A bit of this and that — David Taylor - Master Jeweller

November 18th 2022 (forgot to post last year)

Immature Nankeen Night Heron, Hastie’s Swamp, November 2022.

Usually when I am in the Swamp I am on my own. The only place that I expect company is HastIe’s Swamp. I had no idea what this bird was so when one of the people present informed me that it was an immature Nankeen Night Heron I was amazed.

Adult Nankeen Night Heron, Hastie’s Swamp, October 2021.

I had seen the adult birds at the Swamp before but the difference in appearance was so great I thought is must have been another species of Heron. I was wrong!

The night before I took the photos of that Nankeen Night Heron I camped at Lake Tinaroo to be at Hastie’s Swamp very early to view a bird that was resting there overnight for the first time in the years I have been visiting there. Brolgas!

For most of my photos of Brolgas I have been out at Mt Garnet. Atherton is so much closer.

Immature Brolga flying into Hastie’s Swamp. November 2022

Being an idiot I forgot how early sunrise was at the moment and was late to the Swamp. Also forgot how far away Tinaroo was from Hastie’s. Brolgas leave the night resting place early morning to feed in the fields during the day. There was only one bird remaining when I arrived. I could see them flying away in the hundreds as I drove towards the Swamp.

So it would be that I would get one in flight photo of a Brolga against a boring sky. Lucky there were other birds present to keep me amused.

Billy coming down Barron River in a pack raft.

I spent a couple of afternoons this week in Barron Gorge just sitting by the river. Billy came down one day so I took some photos.

The Rooster’s Tail is one of the more intimidating parts of the river to me and I thought Billy would use the side passage around it. Much to my surprise he took that pack raft straight through it.

Pretty impressive how he guided that big tube down the river. I am guessing that a pack raft is much harder to direct than a normal kayak.