The start of 2026 seemed like a good time to review my portfolio. The selection is heavy with Australian Pelicans, which probably shows my fascination for this bird. Creating this portfolio brought back a lot of good memories. One image goes back to 2021, and is still one of my favourites, while most of the others are from 2025 and even January this year. After assembling the selection, I noticed that I took the majority of the shots around Narooma and the south coast of NSW. I also realised that the majority also feature water, or were taken near the water, which probably reflects where I have spent most of my time photographing.

In early January, I was on the sandflats at Narooma at low tide one morning. I had been having a wonderful start to the day photographing birds, as well as a number of other creatures. I had already photographed a group of Australia Pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus) that were standing at the edge of the sandflats near the boating channel preening themselves. Sometime later, I was walking back to the shore when two national parks' helicopters took off from the north side of the inlet - I think that they were monitoring the bush fires much further inland. The noise of the helicopters disturbed the group of pelicans, which then started to launch into the air. The birds were just trying to get away from the noise of the ascending helicopters so the pelicans were flying low, almost skimming across the inlet. They were backlit by the rising sun, giving them almost a rim light effect, while also lighting their wings and bills. Because of how low they were, there was also a lovely reflection on the shallow water of the ebbing tide that was still barely covering the sandflats.

Little Pied Cormorants (Microcarbo melanoleucos) are a common bird around Narooma, and most of coastal Australia. They are adept swimmers, often chasing schools of small fish in very shallow water to obtain a feed or taking invertebrates from the bottom. When they want to move to a new area they easily take-off from the water, initially flapping their wings to get their bodies out of their water, then almost jumping across the water with their webbed feet to help get them airborne. This particular cormorant in the photo was flying over the sandflats at Narooma while I was photographing there in January. It was only when I was processing the photographs that I noticed that in the series I took as it approached me that the bird’s head was turned down on one side, with its eye appearing to be looking at me. There was probably some other reason for the bird to have its head like this, but it did appear as if it was carefully considering me.

Lace Monitors (Varanus varius) are Australia’s second largest lizard species with individuals growing up to two metres in length. Despite their size, they are very good climbers, able to scale vertical trees thanks to their sharp claws. Beyond those claws, scientists have discovered that Lace Monitors, along with other monitors, actually have venom, but it is unlikely to kill a human, although it will lead to local swelling and pain. Lace Monitors are close relatives of Indonesia’s famous Komodo Dragons, with both species having evolved from a common ancestor over 10 million years ago. I had been keeping an eye out for this lizard and one morning in January I found it when I was driving along a dirt back road at Narooma. The monitor was sunning itself on the dirt road when I drove along. After I saw it, I slowed the car down and pulled off to the opposite side of the road. I took a few shots from the car window while the lizard stayed on the road looking at me. I was not in a great spot for lighting so I left the car and moved forward of the lizard. My movement made the lizard head slowly for the bush, where it stopped again to look at me. It was probably over a metre, so not fully grown, and not too sure about humans. It stayed on the edge of the bush for a little while, allowing me to move to the better lit side of the lizard and to to get down to its eye level. I was really happy with the encounter, and I stayed put for a little while just admiring this legendary lizard.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos (Zanda funerea) are stunning birds with a simple but wonderful colour pattern. The black and yellow go really well, especially the tail feathers and the yellow highlights on the underside of the bird. I am still trying to take that iconic photograph of one with its tail and wings fully extended, showing off its colours, particularly when the lighting is good. Interestingly, their black, austere plumage led to their latin name, based on funeral, and one of their common names is the Funeral Cockatoo. These birds are regulars at Narooma, either chewing seed pods or using their strong beaks to tear into branches looking for boring grubs.

Sooty Oystercatchers (Haematopus fuliginosus) generally inhabit rocky shores and, as this photo shows, they are not put off by waves. On this day in January, the tide was rising and the waves were washing over the rocks the bird was on. I took this photo at 1080 Beach, a quiet area just south of Narooma, where some of this species tend to always be. Interestingly, a study from 2011 showed that male Sooty Oystercatchers tended to eat hard skin prey like sea urchins, seashells, etc. While females looked for soft skin animals like bluebottles, fish, etc.

This Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) was probably a juvenile because it was only about 40-50cm long. It was warming itself on a patch of dirt in Narooma when I noticed it one morning in January. I thought that the snake was very calm in my presence, allowing me to get close to it. However, just when I was thinking about changing my lens to get a wider shot, the snake abruptly turned around and headed down a hole. Despite the snake departing, I was happy to have at least taken some photographs because these reptiles seem to be very timid. I have seen a few of them around and normally, as soon as they detect me they go. As an example, a few days later, I was crossing a patch of grass, returning from a swim, so I didn’t have my camera, when I saw an adult one moving in my general direction. I stopped to see how close it would approach but it also stopped. It was about three meters from me and when I took a step forward, its upper body looped into the air away from me, before the snake made off quickly.

There is a regular group of New Holland Honeyeaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae) around our place in Narooma. They can be very territorial and chase away other species of honeyeaters, especially the Eastern Spinebills. Often, when I am in the backyard, all I hear is a whir of wings and a New Holland Honeyeater is flying past me chasing another bird or on some other errand that brings it close to me head. I really enjoy having these colourful birds around. One day in early January, I was able to capture this image of one of them as it launched off a fence. It has its tongue out, that is the straight object protruding from the bird’s beak. Honeyeaters have a tongue that is covered in delicate filaments that help it gather pollen and nectar. They are also great pollinators, normally with a good dusting of pollen on their head that they will take to the next plant. They also eat little invertebrates like insects, sometimes even taking them in the air.

I normally find it difficult to approach near to Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo), they tend to fly off. However, I found this one at Narooma that was between a seawall on the left of the photo and a moored boat, out of frame on the right. When I stepped onto the narrow shoreline, the bird regarded me briefly but stayed put. It even relaxed again and did not mind my close proximity to it. I was then able to position my camera low to shoot across the top of the water, an effect I really like. This is Australia’s largest cormorant species and one of the largest in the world. It also the most widely distributed cormorant species in the world, being found on most continents except Antartica. It is at home in both fresh and salt water, making it a very adaptable bird.

One January morning out kayaking on Wagonga Inlet in Narooma I saw two Great Egrets (Ardea alba) in the shallow water near the southern shore line. What made them stand out was the way the early morning sun was catching their bright white plumage. They were at the point on one side of a small bay where the early morning sun’s rays were shining through. However, the land on either side of the bay was still causing a shadow on the water because the sun was still low. I paddled the kayak close to the southern shore into the shadow without scaring the birds. One of them was facing towards the sun and I waited for a time when its head was angled nicely to be lit completely by the sun before I pressed the shutter. I really liked the light on the bird and even the way some light was reflecting off the water. The Great Egret can be found throughout most of the world, except for the very dry areas. It is Australia’s largest egret species and very common.

The Bell Miner or Bellbird (Manorina melanophrys) is a colonial honeyeater that tends to feed in tree canopies and is very territorial. These birds exist in groups that occupy an area and defend it aggressively against other birds. Although they are honeyeaters they mostly eat insects. They also like eating the sweet secretions of psyllids, small insects that feed on eucalyptus leaves. Colonies of Bell Miners will protect psyllids from other birds, potentially allowing these insects to exist in greater numbers, which may even impact the overall health of the forest - leading to what is termed Bellbird assisted dieback or BAD. Bell Miners are famous for their persistent bell-like ‘tink’ call, hence why they are known as Bellbirds. This call can be rather soothing, sounding a like a little bell, being struck regularly. Although the photo below of the bird in mid-call seems to jar with that peaceful image, the bird looks more like it is screeching. These miners were part of a group that have a territory in a forest reserve in North Narooma, making for a pleasant walk through their territory to hear the regular bell-call.

A summer break in Narooma was the perfect time and place to read this wonderfull book about the oyster. The focus of the book is about Australia, covering all aspects of the oyster, from its natural history to how is the best way to consume it. The book is also the tale of three species of oysters, the Sydney Rock Oyster, the Pacific Oyster and the Southern Mud or Australian Native Oyster. If the last oyster type is not one that is well recognised it is probably because it is now locally extinct across much of its natural range.

The Australian Magpie is an iconic Australian bird with an iconic call, which most Australians would easily recognise. It is a call often associated with the morning when magpies are reminding other members of the species of their territory. In December, I was out one morning and looking for magpies to photograph portraits of when I came across a group of three. Being in the suburbs they were comfortable with humans being close. I was therefore able to approach them easily for the shot that I wanted. While I was photographing one bird, the group started to chortle. Luckily, I was able to catch this individual with its mouth open showing its spiky papillae on the underside of the top beak, likely used to help direct food down the bird’s throat.

Little Correllas (Cacatua sanguinea) are small parrots that resemble small Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, and can sometimes be found in flocks of those birds, although there call is different. Indeed every time I hear their almost plaintive call, I think of the line from John Williamson’s song, Sail the Nullarbor - “…a pair of white corellas singing out of tune.” However, it is easy to like these birds because they are so playful.

I was heading back to the car after walking around Tharwa Sandwash when a darkish brown bird shot out from the slope leading down to the Murrumbidgee River. It flew south, parallel to the river, and I wasn’t able to identify it. I was going to chalk the sighting up to the one that got away but I thought that I would just drive down the road, in the direction that the bird flew, to the actual sandwash, in case the bird had landed along the way. After driving a short distance I was rewarded with a Nankeen Kestrel circling as it hunted. A second kestrel appeared but I knew they won’t the bird that I had seen. The kestrels then started swooping down, adopting the wings-in tuck used for accelerating towards prey, yet they were pulling up, not seizing prey. They did it a few times, towards a tree, but didn’t seem to be hunting. I wondered what they were swooping in the tree and then I noticed a Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) perched motionlessly on a branch. When I approached the tree, the falcon flew off but quickly found a new tree to perch in. It seemed calmer there, allowing me to approach it. After a while it took off, but circling as it gained height and passed over me several times. On the first pass, I was able to take the above image with the sun back-lighting its extended wings.

I don’t really use Adobe Photoshop but as part of Certificate IV in Photography and Digital Imaging course at the Canberra Institute of Technology, we had to create a composite image in Adobe Photoshop. I know that there are far more complicated composite images out there of birds in flight but I am happy with this image. I captured the base photographs of this Australian Magpie flying at the Yarralumla Equestrian Centre in Canberra in October 2025. It is the same bird over three images with the original background stitched in a panorama. I then added the three magpies in sequence of the wings flapping. I liked that the image ended up showing a full flap of the bird’s wings. Most importantly, I passed that component of the course. (Click on the image to go to the post and then click on the image in the post to see the full photo)

Today marks Wildlife Conservation Day 2025, a day to highlight efforts to save endangered animals and their ecosystems. The photo above is an Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis), which is critically endangered. Curlews conduct an annual massive migration from Russia and north-east China all the way to Australia. They fly at both night and day, following coastlines. Unfortunately, they have been severely impacted by coastal developments that reclaim tidal flats where Curlews search for food. Birds that conduct long distance migrations need to build up energy reserves before they start their flights but they can't be too heavy either. They therefore rely on stopovers at convenient coastal locations to feed. However, growing coastal populations and infrastructure can mean a decline in tidal flats. For migratory birds that are already exhausted, arriving at a feeding ground that they used the previous year but is now undergoing reclamation, can stress or even kill the bird. While there are international treaties  to protect migratory birds and their habitats, national governments allow developments in protected areas because of growing human populations. It is a hard balancing act but hopefully we humans are smart enough to find the right balance, such as at Toondah Harbour last year. We probably need to ask ourselves how many new marinas do we need on critically important tidal flats.

A Blue-billed Duck is one of the most aptly named birds in Australia, for the male at least. While I had never seen one before, when I saw a duck with a blue bill swimming at Rowes Lagoon I had a pretty good idea what bird I was looking at. There were several pairs swimming in this simple wetland just off the Federal Highway north of Lake George. There were also a number of other wonderful creatures around, all of which meant I spent more time there than I planned on my return trip to Canberra. I really enjoyed my time photographing at Rowes Lagoon and I hope that you enjoy the photos below.

I must have initially walked past this Mainland Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus) and only noticed it when I back tracked along the fence line to photograph the birdlife. When I first noticed the snake, it was slithering through the low plants on the edge of the wetlands. I took a few photographs of it from the other side of the fence before the snake turned towards the fence. It didn’t make a straight line for the fence but continued to meander through the plants, constantly flicking its tongue out. When it was on the same side of the fence as me, where the plants were mown so there were no obstructions between the lens and the snake, I laid down do try to take an eye-level shot of the snake. I remained still and was very happy when the snake turned towards me. The snake wasn’t aggressive and I gave it space. When I had my shots, I slowly stood up so as not to startle the snake. It simply paused, changed its direction and continued its meandering. Afterwards, I had to keep an eye on where it was because I didn’t want to accidentally stand on the poor reptile while it was on the rest area side of the fence. Eventually, the snake must have decided that there was no prey in the area and crossed back beneath the fence to the vegetation beside the wetland. Tiger snakes favour living near wetlands and small bodies of water where there is plenty of prey. They are not aggressive, preferring to flee if possible. I certainly found this individual to be docile, with no aggressive behaviour at all. For me, it was incredible to closely observe this animal moving around its environment, constantly sensing its surroundings with its tongue, and being able to take this photo really made my day.

One late afternoon at the end of October I had an hour to wait near the National Museum of Australia so I decided to take my camera with me. I was taking photos by the shore of Lake Burley Griffin when I noticed two Noisy Miners (Manorina melanocephala) bathing in a muddy puddle in the gravel path. Unfortunately, a passing walker inadvertently spooked them and they flew off to a nearby tree. So I crouched down and waited, hoping that they would return. Indeed, after a few minutes, one of the miners flew from the branch directly towards the puddle. It barely paused in mid-air before plunging straight in. Its head was out of the water but its body was submerged. It performed a few vigorous shakes in the water before it launched itself up and out of the puddle, in an explosion of drops. The water didn’t impede its flight, and it returned swiftly back to the branch. I had a bit of a laugh to myself. The puddle was just a few metres from the shallow shore of Lake Burley Griffin, yet these miners preferred a muddy puddle to the waters of Lake Burley Griffin. Not a strong vote of confidence in the poor lake. Because birds need to maintain their feathers for flight and temperature regulation they will preen and clean them daily, including taking regular baths. In really hot weather, because birds don’t sweat, bathing is also a way to help them stay cool. As we approach the warmer months in Australia, if you have a bird bath, remember to keep it topped up with clean water for birds to drink at and bathe with. Clean it regularly and enjoy the show that the visiting birds will provide.