A Stroll Along Humptybong Creek.

Humptybong Creek runs into Moreton Bay just north of the foodie strip in Redcliffe Parade, Redcliffe. But mostly it doesn’t. A dam behind the town holds the water back, unless there has been heavy rain. From the dam the creek waters make their way through drains and culverts to run across the sand. Evidence is soon washed away by incoming tides.

The creek runs to the south west, under Anzac and Oxley Avenues. It drains the slightly higher terrain behind the coastal strip. The dam holds back enough water to encourage wild life. This is what makes it such a good location to photograph bird life.

But Humptybong Creek has a link with history. The Redcliffe foreshore was the sight of the first European settlement on Moreton Bay. Humptybong Creek provided fresh water to the new and tiny settlement. At least two dams were built at different times to provide and increase water storage. Parts of the later dam to be built remain and have been preserved. They are in the park area to the south of Anzac Avenue.

Poinciana trees and Banksia are in bloom and attracting Rainbow Lorikeet in significant numbers. I only have to walk 100 meters from the side gate of our complex to find them in a Banksia in the corner of the Energex power substation, but a high chain wire fence makes it difficult to photograph them. But the trees in Humptybong Park, that runs on either side of the creek, makes photography easier.

Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti)

Food supply seems to attract other birds as well. There always seems to be a variety in the area. As suggested by its name, the Figbird eats fruit and berries, but also eats insects. They move around to the extent necessary to be near a food source.

Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos)

An area of the creek, nearer to its mouth, has enough permanent water to permanently support water birds. The most common are Ducks, but one particular tree frequently hosts Little Pied and Little Black Cormorants. They both rest and feed at this location. They are often to be seen swimming in search of food.

Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)

Australian Magpies are frequently in the area. Their melodic carolling can often be heard. I see them regularly an my daily walks.

Spotted Turtle-Dove (Spilopelia chinensis)
Feral Pigeon (Columba livia domestica)
Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes)

There are always pigeons around. As a matter of fact I can hear one call is I write this blog. The Feral Pigeon is by far the most common bur we see the Spotted Turtle-Dove and Crested Pigeon quite regularly. There is one location beside the largest waterhole where they congregate, mainly because that is where people come to feed them.

The Australian Ibis is a regular around the water courses in this area, including the exposed sea floor when the tide is out. Often dozens are to be seen forging for food. Like the Cormorants, they have a favourite tree in the creek on which they like to perch.

Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca)
Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)

We don’t see as many Kookaburra as we would like, but they are about. A few weeks ago two young birds called in for a swim in the complex pool and had a good preen afterwards. The bird pictured was sitting on a power line near the creek.

Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa
Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa
Australasian (Purple) Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus)
Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata)
Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata)

What was formerly the Purple Swamphen and is now known as the Australasian Swamphen is another species that breeds on Humptybong Creek. The one pictured above was busy protecting the little ball of black feathers that is her chick. The Australian Weed Duck can be seen almost anywhere there is water. Family groups can often be seen at the creek.

Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala)

The Noisy Miner is another prolific bird. They can be seen wherever there is nectar to be taken from flowers, noisily protecting their patch. This one was taking a walk through the grass.

Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles0

Another regular around the Moreton Bay area is the Masked Lapwing or Plover as it is commonly known. While normally seen on land, they are often seen in or near the water. I have seen them feeding with water birds when the tide is down. This one dipped itself into the water as I took the shot.

The Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea) has appeared again this year, as the pine nuts have reached the point of tempting them. Accompanied by their signature screeching sound they were flying from tree to tree as they fed. They offered lots of photo opportunities so I clicked away.

Dull Weather, Brilliant Birds at Bribie Island

Image

I have upgraded my camera from a Canon 700D to a Canon 90D. The 700D is about six years old and has been well and truly been bypassed by technology. The Canon 90D was released in 2019 and is one of the most modern EOS DSLR cameras in Canon’s range, but by no means the most expensive or sophisticated.

Last Saturday, 27th November, provided a dry day in a run of wet days, so I took the opportunity to give the new camera a try out. We drove to Bribie Island and went to the shore bird refuge at Kakadu Beach. Our arrival coincided with the landing of a large group of Godwits on the protected beach, with other flocks flying above. Quite a sight!

I saw three birds for the first time. “Lifers” bird fanciers call them. Here they are:

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Buff-banded Rail
Eastern Curlew

It is always a thrill to see a breed or variety for the first time.

The Eastern Curlews provided good photo opportunities. The Godwits were too far away for good photos. And meny of them appeared to be already asleep.

Godwits on the beach
Godwits in flight

There were also repeat opportunities. There always seems to be a Figbird at Kakadu Beach. On Saturday there was also Rainbow Lorikeets, a Torrestian Crow and Pied Oystercatchers.

Rainbow Lorikeet
Rainbow Lorikeet
Torrestian Crow
Figbird
Pied Oyster catchers

And sleeping Pelicans. Some of the Eastern Curlews had also nodded off.

Sleeping Pelicans
Eastern Curlew
Drowsy Eastern Curlews?

Before we left the area, we drove further north for a kilometre or so and found two Masked Lapwings protecting their solitary chick from marauding birds and humans walking dogs. They gave a fine aerobatic display. Sadly, I didn’t get any photos of them in flight.

Masked Lapwing
Masked Lapwing
Masked Lapwing with chick
Masked Lapwing chic

I took no photos of humans with dogs but this pair of Pied Butcherbirds were giving the Lapwings plenty to keep them busy.

Pied Butcherbird
Pied Butcherbird

These Australian Wood Ducks joined me to watch the air show.

Australian Wood Duck
Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata)
Australian Wood Duck

So that ended our day out. I was quite pleased with the result. The Canon 90D is a dream to work with. I am very happy with the purchase.

Thin Pickings at Kedron Brook Wetlands.

I added a bird photography subject to my blog, didn’t I? And I haven’t followed through, have I? So I guess it is time to do something about it.

Last Saturday I drove towards Brisbane Airport to see what was about at the Kedron Brook Wetlands. This area lies between the Gateway Arterial Road and Brisbane Airport, near the bay side suburb of Nudgee. The most accessible area is near the highway. You can easily walk around the area (about a 4 kilometre walk) using a combination of well graded gravel paths and part of the concrete bikeway that runs all the way to Nudgee Beach. But watch out for speeding cyclists. It can be busy, especially at weekends.

Here are my captures for the day

The photo at the top of the page is a panorama of sleeping Pelicans. They were out in the middle of the waterhole, perched in an area where there were Pelicans roosted last time that I was there. The other birds residents that morning were Black-winged Stilts. They were feeding individually rather than in a group, some in deep water, some in shallow water and one going for a walk in the long grass.

Black-winged Stilts, also known as Pied Stilts, are a common coastal birds but are also found some distance inland in swampy areas and on rivers and creeks. They do not as a rule inhabit dry areas. Although regarded as a water bird, their feet are only partially webbed. They wade rather than swim, not surprising considering the length of their legs.

A short distance away, just north on the Nudgee Shell Service centre, I found a Little Black Cormorant sitting on a perch that is frequently used by one of its kind. The pond also held a number of Dusky Moorhens, including one having a scratch.

Birds at Deception Bay

A gathering of Gulls on an exposed sand bank

Last Wednesday was a sunny day and quite pleasant notwithstanding the cool breeze from the South West. But the shore line at Deception Bay is sheltered with winds from that direction. With the tide ebbing it was likely that wading birds would be there to take advantage of the drying floor of the bay, the exposed area increasing as the tide receded.

Deception Bay is deceptive. At high tide it appears to be a body of deep water but any but the most shallow draft vessel that moves outside of the dredged channel into Newport Waterways will soon learn of its deceptive nature. So while limiting for boats it is a great feed area for birds.

The first bird I saw as we drove along The Esplanade was a brown and white bird in the water, just off shore. I parked, grabbed the camera and walked towards it, but before I could get near to it someone buzzed it with a drone. It took off and vanished over the trees to the south.

Eastern Great Egret

As the tide ebbed further, more birds came in. Smaller birds included Silver Gulls, Gull-billed Terns, Pied Stilts and Bar-tailed Godwits. Larger birds were represented by Egrets, both Great and Intermediate and White-faced Herons. This was by first opportunity to get a close look and a photo of the White-faced Heron.

Intermediate Egret
Eastern Great Egret
Eastern Great Egret
A group of Bar-taited Godwits
Brahminy Kite
Inbound Australian Pelican

An Introduction to my Bird Photography Hobby

Australian Pelicans at The Entrance, NSW.
Pelecanus conspicillatus

I have been thinking about adding bird photographs to our blog pages for a while. I have been interested in bird photography for many years but did not own the lenses necessary to do anything about it.

Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae

My camera is a Canon 700D which I purchased in about 2015. It came with two kit lenses, a 18 – 55 mm primary and a 55 – 250 mm short telephoto lens. But changing lenses all the time is a pain in the neck so I mainly used the primary lens and cropped photos to bring distant subjects a bit closer. I mostly used the camera in one of the automatic modes as most photos were to support my travel blog text.

About a year ago I was able to obtain at a reasonable price a Sigma 18 – 250 mm telephoto lens. This was a great improvement but still placed me too far away from subject birds to achieve satisfactory results.

Then, on the principle of you can’t take it with you I went looking for something better and found a Sigma 150 – 600 mm telephoto. Used with my crop sensor camera I have an effective 900 mm reach. Much better.

Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena

I also started to really study the capabilities of my camera and began to shoot in manual mode. I purchased a high capacity data card for the camera and began shooting in RAW at maximum megapixels (18) and converting RAW data into JPEG in Canon Digital Photo Professional 4.

During processing I identify the bird by using apps and field guide books. A handy aid to identification is the “Google Lens” phone app. Available from your phone’s app store, it allows you to scan a bird photo on the computer screen and gives you a selection of photographs to use in identification.

I also use Cornell University’s “Merlin” app and the “Australian Birds” app. There are other that you can try for yourself. I also have a copy of the Michael Morcombe Field Guide to Australian Birds.

Sightings are recorded on an Excel spreadsheet where I record bird and variety and location and date sighted. My computer files are kept by location.

Future Posts

For the future I intend to post my better shots from each outing, together with some information on location and the featured birds. Unless I change my mind, of course.

But for now, here are some of the photos that I have accumulated to date.

Noisy Mina Manorina melanocephala
White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae

Red-backed Fairy-wren
Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus

Peaceful Dove Geopelia placida
Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris
Comb-crested Jacana Irediparra gallinacea

Australasian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae – front view

Australasian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae – rear view
Osprey Pandion haliaetus

Pacific Black Duck Pandion haliaetus

Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca
Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia
Black Swan with Cygnets Cygnus atratus

Royal SpoonbillPlatalea regia , Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca & Great Egret Ardea alba

Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia
Magpie Goose Anseranas semipalmata
Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita
Little Corella Cacatua sanguinea
Australian Wood Duck Aix sponsa
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus moluccanus
Australian Figbird Sphecotheres vieilloti
Crested Pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes

Images Copyright to Kevin Sheather