This is definitely my favourite shot of the year so far!
1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 1250, focal length 560mm
Canon 5DSR, Canon 200-400L IS USM EXT
Just about any photograph of a Superb Fairywren is a good one, but this one really made me smile. She was perched quite far from me and as I was photographing her I loved the soft warm light, the curve of her perch and the colours of the leaves. What I hadn’t realised until I loaded my images into Lightroom, was how she was holding her legs, so cute!
This bird can be positively identified as a female, rather than a young male, due to the russet-brown lores and eye ring. Young males initially have brown bills but they gradually turn black as the males get older, and young males lack the russet-brown lores and eye ring.
Even short trips have been few and far between for the past couple of years so it was especially lovely to catch up with two fabulous friends and to wander around the Royal Cranbourne Botanic Gardens for a few hours. I especially enjoyed photographing this fairywren but we were treated to some beaut sights, including Pacific Black Ducks, Chestnut Teal, Eurasian Coot, Welcome Swallows, Red Wattlebird, Little Wattlebird, Eastern Yellow Robin, New Holland Honeyeater and glimpses of a Swamp Rat and a Southern Brown Bandicoot.
I’ve written several posts describing more about these fairywrens, including their quite remarkable social structure: Fairy-wren with Petal
Sending heaps of good wishes to the inspiring duck rescuers, vets and others who are monitoring lakes and wetlands around Victoria where our native birds are being shot. Every duck shooting season is the same, with countless protected species being killed and injured, along with 100,000s of our native ducks. I’m shocked and sickened that a season was called this year. For more information please check this article in The Guardian: Daniel Andrews resists calls to end duck hunting after threatened species were killed
Happy birding, Kim
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She certainly is Seriously Superb!!! Have you put this one on Red Bubble Kim?
Not yet Tess but it’s a good idea, I’ll look into it, thank you, Kim
She is SUCH a beauty! Thanks for sharing
My pleasure Syndy, and thank you!
She looks like Sadie going poo. V cute kim
I’m not sure I’d like to see a pic of that Evan! How funny 🙂 (and thank you, Kim)
Wow, that is unreal. Cute and magnificent.
Thanks to all you amazing people who help once again on the wetlands. Your constant commitment is inspiring. How much longer will these murderous seasons continue? We have been asking that for many many years.
I’m glad you like the fairywren, Margot. Did you read the article in The Guardian? It was interesting to see the politicians named who are wanting it banned while DA and others are digging their heals in. It is shameful.
They have WAY too much power and NO common sense or forethought. Sorry, don’t mean to offend, but I’m over the polies and the absolute nonsense between gov websites and opinions. The focus seems to be today and their pension.
After the weekend I’ve just had visiting lakes used by duck shooters… well, I don’t even have words for it yet, I’m still processing the horrors of what I’ve seen.