Southern Cassowary (female)
Casuarius casuarius
Endangered in Australia

November 16th, 2018
Etty Bay, Queensland, Australia

Canon EOS 1D X Mark II
Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens
Canon 600EX II-RT flash

The unmistakable Southern Cassowary - the giants of the Australian rainforest! If you ever doubted that birds evolved from dinosaurs, then take a good look at these prehistoric-looking beauties!

Southern Cassowary are a large, flightless bird, restricted to the rainforests of tropical north Queensland. They are Australia's heaviest bird, weighing between 35-85kgs & among our tallest at an intimidating ~1.7m in height. The females of this species are larger & more colourful than the males. Their diet mainly consists of the fruits of rainforest plants, & they will swallow entire fruits & rapidly pass the seeds in large piles of multi-coloured dung. They are the only known dispersers of many large-seeded rainforest plants & play a vital role is rainforest regeneration.

Since the first time I saw an image of one of these magnificent birds some 10 years ago, I have wanted to venture North to see them in the feather. So it will come as no surprise this species was my number one target for my Far North Queensland adventure.

Cassowary are usually most reliably seen at the coastal town of Etty Bay, where a remnant patch of rainforest meets the ocean. This picturesque location is absolutely stunning, & these birds can often be seen wandering through the local caravan park & along the shoreline at dawn & dusk. They have become habituated to humans, & will even steal the lunch of unsuspecting visitors. However, getting a decent photograph can prove somewhat challenging as they stroll past caravans, cars & curious onlookers.

I was fortunate enough early one morning to come across this large female on the other side of the hill that leads to Etty Bay, where the rainforest meets cleared pasture. The sense of irony is not lost on me that this would be the location I would produce my favourite image of the species - one of the greatest threats to their existence is the continued clearing & fragmentation of the rainforests they inhabit. Only an estimated 20-25% of their natural habitat remains today. This fragmentation leads to cassowaries having to contend with cars as they cross our roads to move from one patch of rainforest to another, which often leads to their death. With an estimated population of only ~2,000 individuals, every bird matters. Here's hoping we can get our acts together & protect the last remaining habitats of these magnificent & unique birds so we can continue to enjoy their presence for years to come.

Tags:   Southern Cassowary Casuarius casuarius birds bird cassowary

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Golden Bowerbird (male)
Prionodura newtoniana

November 13th, 2018
Evelyn, Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia

Canon EOS 1D X Mark II
Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens
Canon 600EX II-RT flash

The incredible Golden Bowerbird! This species was my second most sought after bird on my trip to Far North Queensland in November last year. These secretive birds inhabit the rainforests of Northern Queensland above 700 metres in elevation. They are the smallest of all bowerbirds, however they build the largest & most elaborate bowers, which they use to attract a mate.

Their bowers consist of one or two towers of sticks, usually constructed around the trunks of two saplings loosely connected by a fallen branch or log. These towers can be up to 2m in height! The centre platform of the bower is decorated with lichen & freshly plucked flowers from a specific type of plant.

Once the male has established his bower, he will spend considerable time decorating it. He will perch nearby & advertise to females with a series of incredible electronic-like vocalisations. When not fussing over his bower or trying to woo a mate, he will be actively defending his bower from rival males & even raiding other bowers to steal their treasures for his own!

I spent two days in a secluded rainforest on the Atherton Tablelands observing this particular male from my throw hide. Some of his time was spent fending off rivals, but one two occasions another male penetrated his defences & stole his flowers. Once he realised what had happened, he would quickly go about the task of locating more decorations to replace those that were pilfered. His perseverance obviously paid off - he had a female visit to inspect his bower on both days.

Quietly watching this bird for some 16 hours was fascinating & enabled me to observe some of his behaviours & routines. He had particular branches he would repeatedly visit for different purposes. A couple branches just below the canopy were used as platforms to perform his amazing array or vocalisations; another branch was used for his regular preening routine (clearly wanting to look his best for the ladies!). He also had a couple of lower-level branches he would visit to watch over his bower, including the branch on which he is perched in this photo.

He did not appear to be bothered by my presence in the slightest - in fact he seemed quite curious of me. When I arrived to my position each morning, he dropped down onto branches near where I was sitting to have a good look at me. He then went about the rest of his day & rarely revisited me.

Originally I was positioned with my camera focused on the bower, but around noon on the second day I decided to try my luck by focusing on one of the lower 'observation' branches. I was richly rewarded when within minutes of relocating, he came down & watched me for a few moments, with a series of very quizzical looks, including this tilted head pose. Satisfied that I was not worthy of concern, he proceeded to one of his higher vantage positions & began performing his vocalisation routine.

One of those amazing birding experiences I will remember for a lifetime - sitting quietly in a remote rainforest with just my thoughts, the birds & several leeches for company!

Tags:   Golden Bowerbird Prionodura newtoniana birds bird bowerbird

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Pink Robin (male)
Petroica rodinogaster

December 10th, 2018
Beech Forrest, The Otways, Victoria, Australia

Canon EOS 1D X Mark II
Canon EF 600mm f4L IS II USM lens
Canon EF 1.4x III Extender
Canon 600EX II-RT flash with extender

One of the highlights of the year was finally having the opportunity to photograph this brilliantly coloured species! This somewhat elusive species breed in dark, densely vegetated gullies in moist eucalypt forests or cool temperate rainforests, which can make photography very tricky! However, this little beauty & his mate have made their home at the base of a waterfall in the Otway Ranges which allows enough natural light through the forest canopy to produce some really nice images. Despite fracturing my wrist after a fall, nothing was going to dampen my spirits after photographing this little stunner!

Tags:   Pink Robin Petroica rodinogaster birds

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Victoria's Riflebird (male)
Ptiloris victoriae

November 8th, 2018
Lake Eacham, Queensland, Australia

Canon EOS 1D X Mark II
Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens
Canon 600EX II-RT flash

The spectacular male Victoria's Riflebird putting on a show for the ladies! This photo doesn't really do this bird's plumage justice - their colours are just astonishing. Their plumage is jet black, with an amazing splash of blue/green iridescence colouring on the head & throat & a beautiful bronze colouring across their abdomen. When the dappled rainforest light hits their feathers, the black has a wonderful purple tinge to it & the iridescence feathers light up in an incredible array of colours.

The male selects an appropriate vertical platform to perform his ritual, usually a dead tree trunk or stump. In order to attract a female, he lets out a series of raspy 'yaars' calls to alert her of his presence. When the male begins to display, he erects the feathers of his throat & sides to accentuate the bright colours of his plumage. He curves his rounded wings above his body, tilts his head back & opens his beak wide to reveal the brilliant deep yellow of his throat.

Once he has the attention of a female, then the real show begins - the dance! He starts quickly moving from side to side, in an almost mechanical like fashion. He will slowly 'bounce' on the spot, without ever leaving his feet, & he will manoeuvre his body in the direction of the female as she moves about the rainforest.

Once a receptive female lands on the display in front of him, the pair begin an elaborate courtship routine that sees them dance from side to side, with their heads on opposing angles to each other. The male will continually hide his head from the female behind his wings during this routine. He will perform his 'wing clap' display that all but embraces the female with rapidly alternating wing extensions at a progressively rapid tempo, until he wins her over & copulation commences.

An amazing encounter to witness!

Tags:   Victoria's Riflebird Ptiloris victoriae birds bird birds of paradise

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Cockatiel (female)
Nymphicus hollandicus

May 7th, 2018
Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

Canon EOS 1D X Mark II
Canon EF 600mm f4L IS II USM lens
Canon EF 1.4x III Extender

Another parrot species I was thrilled to see in Alice Springs were Cockatiels. A common household pet, it was wonderful to witness them in their natural habitat. They would come down to the waterhole is small groups of 5-10 birds at a time, always landing in the same 'staging tree' for a few moments before making their way to the water's edge. This somewhat predictable behaviour enabled me to position myself to in a favourable spot to photograph them drinking. If only they would land in the exact right spot!

Tags:   cockatiel nymphicus hollandicus birds bird parrot

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