I like to photograph the birds at local venues – areas near where I live. It is always interesting to see what birds are there, and also challenging to see if you can spot rarer and more exotic birds that occasionally pass through. One major place I have somewhat neglected has been Sydney Park at St Peters.
I spent a morning at the park. The birds were a bit quiet on my visit. Perhaps I should have arrived earlier? (I was there from about 10 am to 12:30 pm). But there were still some nice birds around. This photos shows a wide range – Black Swans with their chicks, Purple Swamphens, Moorhens and Coots –
When a person nearby threw in some food (clover, not bread), I was able to get some action shots of a Black Swan.
The chicks were more orderly.
I did spent some time photographing the Welcome Swallows. They always provide challenge to try and track them through a long telephoto lens and hope the camera’s autofocus system can lock on to them. And then you need to be lucky to get a photo of them just about to grab an insect – either in mid-air, or from the surface of one of the pools.
This Swallow spots an insect, but the insect evades capture, and then Swallow turns to try again.
This one if flying just above the water.
It grabs an insect, then rapidly spins it’s head to expel water.
Perhaps it gets a mouthful of water when it grabs the insect?
Here is a White-faced Heron coming in to land on a pole –
A Crested Pigeon –
And a toddler with its mother spotted a turtle climbing out of a pool. I was nearby and heard. I was lucky, if the child hadn’t spotted it I think I would have missed it. It soon slid back into the pool.
I met Gokay, another bird photographer at the Park and we had an interesting chat. he had been photographing the birds there for quite a few years and gave me some good tips about that birds could be found. We also heard the Noisy Miners seeming to be a bit alarmed. We could not spot any raptors however. A bit later I did spot a Black-Shouldered Kite hovering a fair way off –
I will have to return.
