David de Groot 📸 @david@photog.social
Photographer, foodie, Dad Joke aficionado from Cedar Creek, Old, Australia. Mostly a Canon EOS system shooter with some fairly decent lenses.
Joined Jun 2017
Today's bird is a Little Woodswallow. These small birds are a little bigger than a Welcome Swallow and quite prolific around the Winton Area, but give way to a different breed of Woodswallow by the time you get to Longreach.
This one is pictured on a sign at the Lark Quarry Dinosaur Stampede site.
David de Groot 📸
boosted
@mur2501 @david For Singapore, there are local field guides and this Singapore Birds list, which also list migrants and introduced species.
https://singaporebirds.com/singapore-bird-list/
I also find iNaturalist to be pretty good at identifying some of the more common species.
Iconic Outback Qld.
This hut is actually a movie prop, but is similar to early period huts. The landscape is definitely not a prop. Much of the outback looks like this, wide expanses of native grasses, with the odd rocky outcrop.
ps. the film it was used in was Goldstone.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldstone_(film)
Pale-headed Rosellas are a bit of a nemesis bird for me. Rarely can I get close to them, as they are notoriously flighty around people.
Even at Lara Wetlands, I couldn't get as close as I'd have liked.
#Bird #LaraWetlands #AustralianWildlife #PaleHeadedRosella #Parrot #photo #nature
This tiny Brown Treecreeper landed on the tree I was sitting under at Lara Wetlands and was less than 2.5m from me. I had to lay on the ground so the lens would focus (min. focus distance of 2.5m).
#bird #photo #nature #AustralianWildlife #BrownTreecreeper #LaraWetlands
It's not the best of angles, but I'm fairly sure this is a Spotted Bowerbird. It was purely a chance shot, as I saw it in passing, and snapped off three frames on this branch (only one in focus), before it moved on.
#AustralianWildlife #bird #photo #nature #SpottedBowerbird #LaraWetlands
Male (yellow head) and female (more grey head) Cockatiels in the wild.
Many people know these birds only as pet/aviary birds, but they originate in Australia.
I saw several at Lara Wetlands.
Oops! Correction, this is a Noisy Friarbird. The Helmeted Friarbird occurs further north, and on the coast.
A Helmeted Friarbird. I found several of these honeyeaters at the Tambo Dam (on the outskirts of Tambo - between Augathela and Blackall).
They're fairly noisy and often chase each other around the tree in some sort of dominance routine (or maybe they just like playing).
And yes, the mating dance is essentially just showing his arse to the prospective mate, while coo'ing. Doesn't even bob about, just turns away and bends over and coos.
One of the more impressive pigeons you can see when you head out in to the Outback, is the Spinifex Pigeon. They have a crest on the top of their head and some pretty colours on their faces.
Being spring, it was no surprise we came across a randy fellow doing his little mating dance.
Ok, the EASIEST way is to use a dual lens system, like what was used in the 19th Century, when these were popular. Each lens projects on to half the film/sensor, in a single camera. No photoshop required. ;-)
Alas, I don't believe there is any such lens system for modern digital cameras.
The easiest way to make such an image is to use two cameras with the same focal length lens, on a cross-bar, a set distance apart (the further apart the bigger the 3d effect, within reason).
However, I had one camera. My Manfrotto 055XProB tripod has a centre extension that can go horizontal, so I did that, and using a ball head, at one end, shot a frame. I then rotated the centre pole 180º, and the camera 180º, lined up and shot the second frame. Then put the two together in photoshop.
I had a play with shooting a cross-view 3D photo while on Starlight's Lookout.
To view it, make it as big as possible, then position yourself about 30-45cm away from the screen in the middle of the image. Then cross your eyes just enough so you can make out three images. Carefully concentrate on the middle one and adjust your focus until is snaps in. Voila! 3D.
#stereogram #landscape #3d #photo #experimental #australia #outback
Here's your 30 day reminder, fellow Australians, that the Great Aussie Bird Count is on again this year, from the 19th to 25th of October.
Shorebirds are not what you expect to find in the outback, but every now and then you come across a body of water, in this case, Lake Dunn, NE of Aramac, and inhabiting the shore, are shorebirds, like this Black-fronted Dotteral.
#bird #nature #AustralianWildlife #BlackFrontedDotteral #photo
David de Groot 📸
boosted
A Willy Wagtail takes a dislike to a Laughing Kookaburra and proceeds to swoop it mercilessly.
#photo #nature #bird #AustralianWildlife #LaughingKookaburra #WillyWagtail
#photo #nature #bird #AustralianWildlife #LaughingKookaburra #WillyWagtail
Australia has six species of lorikeets, but by far the most common on the east coast is the Rainbow Lorikeet.
However, the Scaly-breasted Lorikeet can still be seen around the place if you keep an eye out. This one was spotted in Miles, Qld.
#AustralianWildlife #bird #photo #nature #ScalyBreastedLorikeet
Another new bird for me found at Lara Wetlands, an Australian Hobby (a type of Falcon).
Similar to the Peregrine Falcon, but browner and with slightly different markings.
Two of these flew over the wetlands and the birdlife went nuts for a few minutes before they moved on.
#bird #AustralianWildlife #AustralianHobby #photo #nature #BirdOfPrey
Bonus extra Apostlebirds, two more from Lara Wetlands, and one in a nest in Roma.
In the nest shot, you can see the beautifully round, bowl shape they make their nests in.
#bird #photo #nature #AustralianWildlife #Outback #Apostlebird
Photographer, foodie, Dad Joke aficionado from Cedar Creek, Old, Australia. Mostly a Canon EOS system shooter with some fairly decent lenses.
Joined Jun 2017
