A male Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum caledonicum) at rest. Lake Leschenaultia, Western Australia.
We went to Lake Leschenaultia and I had all these plans to photograph dragonflies in flight. I’d got this shot all planed out in my mind to get a shot of one flying just over some reeds. I’d set the camera up with what would be the best lens and headed out to an area on the lakeside where I knew I’d find some and there would be some nice light. Except it was very windy and I couldn’t find any dragonflies. I went off to the reed beds behind the boat shed thinking that should prove more fruitful as it was in the lee of the wind. There were loads there flying around and it was amazing to watch them chase each other around, but from a photographic point of view it wasn’t so good as there was a rather belligerent tiger snake who really did not want to share his basking spot. So I walked around the lakeside a bit further and found another spot that was sheltered from the wind. But try as I might I just could not get the shot I was after. They wouldn’t fly where I wanted, wouldn’t fly slow enough or in a straight line. In the end I had to content myself with the photo above. The dragonfly just rested on that twig for a couple of seconds in the shade and then it was off.
Nature photography is hard. We can have an idea of the shot in our minds eye and try to make it happen, but then nature doesn’t play ball with us and then we have to adapt and take what we’re given. Bit like life really.
Augusta is a small coastal town on the furthest southwest corner of Australia – next stop Antartica. It is home to roughly 1000 permanent residents and swells to over 5000 for the Christmas holidays.
When we first visited over thirty years ago we didn’t much care for the place. It looked boring, dreary, dull, and because we went in late winter had crappy weather. Thirty years later we’ve developed a new appreciation of the place. I suppose it seemed to my 28 year old self a bit like the English “Costa Geriatrica”,between Eastbourne and Worthing on the Sussex coast. When I went to Worthing in my late teens and early twenties It appeared that the average age of the population looked as if it was 109. It wasn’t helped by the fact that on the main road into the town was an enormous cemetery and crematorium.But I digress and Augusta isn’t all about prostate problems and incontinence pads. Oh no! It is an amazing place because of it’s rich biodiversity and beautiful scenery. It has taken all these years for me to fully appreciate what it has to offer.
The Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse is continental Australia’s most south westerly point. The 39m tall lighthouse was built in 1895 and automated in 1982. As well as being an important navigational aid it also functiona as a weather station.
We’ve just got back from a wonderful break down there. It was fantastic to walk in the forest, along the coast and observe nature. Our first port of call so to speak was the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. Not because I have a thing about large phallus shaped buildings but because we wanted to see Rock Parrots (Neophema petrophila). I have tried to photograph them before at Denmark but not had much luck. The main reason is that their colouring means that they blend in perfectly with the grasses and sedges found on the coast. At the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse the parrots often feed on the lawns surrounding the buildings. Well maintained cut lawn would mean less foliage for the parrots to hide in. I settled into place and while I waited an Australian Pippit bobbed around in the longer grass at the edge of the lawn. After a while five or six rock parrots landed and started to feed. I waited patiently and as luck would have they moved closer and closer to me. After a while I had this distinct impression that someone or something was behind me watching. I slowly stood up and turned around and there on the water tank behind me was a solitary rock parrot. I was so close I could have reached out and touch it. Amazing stuff! Thankfully he/she was happy to sit there while I grabbed a few photos.
“You’ll find the rock parrots over there!” Welcome Swallow, Hirundo neoxxena. Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia.
This Australian Pipit, Anthus australis, was the warm up act for the main star of the show. Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia.
Rock Parrot, Neophema petrophila. Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia.
“Whose a pretty boy?” Rock Parrot, Neophema petrophila. Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia.
Our next foray was to Hamelin Bay where we hoped to find Southern Emu-wrens in the bush behind the dunes. Despite it hammering down with rain I did manage to find some, but taking a photo of them was another story. Those little buggers are fast and they don’t sit still for very long at all. All I got for my troubles was very wet and some photos of Silvereyes. We admitted defeat and retreated back to Augusta for an excellent fish and chip lunch.
Silvereye, Zosterops lateralis. Hamelin Bay, Western Australia.
In-between looking for birds I also spent some time looking for orchids. It is amazing to go to a place you’ve visited several times before but still find new and unusual species It was also very nice to meet a couple from Queensland who drive over very year to see Western Australia’s orchids. That is dedication!
The albino form of the pink fairies orchid, caladenia latifolia. Jewel Cave, Deepdene, Western Australia.
Lodge’s Spider Orchid, Caladenia lodgeana. Flat Rock, Augusta, Western Australia.
Funnel-tipped Spider Orchid, Caladenia infundibularis. Flat Rock, Augusta, Western Australia.
Augusta Bee Orchid, Diuris sp Augusta. Flat Rock, Augusta, Western Australia.
Dusborough Donkey Orchid, Diuris jonesii. Flat Rock, Augusta, Western Australia.
Rattle Beak Orchid, Lyperanthus serratus. Flat Rock, Augusta, Western Australia.
Swamp Mignonette Orchid, Microtis atrata. Flat Rock, Augusta, Western Australia.
Common Mignonette Orchid, Microtis media subsp. media. Flat Rock, Augusta, Western Australia.
White Fairy Orchid, Caladenia marginata. Flat Rock, Augusta, Western Australia.
My last session photographing birds came entirely by accident. We were taking Frida, our wayward bull terrier, for her morning walk on the dog beach when we saw some small birds scurrying around among the grasses and washed up seaweed. We took her back to the car and I grabbed my camera. After a bit of a smelly crawl through piles of seaweed I was delighted to find some Red-capped Plovers and proceeded to lie there taking photos for nearly an hour.
Red-capped plover, Charadrius ruficapillus. Augusta, Western Australia.
In many ways it was sad when it came time to leave. Mainly because we’d had a really good time but also with the realisation that the area is about to profoundly change. It seems that every bit of spare land is being turned into housing estates. Hundreds of project homes are being packed eve to eve on small blocks of land. Within a short while this will have a detrimental effect on the environment as forest and coastal heathland is cleared. What is sadder is that the housing isn’t needed. At the start of this article I said that only just over 1000 people live permanently in Augusta and according to Shire of Augusta Margaret River 44% of the buildings are unoccupied. We have watched the suburban sprawl spread in the Cape to Cape region starting at Dunsborough and slowly spreading to Margaret River and now inexorably down to Augusta. Many years ago a friend who worked for what has become Landgate which is the Western Australian’s land management department in charge of surveying, titles and planning. He said he’d seen plans to develop the Cape to Cape region to such an extent that the only forest left would be a thin fringe along the major roads. Then I didn’t want to believe him, but now I can see it is happening. Hopefully it won’t take thirty years for other people to realise what is so special about the region and try and stop this senseless development.
Helen watching birds and basking in the winter sun at the York Golf Club.
This autumn and winter we’ve been spending quite a bit of time at the local golf course – not playing golf at all but walking in the woods at the back of the course. It is a fantastic piece of Wandoo forest with rocky out crops and steep gullies cut by water erosion. In fact that’s probably why it still exists as the land wouldn’t be fit for any commercial purpose. For us it is a wonderful place where we can walk the dog and view native flora and fauna. The other great thing is other than seeing the occasional golfer on the fairways as we drive in there is nobody around.
Frida looking in holes at the York Golf Course.
Frida our wayward and reluctant Bull Terrier loves it. There are rocky outcrops to stand on and strike a heroic pose, holes to look down and lots and lots of interesting things to smell. It is the one place where she enthusiastically jumps out of the car rather than having to be enticed out with bribes.
Me I go there to photograph flowers and animals and just generally get away from everything. I find it so peaceful and relaxing. Here are a selection of photos I’ve taken this winter.
Djakal-ngakal or pink and grey galah enjoying the last warmth of the winter’s sun as it goes down.
The early morning sun highlights the golden web of the Golden Orb Weaving Spider.
Green-veined Shell Orchid, Pterostylis scabra, growing just off the fairway in the rough.
You never know who you’ll meet in the rough. Female western grey kangaroo aka sooty kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus).
Fringed Mantis Orchid, or Green Spider Orchid, (Caladenia falcata).
Cowslip Orchid, Caladenia flava subs. flava.
Hundreds of Sugar Orchids, Ericksonella saccharata, can be seen growing in the bark and leaf litter beneath the wandoo trees.
Winter donkey orchid, Diuris brumalis.
Chapman’s Spider Orchid, Caladenia chapmanii.
A quick bite to eat.
Fridas enjoying a morning run in the bush at the York Golf Club.
Yep you read that right. You know how you can stand at a bus stop for ages and not see a single one and then suddenly three come along together? Well orchids are like that. I’ve been walking the same patch of woodland looking for the Curly Locks Orchid for years without seeing a single one and then the other day low and behold there were three of them just standing there.
Curly Locks, Thelymitra spiralis. Wandoo National Park, Western Australia.
Curly Locks, Thelymitra spiralis. Wandoo National Park, Western Australia.
Curly Locks, Thelymitra spiralis. Wandoo National Park, Western Australia.
I’ve spent the last couple of weeks walking the Wandoo forest looking for various orchids. I’ve bumped into a male emus and his brood (too quick to photograph), met bob tailed lizards and countless Western Grey Kangaroos (again too quick to photograph). So even if I’ve not found the particular flower I’m looking for it has still been quite an experience.
The slower bob tailed lizards are easier to photograph than fleeing emus and kangaroos.
Speaking of finding orchids well I’ve seen plenty. On Thursdays outing to Wambyn Reserve I saw eleven different species and was amazed by how early some of them were.
A very early flowering Clubbed Spider Orchid, Caladenia longiclavata. Wambyn Reserve, Western Australia.
Little Pink Fairy Orchid or dwarf pink fairy orchid, Caladenia reptans subspecies reptans. Wandoo National Park, Western Australia.
Sugar Orchid, Ericksonella saccharata. Wambyn Reserve, Western Australia.
Frog Greenhood, Pterostylis sargentii. Wambyn Reserve, Western Australia.
Jug orchid or recurved shell orchid, Pterostylis recurva. Wandoo National Park, Western Australia.
Common Donkey Orchid or wallflower orchid, Diuris corymbosa. Wambyn Reserve, Western Australia.
Stark White Spider Orchid, Caladenia longicauda subsp eminens. Wambyn Reserve, Western Australia.
Photographically I’ve been on a bit of a full frame kick preferring to either use the Sony A7r ii and sigma 105mm macro lens or the Canon EOS6d with Canon 100mm macro lens. All the shots are lit with a flash being used as the key light and natural light as the fill. I’ve enjoyed the change but my back doesn’t. There’s a huge weight difference between the full frame cameras, lenses and flash equipment compared to the usual Olympus micro four thirds system I usually use. But to be honest shooting at base ISO using artificial lighting and only printing at A3+ I can’t see any real advantage to shooting full frame so this next week I’ll go back to using the Olympus kit.
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago we’d gone to Hyden. We’ve been plenty of times before and I have written about those visits here, here and here. Wave Rock doesn’t hold much interest in itself – its just a big rock shaped like a wave. What is more interesting is the nature around the rock. When the winter rains come an incredible amount of water runs off the rock and this means there is a lot of vegetation that has become home to animals around the base. Not far from the rock and the vegetation gives out and you can see a salt plain with Lake Magic. This too is great place for observing animals and seeing wildflowers.
Unfortunately we’d had our beautiful weather on the drive down and the rain really set in – so much so that my walk along the base of Wave Rock, out to Lake Magic and then back via Wave Rock Airport and the Wildlife Park was in danger of becoming an aquatic walk. Thankfully I was dressed for the occasion and swathed in Gore Tex. My Olympus EM 1 mk ii is very well sealed against the elements as are the lenses. Despite my careful preparation the subject matter – orchids and birds – didn’t want to oblige. Regardless of the weather that the walk was really enjoyable.
Hairy stemmed snail orchid, Pterostylis sp. ‘hairy’. Hyden, Western Australia.
Dark banded greenhood, Pterostylis sanguinea. Hyden, Western Australia.
Blue beard or blue fairy orchid (Pheladenia deformis). Hyden, Western Australia.
Hairy stemmed snail orchid, Pterostylis sp. ‘hairy’. Hyden, Western Australia.
Singing Honeyeater, Gavicalis virescens. Hyden, Western Australia.
I’m not talking about Downton Abbey or the town in England, I’m talking about spiders, bugs, butterflies and all manner of little wriggly things.
Cabbage White Butterfly (Pieris rapae) – the scourge of gardeners.
A few weeks ago I wrote about documenting the wildlife in our garden and that I was widening the net, as it were, and including all animals including invertebrates. Well after a few weeks of trying this I’ve come up with some observations.
A very small jumping spider on a wandoo leaf. This is the only photo I got as it kept jumping all over the place.
Firstly, as a 58 year old man with a well dodgy back the time time taken between observing the little critter and getting down onto the ground and in a position to photograph it means that it has left the vicinity. Some of these creatures can move incredibly fast when they want to and I can’t. I knew that grasshoppers and their ilk can be very quick, but I wasn’t prepared for the speed of the jumping spiders – a blink of the eye and they are just out of there.
Christmas or jewelled spider. Not known for their speed of movement but the wind catches their webs and so focusing is difficult. Getting in a position to photograph them in a way that shows off their shape and colouring requires a degree of the flexibility that I am lacking.
Secondly, you have to able to contort yourself into some pretty strange positions to get down and photograph them. Now I thought that I’d got this one covered because I do this when photographing orchids, but combine this with being quick (see point one), being stealthy so as not to frighten them and having a spine with flexibility of an RSJ it makes each session like some weird kind of yoga with a camera.
Blue Banded Bee, Amegilla cingulata. York, Western Australia.
Thirdly, a lot of these critters are small. If you look at the photo of the jumping spider resting on a Wandoo leaf, it was less than 5mm in diameter. So you need good eyesight to spot things that small. I’ve just had my eyes tested and they’re fine for distance it’s reading and close up stuff that’s the problem. You can’t rely on autofocus with macro photography and I’m here to say that manually focusing on a small critter that keeps jumping around while having dodgy eyesight is not easy. As my dear old mum used to say “It’s enough to make saint swear!”.
This locust very obligingly sat still long enough for me to take his photo.
Lastly, the benefit of photographing creepy crawlies is that you don’t need a honking great telephoto lens that resembles a small artillery piece. Macro lenses are relatively lightweight and my back is thankful for that.
Blue Skimmer dragonfly (Orthetrum caledonicum). Although they move like miniature fighter jets when flying dragon flies will take frequent breathers on a twig or stalk, often preferring to use the same one repeatedly which makes photography a lot easier.
White-cheeked honeyeater, Phylidonyris niger. York, Western Australia.
Well we’re at the start of another year. I’d like to think that it’s going to be better than the last two, but that does not seem likely. In another four weeks our borders will open and COVID will come flooding in. Most years we like to plan projects and trips, but this we haven’t as so many things get cancelled due to COVID. My partner and I have decided that the priorities for this next year will be to get the booster shot – not easy in rural Western Australia – and to hole up at home for the duration. Anything that we do undertake will be either based at home or in the locality of York. Last year I started documenting the birds that come to our garden. This next year I’m casting the net wider and am going to include all animals. In fact I’ve already started so here are few photos of our visitors.
A less than graceful landing on the fence by a juvenile Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata). York, Western Australia.
Yellow paper wasp, Polistes dominulus. York, Western Australia.
Feral honeybee (Apis mellifera) feeding on sap from a Brazillian Peppercorn tree (Schinus molle). York, Western Australia.
Blue ringtail damselfly, Austrolestes annulosus. York, Western Australia.
Gum tree Shield Bug (Poecilometis spenceri) aka stink bug. York, Western Australia.
Crusader bug (Mictis profana) instar nymph. York Western Australia.
No I’ve not been smoking university cigarettes. Just playing around photographing oil on water.
*Today’s song reference is of course the 1966 hit Mellow Yellow by Donovan. Contrary to popular opinion it is not a song about trying to get munted by smoking banana skins.
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