Pure Gold

Capturing this Golden Whistler in the golden hour really made my day. I love the way the last rays of sunlight, while the rest of the property was in shadow, made this sensational bird look as though it was glowing.

Without a shutter speed of 1/2000th of a second this shot would have been a blur. When the whistler was sitting more upright half of its body was in shade, when it dived only the olive-green feathers of its back were left dappled with shadow from the overhanging leaves. This shot was taken at the start of its flight and I know, from having taken thousands of photographs, that I was super lucky to have captured this pose so sharply.

These exquisite birds are mainly insectivorous, foraging in the mid and lower levels of bushland. They are about 17cm from tip to tail and weigh about 25 grams. Males are absolutely stunning while females are such subtle greys that they are one of the trickiest birds to identify.

Happy birding, Kim

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