Black and white birds can be difficult to photograph, like weddings where detail in the blacks and whites can be lost if the images aren’t perfectly exposed .
Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys)
1/1600, f6.3, ISO 800
Willie Wagtails are the largest of the fantails and are found throughout mainland Australia where they are well-known for their active hunts for insects and their variety of sweet calls and scolding chatter. They measure about 20cm and weigh about 20 grams which is about 5cm longer and just over double the weight of a Grey Fantail. The background in this image is a dry cattle paddock and overcast sky.
Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca) – male
1/1000, f5.6, ISO 400
This Magpie-lark sat on the fence post for a while, fluffing his feathers in the gentle breeze. Males have a black face and a white eyebrow, females have a white face and no white eyebrow. Magpie-larks are not magpies or larks, they are found across Australia but only rarely visit Tasmania. They are about 28cm in length and weigh about 90g which makes them considerably larger than Willie Wagtails and considerably smaller than Australian Magpies. Magpie-larks are also known as Mud-larks and Peewees. The background in the image above is native grasslands.
Australian Magpie (Cracticus tibicen)
1/800, f5.6, ISO 200
Australian Magpies are found across Australia, including Tasmania. They are well-known in parks and gardens where grass is mown and they can readily probe for insects and worms on the ground. They are about 40cm in length and weigh up to about 350g. Male magpies occasionally swoop during the breeding season if they believe their nest is being threatened.
I have never photographed a wedding, I don’t think I’d like the responsibility or pressure, and besides I might find myself wandering off into the bushes after a fantail or whistler.
Happy birding, Kim
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