Top 5 Bird Photos
When I go travelling one of the first things I pack is my binoculars. Added to this is my bird identification field guide. The third essential item is my digital camera. Armed with these items I’m ready for anything. Over recent years I have managed to take some great photos while travelling. Today I want to share with my readers my Top 5 bird photos.
1. Red Capped Robin:
I didn’t have to travel far to get this photo. About a half hour south of home is the Pangarinda Arboretum which features hundreds – perhaps even thousands – of Australian native plants. It is a haven for a wide range of native birds. This male Red Capped Robin came quite close and literally posed for me.
Red Capped Robin
2. Laughing Kookaburra:
I had to travel for two hours by plane and an hour by car to get this photo. I was on holiday staying with my son and daughter-in-law in Sydney. We went to the Taronga Park Zoo one day and this Kookaburra just sat there posing for me. Yes, I know we occasionally have Kookaburras in our garden at home, but none of them have posed like this one did.
Laughing Kookaburra
3. Noisy Miner:
Noisy Miners are common in many parts of Australia. Because of this they are not hard to photograph. This photo, however, I find very pleasing. It was taken in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. I was able to get to within several metres of this feeding bird who was quite unconcerned by my presence.
Noisy Miner
4. Red Browed Finch:
Finches in Australia come in a wonderful range of colours. The Red Browed Finch is a somewhat subdued member of the family. Despite that it is always a delight to see this dainty bird. This photo was taken inside a walk through aviary at the Cleland Wildlife Park in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia. There were even more Red Browed Finches on the outside of the aviary.
Red Browed Finch
5. Musk Lorikeet:
We regularly go to visit our daughter in the Clare Valley in the mid-north of South Australia. On one occasion this Musk Lorikeet was feeding on eucalypt tree flowers in her garden. I was delighted to get this photo because this is a hard species to get clear photos of; they often feed deep in the foliage right at the top of very tall trees. Since taking this shot I’ve managed several more great shots of Musk Lorikeets.
Musk Lorikeet
If you have enjoyed these photos of birds you can see more than 500 more shots on my Photo Gallery.
If you want to learn more about Australian birds go to my blog called Trevor’s Birding.
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Top 5 Scenery Photos
Over the last fifteen months since starting this travel blog I have shared a vast number of photos from my photo gallery. This gallery now has over 850 photos posted, 550 of them mine; the remainder have been taken by either my son or my wife.
I thought I’d share with you my five favourite photos of scenery.
1. Ama Dablam, Nepal
Without doubt my favourite photo so far would have to be this shot of the mountain Ama Dablam taken while on a trek towards Mt. Everest. This magnificent mountain dominates the path taken up through this amazing part of Nepal. I love this photo so much I have used it as the wallpaper photo on my computer.
Ama Dablam, Nepal
2. Scene near Monjo, Everest region, Nepal
This amazing mountain was the backdrop from our lodge in Monjo, a small village we stayed in on our trek towards Mt. Everest. I don’t know its name and I haven’t the time to do the research to find out.
Scene from our lodge in Monjo, Nepal
3. Yak and Yeti Lodge, Everest region, Nepal
This beautiful scene was photographed on our trek through the Himalayas last year. We didn’t stay in this beautiful lodge.
Yak and Yeti Lodge
4. Mt. Lofty Botanic Gardens, near Adelaide, South Australia
This beautiful scene is typical of many such photos one could take in the Adelaide Hills and the Mt. Lofty Ranges near Adelaide in South Australia. I feel privileged to live just a half hour drive from numerous scenes like this. Readers of my blog Trevor’s Writing will recognise this photo because it has been used in the banner on the home page.
Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens
5. Waitpinga Beach, South Australia
South Australia, my home state, has a long coastline. Scenes like this one can be seen in many different locations.
Waitpinga Beach, Newland Head CP
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To view more of my photos go to my photo gallery.
Special note: This article was inspired by the Group Writing Project being run by Darren Rowse on his blog ProBlogger. This article is NOT an entry in the project; my entry can be found here on Trevor’s Birding.
UPDATE: I have also written an article called Top 5 Writing Hints on my blog called Trevor’s Writing.
Gluepot Bird Reserve part 3
Bush scene at Gluepot Bird Reserve.
Gluepot Bird Reserve in South Australia has been set aside for the protection of a significant number of endangered and threatened species of birds. The habitat consists mainly of mallee scrubland, but there are many species of flora present other than the various forms of mallee trees. (Mallee trees are a form of eucalypt tree.)
Wildflowers at Gluepot Reserve
There are many different types of smaller plants from ground creepers through to large bushes, including acacias (commonly called wattles) and eremophilas (emu bushes). One can also find a range of daisies and many other types of plants. When I was there last year the area had received above average rain in autumn and winter. The bushland was like a natural garden, with flowers everywhere. This, of course, is wonderful for the birdlife. Honeyeaters in particular thrive in such conditions.
Flowers at Gluepot Bird Reserve
Related articles:
Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens part 4
Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens
The lower part of the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens features a large artificial lake as shown in the above photo. Around this lake many people enjoy picnics and barbecues when they come to visit. A feature of this lake is the abundant bird life, especially the water birds.
Black Swan, Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens
These beautiful gardens are a very pleasant half hour drive from the Adelaide CBD. It is worth visiting at different times of the year. Not everything flowers in the spring and summer months. In autumn the deciduous trees put on a magnificent display.
Related posts:
- The Adelaide Hills
- Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens
- Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens part 2
- Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens part 3
Butterfly in the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens
Pangarinda Arboretum – more photos
Red Capped Robin
One of favourite picnic spots is the Pangarinda Arboretum at Wellington, South Australia. Not only do we enjoy wandering around admiring the vast range of flowering Australian native plants, the bird life is also quite wonderful. Birds like the stunning Red Capped Robin shown above and the noisy New Holland Honeyeaters zipping around everywhere from flower to flower. I have seen beautiful Superb Blue Wrens, dainty and quite cheeky Zebra Finches and a male Golden Whistler lighting up the green-grey foliage of the bushes with his bright golden breast feathers.
Eucalyptus flowers
The arboretum is a very peaceful place to wander around, have a picnic or just sit quietly listening to and watching the passing parade of birds. The River Murray is only a few hundred metres away, complete with a new marina and housing estate, and there are many dairy farms in the nearby vacinity. Pelicans and Ibis are sometimes seen flying overhead, adding to the beauty of this special place.
Eucalyptus macrocarpa