Uploads from Callocephalon Photography, with geodata

Antarctic Prion

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Sat, 18 May 2013 06:08:56 -0700

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

Another shot of the previous bird showing a dark breast tab, medium-deep base to bill, medium-sized white eyebrow and small amount of black in the tail which distinguishes it from the other prion species.

Antarctic Prion

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:20:11 -0700

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

This Antarctic Prion was one of the highlights for me from two pelagic trips out of Port Macdonnell in South Australia at the weekend.

We missed the Sooty Albatross that had been present off Albany and Portland in recent weeks which was a great pity, but it was a relief just to get out on the water, as the forecast was looking pretty grim a few days beforehand.

There were few unusual birds on the Saturday, just nice views of Fairy Prions and 3 species of storm-petrel. Sunday fared a little better, with a lone Buller's Albatross in addition to two Antarctic Prion hiding amongst the Fairies.

Great Lake

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:51:21 -0700

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

Uni is so ridiculously busy at the moment, unlike this photo...

Freycinet!

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 04:19:57 -0700

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

Off for two weeks! Thank God, I can finally exchange the computer labs at uni for the south coast and then central NSW. Bring on two weeks of field work!

This photo was from a memorable first night at Freycinet NP. My girlfriend and I found a wonderful, secluded little spot right by the beach and very much surrounded by coastal heath, before a striking cloud formation at sunset forced us to abandon dinner (mostly due to me). A truly beautiful place.

Pine Lake

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 03:41:23 -0700

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

A very cool short walk, perhaps enhanced by the thick fog that was rolling through. The constant, driving, thick rain was an overkill though, and only served to get the camera (and me!) rather wet.

The trees here are Pencil Pine - belonging to a rather cool little Tasmanian genus consisting of two endemic species. I was lucky enough to see the other, the King Billy Pine, at Mt Field during the Field Botany course. Uncommon, often stunted, and very slow growing, these trees are stunning, particularly when big and old.

Pink Robin

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 04:00:24 -0700

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

Unlike two years previously, I didn't stumble across a very tame Pink Robin sunning himself, so instead had to work my ass off trying to find glimpses of pink among the lichen-covered rotting logs at Mt Field. Despite this being a rather inferior photo technically to the ones Julian and I managed last time, I quite like the bird's placement amongst the leaves of the tree fern.

Liffey Falls

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 04:53:43 -0700

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

Well, not Liffey Falls itself, but one of the many falls leading up to it.

Driving into Liffey Falls that afternoon, it was definitely a wet day. The rain was constant and reasonably heavy. It would stop for periods, just to give false hope, and then start again just as the camera was taken out. I eventually decided bugger it, so took the camera, hid it under the rainjacket and marched out to the falls. When I got there, of course, I had no option but to take off my shoes, put aside the rain jacket, and clamber along the rocks through the freezing water, trying not to get rain drops on the lens and searching for good angles.
I still think I missed the best angle on this particular fall, but I like how you can see all the lush green tree ferns in the distance.

Tasmanian Scrubwren

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:57:40 -0700

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

Damn third-year uni! Keeping me too busy!

This was another one from Tassie and Liffey Falls.

Rain Forest

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 03:30:25 -0700

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

This short walk, easily accessible from the Lyell Highway, is a fantastic way to get a taste of the wild and rugged lush beauty of the Franklin-Gordon Wilderness area. A 15 minute stroll takes you along a river, through temperate rainforest packed with ferns and then to the base of the spectacular Nelson Falls. This was one of the things that continually amazed me about Tasmania - there are so many varied and beautiful things to see in such a small island!

Superb Fairy-wren

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 21:02:31 -0800

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

Once again, Superb Fairy-wrens in Tassie are much more confiding and photographically cooperative than their mainland cousins. Or at least wherever I seem to go.
It was raining pretty constantly for most of the day, but it always pays to be out and about, no matter what the conditions.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 14:14:01 -0800

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

There were lots of these big, charismatic birds down in Tassie. Everywhere one went there always seemed to be that distinctive wailing floating up the valley or across the plains. Just as often though, there wasn't wailing so much as persistent screeching from youngsters who, it seemed, were never taught to shut up by their parents.
This is a female, told by the lack of a pink eye-ring that the males have. Apparently the birds down in Tassie are a different race which have a yellow, as Peter Slater writes in one of his books, that is incredibly difficult to reproduce by brush. Or was that the mainland race? I forget.

Wombat

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:45:47 -0800

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

I'm back! Spent a really good month down in Tasmania, mixing up lugging around the camera with a healthy dose of travelling and even a week and a half of intense learning courtesy of a Field Botany course through UTAS.
On more than one occasion I was amazed by the tameness of some of the animals in Tassie, especially in comparison with their mainland relatives. Wombats and Echidnas were exceptionally tame and during the course the month I had both almost walk over my feet. Pademelons and wallabies were impressive due to their abundance, while Tasmanian Devils were unfortunately hard to see (I only saw one, and not for want of trying). Possums also put in a solid effort in front of the spotlight but only a few Eastern Barred Bandicoots and Eastern Quolls deigned to say hi and Spot-tailed Quolls, Eastern Bettongs, Long-nosed Potoroos and Tasmanian Tigers were downright rude and didn't so much as sneeze at me as I walked past.
Things on the bird front were also somewhat quiet, although I was very impressed by the number of Buller's Shearwaters we got on the February 9 pelagic off Eaglehawk. Actually who am I kidding, the pilot whales we got were the real highlight. Those Common Diving-Petrels don't even rate a mention.
Perhaps most surprisingly, I took almost as many landscape photos as I did those of branches recently vacated by beautifully-posed birds. Look out for more to come.

This Common Wombat was taken in the last remaining light before sunset at Narawntapu in the state's north. Apparently called 'Tasmania's Serengeti', the place is nothing of the sort during the day, but come night-time hosts an impressive abundance of pademelons, wombats, Forester kangaroos and bennett's wallabies.

2013!

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 05:35:21 -0800

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

Happy New Year to everyone and best of luck in 2013!

Daisies

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 04:06:44 -0800

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

Not entirely sure what insect this is, but there were many of them on the ubiquitous daisies at Binya in September.

Stencilled Hairstreak

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 04:16:56 -0800

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

A different view of this Stencilled Hairstreak.

Pollanisus

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 00:03:17 -0800

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

There were a few of these fabulous, bright metallic blue, day-flying moths at Mulligan's Flat last week. I believe they are either Pollanisus viripulverulenta or P. apicalis and I'm not willing no make a call either way without more experience.

The Walk of the Beetle

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 18:07:39 -0800

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

A tiny little beetle walking along the edge of a gum leaf out at Mulligans.

Koel

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 01:45:15 -0800

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

This handsome male was being very romantic, picking a cherry off our laden cherry tree and chasing his girl around until she finally relented and accepted his gift.

Interestingly, the last three additions to my Field Guide set have been cuckoos.

Shining Bronze-Cuckoo

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:26:40 -0800

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

Seriously cool birds! This one is taking apart a hairy caterpillar.

Colours

nobody@flickr.com (Callocephalon Photography) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 23:22:45 -0800

Callocephalon Photography posted a photo:

A recent effort. I was trying to convey the subtle beauty of this sunset but it didn't really come across with just a simple landscape photo. The colours were too defined and looked pale and ugly. Here I used a slow shutter speed while panning hand-held to blur the lines, blend the boundaries between the colours and (hopefully) achieve a much more subtle and beautiful rendition of the colours that I saw.
Shooting at f22 reminded me just how many dust spots I have on my sensor though! Took me ages to clean the photo up.