, Tasmania

above: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Tasmania

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Two-zero-one-zero

2009-12-31T23:00:00.001+11:00

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Gulls: final appearance

2009-12-30T07:00:00.004+11:00

Most wildlife photography enthusiasts consider gulls too common to photograph. Not me...

above: juv. Pacific Gull, Tasmania

above: Crested Tern, Tasmania

above: Silver Gull, Tasmania

above: Pacific Gull, Tasmania

above: juv. Kelp Gull, Tasmania

above: Pacific Gull, Tasmania

above: Silver Gull, Tasmania

above: Pacific Gull, Tasmania

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

An Insect and Sea Jelly post (3)

2009-12-29T10:39:00.004+11:00

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Hens

2009-12-29T08:56:00.002+11:00

above: Dusky Moorhen, NSW

above: Buff-banded Rail, NSW

above: Tasmanian Native-hen, Tasmania

above: Dusky Moorhen, NSW

above: Buff-banded Rail, NSW

above: Dusky Moorhen, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Oystercatchers: final appearance

2009-12-28T08:22:00.005+11:00

I did not realize I had so many Oystercatcher photos in the closet.

Pied and Sooty Oystercatchers, Tasmania

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Noisy M's final quiet appearance

2009-12-27T20:16:00.006+11:00

Noisy Miners, Tasmania and NSW (+ an Australian Magpie)

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Say 'Goodbye' to the Lizards

2009-12-27T08:07:00.006+11:00

Skinks, Lace Monitor and Eastern Water Dragons, photographed in Tasmania and NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Ducks and friends

2009-12-26T13:29:00.006+11:00

above: Pacific Black Duck in flight, Tasmania

above: Australian Pelican, NSW

above: Black Swan, NSW

above: Grey Teal, NSW

above: Australian Pelican, NSW

above: Grey Teal, NSW

above: Great Egret, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

A Possum!

2009-12-26T09:22:00.003+11:00

I found this old photo of a Common Brushtail Possum, taken in Melbourne in 2005.

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Plovers and Stilts: final appearance

2009-12-25T23:39:00.005+11:00

above: Masked Lapwing, NSW

above: Black-winged Stilt, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Little Fairywrens: final appearance

2009-12-25T19:29:00.004+11:00

Superb Blue Wrens, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Scratch, scratch, scratch. Happy holidays!

2009-12-25T10:58:00.004+11:00

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Frogmouths and Butcherbirds: final appearance

2009-12-24T10:47:00.005+11:00

I have mentioned the amazing camouflage of Tawny Frogmouth many times before. Today I decided to accentuate on this even more by posting this cropped image below.

It's very hard to tell which is bark and which is feathers, isn't it?

above: Tawny Frogmouth, NSW

Grey Butcherbird, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Tasmanian Scrubwren

2009-12-24T10:13:00.007+11:00

Tasmanian Scrubwren is a close relative of the White-browed Scrubwrens. These are the only three images I found while preparing all the last year's photos for archiving. As far as I can recall I have only spotted it twice and managed these ID shots during the second encounter.

Tasmanian Scrubwren, Tasmania

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Lorikeets: final appearance

2009-12-23T10:12:00.004+11:00

above: Rainbow Lorikeet, NSW

above: Musk Lorikeet, Tasmania

Beautiful, friendly birds, aren't they?

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Flying Foxes: final appearance

2009-12-20T19:34:00.007+11:00

Time to say 'goodbye' to the bats too.

Above are six consecutive frames of an image burst pasted into a single file.

As I was preparing these images for the bloG I thought that it was much more fun to see them downside-up. Human brain and eyes are so used to see certain things in certain order that images rotated like this look more detailed and give us a much better understanding what goes on in the branches.

Christmas is approaching, that's why I called the photo above the Three Wise Men, even though some of them are probably female foxes.

Flying Foxes, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Rosella Parrots

2009-12-19T09:27:00.005+11:00

above: Eastern Rosella, Tasmania

above: Green Rosella, Tasmania (endemic species)

above: Crimson Rosella, ACT

above: Green Rosella, Tasmania (endemic species)

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Black-faced Cormorant: final appearance

2009-12-17T09:35:00.007+11:00

Cormorants were frequent guests on the pages of this bloG over the years. Black-faced Cormorants are quite common in Hobart and most locals couldn't understand my interest in them. During my first months there, I was obviously talking quite openly how exciting it was to be able to photograph Cormorants during lunch time and a colleague asked: "So what's so interesting about a cormorant?". I tried to explain, but soon gave up and later only talked about birds and animals with people who had persistent and deep interest in the matter. During the last months there, however, I used photography, birds and animals as a topic for superficial politically-correct conversations to avoid all the potentially dangerous work-related themes.

Cormorants are amazing ultra-efficient and beautiful creatures. I can watch them dry their wings, dive, preen, fly away and come back for hours. I love their green eyes, their streamlined heads and their funny penguin-like walk.

There are quite many photos in this post, more than the usual 3-5, but I thought all of these images were good enough to show to the world. With this I'd like to say "Good bye!" to the Black-faced Cormorant and thank them for the great assistance and photographic opportunities.

Black-faced Cormorants, Tasmania

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

European Goldfinch in Australia

2009-12-15T17:37:00.006+11:00

European Goldfinch, Tasmania

At first I thought the image above had some emotional impact and metaphoric value. More often than not I feel like an alien in Australia. When I scaled it down to 1024px it lost most of the texture and with it the sense of scale and mood, so I decided that this reduced version didn't deserve a post of its own...

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Photographic memory: Musk Lorikeets

2009-12-11T20:49:00.006+11:00

Digging through old files I found a very nice Musk Lorikeet session. Funny how all these photos got completely forgotten and slept quietly in my hdd for months. Even the moths were very impressed by the pictures and were curious to have a closer look, which, of course, I did not allow... The models were very cooperative that morning and, in fact, there are quite many of these funny poses. Some day I should post more!

Musk Lorikeets, Tasmania

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Cicada Madness in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

2009-12-07T10:10:00.011+11:00

A walk in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park yesterday coincided with one of those natural events that impress me very much – a full-on Cicada concert. Thousands of Cicadas were buzzing continuously in perfect sync. There must have been several different species with several distinct 'melodies', but I know too little about insects and Wikipedia doesn't provide much info either. (It's still well worth reading about the Cicada species in general.) I recorded several minutes of audio, but the quality of these recordings is pretty bad. Still I decided to post a short part of them, just to give at least some vague idea about this amazing experience.

Well... I may be completely wrong, but these sounds give me an idea what the Didgeridoo sounds like. For me, it's at least partially based on those wild Cicada audio vibrations.

I'm not equipped for insect photos either. The images below were taken with my 300mm lens, which meant I had to step a meter and a half away to be able to focus the bugs....
I'm not too sure about the IDs, so if you think there's something wrong with them being labeled as Redeye Cicada (Psaltoda moerens), please let me know either in comments or in an email. Thanks!

Cicadas in Ku-ring-gai Chase NP, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Lace Monitor: a literally 'long' post

2009-12-06T22:40:00.009+11:00

Lace Monitor, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Photographic memory: New Holland Honeyeater (20)

2009-12-05T22:41:00.002+11:00

New Holland Honeyeater, Tasmania

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Photographic memory: Little Wattlebird

2009-12-04T18:41:00.004+11:00

Little Wattlebird, Tasmania

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Big flying insects

2009-12-04T18:15:00.003+11:00

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

White-faced Heron

2009-12-02T18:36:00.003+11:00

White-faced Heron, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Corella in the doorway

2009-12-01T15:08:00.003+11:00

Long-billed Corella, Tasmania

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Willy Wagtail in a nest

2009-12-01T14:03:00.002+11:00

A few weeks ago I saw a very small nest on a branch hanging over the water. This Willy Wagtail chick was there, probably for the last day as it seemed to me fledged and the parents were trying to get it out of the nest. Below is a picture of a different adult bird, just for comparison. I didn't want to disturb them too much and quickly walked away...

Willy Wagtail, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Little Wattlebird and other random images

2009-11-30T22:14:00.006+11:00

As we steadily progress towards the final post in this bloG, I'm trying to go through all my old photos and find any images from the last year that are worth posting.

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Photographic memory: Common Starlings

2009-11-30T18:38:00.003+11:00

Common Starlings, Tasmania

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Eastern Whipbird (28)

2009-11-27T18:24:00.004+11:00

I spot Eastern Whipbirds from time to time, I can hear them relatively often too, but photographing them is not easy. So far I have completely failed to get an image of an adult bird and this youngster posed only briefly in the dense shadows...

Young Eastern Whipbird, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Photographic memory: Black-faced Cormorants

2009-11-27T17:47:00.006+11:00

The image above shows well the differences between mature and juvenile Black-faced Cormorants. Youngsters are brown and smaller. The white plumes on the back of the adult bird's neck are apparently a part of the breeding outfit. For a long time I thought that they appeared, just like in humans, with aging.

Black-faced Cormorants, Tasmania

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Pigeons

2009-11-27T17:40:00.007+11:00

Pigeons and Doves are not too spectacular, but very cute. They are quite common in cities, but somehow manage keep their distance from the photographer. At least the representatives of these two species do.

above: Spotted Turtle-Dove, Tasmania

above: Crested Pigeon, NSW

above: Spotted Turtle-Dove, Tasmania

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Photographic memory: Tasmanian Native-hen

2009-11-24T18:02:00.003+11:00

Tasmanian Native-hen

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Lewin's Honeyeater

2009-11-24T10:51:00.003+11:00

First and only encounter: Lewin's Honeyeater, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Australian Reed-Warbler

2009-11-24T10:46:00.006+11:00

Another first-time appearance: Australian Reed-Warbler, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Small birds - low quality shots

2009-11-24T10:11:00.005+11:00

It's always hard to draw a line between good photos that deserve publishing and average ones that never see the world. Especially for species that never appear on good photos. There isn't much time left for this bloG, but I think at this point I'm ready to redefine my own quality control requirements. Small birds which hide in the undergrowth are a serious challenge for the photographer. The lighting is poor most of the time, they move fast and are so tiny to make focusing very difficult. On top of all this, the setting is seldom anything that can be qualified as 'inspiring', 'clean' or 'beautiful'.

Many times I see a tiny creature and feel very lucky to even be able to get a snap of it, so that later at home I can identify the bird. Often this happens only once and there is no chance for a second take. Maybe I'm missing something important, but until I get much better images of some of these species I will keep posting average photos which at least show the birds and can be used as a reference by other bloggers.

above: Grey Fantail, Tasmania

above: Brown Thornbill, Tasmania

above: Variegated Fairywren, NSW

above: Spotted Pardalote, Tasmania

above: Striated Pardalote

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Photographic memory: Red-necked Wallabies

2009-11-23T09:59:00.001+11:00

Red-necked Wallabies, Tasmania

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Corellas II - What a nice family!

2009-11-22T23:16:00.001+11:00

Corellas dropped by again this morning. At first the two kids walked up and down the branch...

... and then the parents arrived and each gave a good meal to one chick.

What a nice family! Very cute indeed.

Little Corella family, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Vertical shots

2009-11-22T09:32:00.005+11:00

above: Pacific Gull, Tasmania

I somehow subconsciously avoid posting vertical photos on this bloG. They don't fit as nicely on the pages as the horizontal ones. Here is a random collection of such vertical photos. The only common thing about them is the format.

above: Welcome Swallow, NSW

above: Laughing Kookaburra, NSW

above: Black Swan, NSW

above: Long-billed Corella, Tasmania

above: Flying Fox, NSW

above:White-faced Heron, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Lizards

2009-11-21T15:27:00.008+11:00

above: Cicada (Psaltoda moerens)

Eastern Water Dragons seem to be very popular here in Sydney. I see them quite often during my walks and they come in all sizes, colors and, obviously, ages. They are not too shy either. If you approach them slowly, they will pretend to be logs or rocks and pose very nicely. AF works well on their scaly skin. All in all they make perfect models. Of course, I'm worried not to bore the visitors too much, but I cant hold myself posting some more dragon pictures. There will be at least one more batch later.

Apart from Eastern Water Dragons I see Skinks. The Blue Tongue is easy to ID, but many of the others are not. I don't have a book on lizards and extra difficulty comes from the fact that it's not only the che colors and shapes, but over their lifespan they vary in size considerably.

above: Eastern Water Dragon

abive: Blue Tongue Lizard

I don't have names for the two Skinks below. So help would be highly appreciated. I will try to activate comments for this post to make helping easier...

above: unknown Skink (1), quite fat and big, nearly the size of the Blue Tongue, near Sydney

above: unknown Skink (2). I think it's just the common Skink with his tail recently detached.

above: Eastern Water Dragon

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Corellas (40)

2009-11-20T15:27:00.007+11:00

above: Long-billed Corella, Tasmania

A family of four Little Corellas visited the nearby eucalypt early this morning. Corellas aren't common here and in fact this the first time I get a chance to photograph them. The images are not good - they never are good from this distance - but I thought it was a good chance to compare some old Long-billed Corella images to these new ones. This way the bad photos will have at least some informational/educational value.

above: the parents, Little Corella, NSW

above: one of the young birds, Little Corella, NSW

above: Long-billed Corella, Tasmania

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Next Blog

2009-11-19T08:59:00.008+11:00

I'm not sure if you have noticed, but the Next Blog» functionality has been greatly improved recently. When you press the next blog button on the blogger bar now it is very likely that you will jump to a blog which is somehow relevant to your interests. In the past I used to do it from time to time, but would quickly get bored by useless newsfeed powered blogs or commercial Asian fashion blogs, or blogs in languages I cannot read at all. It's very different now. Give it a go!

Australian Pelican, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

New Holland Honeyeaters

2009-11-18T19:15:00.003+11:00

New Holland Honeyeaters, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Baby birds

2009-11-17T22:28:00.007+11:00

above: Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)

There are many young birds around these days. When I have time, I love observing all the extra activities associated with this special time of the year. The big Channel-billed Cuckoos have come here to enjoy the moment too and lay some eggs in other birds' nests. I can hear them every morning and see Currawongs and Mapies chasing them in the air.
Here is a mix of different youngsters, all of them at different stage of development, all of them at the beginning of their lives, learning how to deal with challenges and survive in a hostile environment. Let's wish them good luck!

above: Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus)

above: Willy Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys)

above: Eastern Whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus)

above: Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)

above: Azure Kingfisher (Alcedo azurea)

above: House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

above: Blackbird (Turdus merula)

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Australian Raven

2009-11-16T08:22:00.002+11:00

Australian Raven, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Dusky Moorhen

2009-11-16T07:38:00.003+11:00

Dusky Moorhens, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Rainbow Lorikeets feeding

2009-11-15T08:30:00.003+11:00

Rainbow Lorikeets, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

White-browed Scrubwren and Cicadas

2009-11-14T07:05:00.001+11:00

The Cicadas (Psaltoda moerens) above were photographed in Tasmania a long time ago, but I had completely forgotten about the photo until yesterday when I shot a Scrubwren with a Cicada in its beak. The White-browed Scrubwrens seem to be quite common in this area, but this doesn't mean they are easy to photograph. They are always in the undergrowth and rarely stay in one place for more than two seconds. I've done numerous unsuccessful attempts to get a good picture and these are the best ones so far. At least you can see the bird!

White-browed Scrubwren, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Azure Kingfisher

2009-11-12T22:36:00.002+11:00

Another first encounter: a young Azure Kingfisher, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Eastern Water Dragons (50)

2009-11-12T22:31:00.004+11:00

Eastern Water Dragon, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

How smart are Parrots?

2009-11-12T22:25:00.007+11:00

I came across three very interesting Wikipedia articles about exactly how intelligent parrots are.
Alex, N'kisi and Snowball. Enjoy!

Sulphur-crested Cocktoo

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Pelican in flight

2009-11-08T08:34:00.002+11:00

Australian Pelican, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Photographic memory: Parrots in Hobart

2009-11-07T08:30:00.003+11:00

above: Musk Lorikeet

above: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

above: Eastern Rosella

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Photographic memory: Black-headed Honeyeater

2009-11-06T08:15:00.003+11:00

On 25 Dec 2008, early in the morning I went to Knocklofty for a walk. I knew there wouldn't be many people and the birds would do their usual morning routines. I spotted some rarer species that day, but didn't get many good photos. A series of such is this busy Black-headed Honeyeater feeding its two newly-fledged chicks. They didn't really pay much attention to me, but no matter how I tried to move around, there were always leaves and branches between them and the lens...

Black-headed Honeyeater, Tasmania

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

What's for breakfast?

2009-10-24T14:43:00.011+11:00

above: Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)

above: Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa)

above: White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)

above: Spotted Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia chinensis)

above: Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)

above: Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris)

above: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)

above: Scarlet Robin (Petroica boodang)

above: Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala)

above: Great Egret (Ardea alba)

Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius)

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Young Welcome Swallows

2009-10-23T16:06:00.003+11:00

Young Welcome Swallows, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Close-ups II

2009-10-22T21:35:00.005+11:00

above: Great Egret

above: Black Swan

above: Australian Pelican

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Cygnet (59)

2009-10-22T21:26:00.006+11:00

Young Black Swan, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Close-ups

2009-10-21T18:23:00.005+11:00

Long time ago Mick of Sandy Straits and Beyond had pointed out in a comment how amazingly different and varied the colors of birds' eyes are. Then I thought I'd put together a post showing better this beautiful variety, but haven't actually done it. This post isn't exactly what my intention was, but some nice irises are visible on these photos and the level of detail is quite good. Each of these images deserved its own post. I'm just too lazy in this heat to press the 'publish' button more than once. Most of the pics are worth clicking too. They are quite sharp.

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

top to bottom: Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae), Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina), Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Juv. Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus), Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), Black-faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens), Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala)

Australian Brush-turkey

2009-10-19T13:50:00.005+11:00

Here are the first Brush-turkeys on this bloG. I had a brief first sighting a couple of weeks ago and a second one yesterday. I hope to be able to get better images of these extraordinary beautiful birds soon...

Australian Brush-turkey, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Yesterday, I also saw their incubator, but it was raining and couldn't take any photos of it. If you are unfamiliar of this amazing technique of nest-building and incubation you might want to read the whole Wikipedia article on Australian brush-turkeys. Here is the paragraph about the mounds:

"Brush-turkeys are communal birds, and have communal nests. A typical group consists of a dominant male, one or more younger males and several females. They build large nests on the ground made of leaves, other combustible material and earth, 1 to 1.5 metres high and up to 4 metres across. The eggs are hatched by the heat of the composting mound which is tended only by the males who regulate the temperature by adding or removing material in an effort to maintain the temperature of the mound in the 33-35°C incubation temperature range. The Australian Brush-turkey checks the temperature by sticking its beak into the mound. As with some reptiles, incubation temperature affects the sex ratio of chicks, which is equal at 34°C but results in more males when cooler and more females when warmer. It is unclear whether the parents use this to manipulate the sex of their offspring by, for instance, selecting the nesting site accordingly. Warmer incubation also results in heavier, fitter chicks, but how this is linked to gender is also unknown."

Pelicans

2009-10-18T21:12:00.006+11:00

I managed some decent pelican shots today. Will post more soon.

Australian Pelican, NSW

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

Photographic memory: Pacific Gull in Sandy Bay

2009-10-16T18:40:00.002+11:00

Pacific Gull, Tasmania

click on a photo to view hi-res image :: click on a label to open all related posts

My photographic gear

2009-10-16T17:20:00.001+11:00

People keep asking what my equipment is, how I use it, if I'm happy with it. Decided to write a few words about this.

I've had several film cameras. The first one was a Смена 8М, documented in a photo from 1974 or 75.

My first digital camera was Fuji FinePix S5500, a compact ultra zoom, quite good for its price and 2004. I took some nice photos with it and the best ones are available on this bloG, carefully indexed with a special label. It was fast for a compact, but not fast enough for birds in flight. I soon realized I needed something much better, and, unfortunately, much more expensive.

For a long time I was reading and getting familiar with Nikon models, but when I was about to make a purchase, circumstances were more favorable to buy a Canon. I don't regret. I bought an EOS 30D body,

and an EF 70-300 IS USM lens. That was the best equipment I could afford. I was hoping to be able to buy some more and better lenses later, but it never happened. I don't see such thing happening in a foreseeable future either. For a while I was dreaming to get a battery grip to get a better hold on the camera when taking vertical photos, but have given up on this too.

All the photos on this bloG (except those labeled with FinePix) are taken from a hand held camera with this body and lens, almost always at 300mm.
I tend to shoot at ISO 320-640 most of the time, using short image bursts (HiSpeed) of twos or threes to try to capture action. Most of the action shots are taken on Shutter Priority (TV) mode. I find that 1/1250 to 1/2000 is usually fast enough to freeze birds in flight.

Am I happy with the lens? I don't know.

It has a very nice and pleasing bokeh. Many times even if there's nothing in focus I will stare at an image and enjoy the beautiful blurry painting that the lens has produced.
It can be sharp. Every now and then I get an image that amazes me with its crispness. I don't know if it's due to a combination of factors, but such images are very rare. One in a thousand I'd say.
At 100% images are generally soft. It might be due to the specific subjects, being quite small and feathery. Maybe the AF system gets confused. It can be due to shaky hands, but it shouldn't matter much at high shutter speeds. It could be due to the Image Stabilizer / Auto Focus conflict, but I have tried to shoot with stabilizer switched off. I don't know.
Many times AF is too slow. I know. I only have F5.6 at 300mm. There's not enough light.

Those rare sharp images show me what the sensor and the body are capable of. Obviously a lot. But even this sensor is too small for the contemporary expectations. 8 megapixels are just not enough for a decent crop.

What do I do to the photos in the computer? Nearly nothing. I crop them to get a pleasing composition. Rarely adjust levels, if exposure is not good, but the image is otherwise worthwhile. Then scale down to 1024 by whatever and publish to the blog.

Why are there no EXIFs in the photos? Not on purpose really. I use such an old version of Photoshop (Five!) which just cannot keep them when re-saving the jpg. And I don't think they are too important either.

I wish I could afford to spend much more money on equipment, which would produce much better images, but as photography is only a spare time activity for me it is not possible.