Swamp to Swamp
all photos from the 16th July 2022
Little Black Cormorants feeding, Hastie’s Swamp.
The day after Cairns Show Holiday I was up the Tablelands for customer meetings and bookended the day with visits to Hastie’s and Wurruma Swamps.
Once again this year I judged the Cairns Show photography section with two others. As I said last year I am not really into photo competitions but if I was going to enter, it would be a photo from one of those days where everything went right. The subject, light, camera settings and skill that make that great photo.
Those perfect events for photos are far and few between for even pro photographers, they just take more photos to increase their odds. Taking photos in bad light for me is much harder than when you get those perfect conditions. It also reflects real life, things are not always perfect.
I want to record things as they were. My photography has always been about catching the best photos I can dealing with whatever conditions I have on the day. With that in mind this is what I came up with on the 16th July 2022.
Forest Kingfisher, Hastie’s Swamp.
When I first arrived at Hastie’s it was very cold and the bird activity was minimal. This Forest Kingfisher was sitting near by with his feathers all puffed up trying to keep warm.
Plumed Whistling Duck landing on the water, Hastie’s Swamp.
As the morning sun started to hit the water the Plumed Whistling Ducks started making their way out of the vegetation and into the open.
Plumed Whistling Ducks, Hastie’s Swamp.
Soon one became many and the ducks started chasing each other around in the sky as they do.
Plumed Whistling Duck, Hastie’s Swamp.
The antics of these birds in flight can keep me entertained for hours but on this day there was a small group of another bird species that caught my attention.
Little Black Cormorant arriving at Hastie’s Swamp.
There were Little Black Cormorants in the water and more and more were joining them. The clouds had come over and it had started to lightly rain so I concentrated on them for a while.
Group of Cormorants hunting fish, Hastie’s Swamp.
These Little Black Cormorants were hunting as a group and I hoped to get some photos of them coming up with a fish. Environmental action photos are the ones that I desire the most. Birds sitting on a stick are fine but it is photos that reflect their habits and movement that I want to take.
Little Black Cormorants feeding, Hastie’s Swamp.
The challenge was guessing where they would break the surface after a dive because they can swim a long way under water and swallow their catch very quickly once they rise.
There were other birds there that day like Magpie Geese, Egrets, Australasian Darters, Little Pied Cormorants, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Swamphen, Grey Fantail, Pacific Black Duck and many more . It was time for me to go to work and I picked up the Swamping later in the day at Wurruma.
Wurruma Swamp
Swans feeding when I arrived at Wurruma Swamp.
Swans coming closer, Wurruma Swamp.
It was not long however before they became comfortable with my presence and swam back to in front of me.
Swans feeding close by when I left Wurruma Swamp.
The Swans were happy to paddle around feeding amongst the water lilies and who could blame them. The sun was dropping and things were starting to get darker, time to head home with no Swans in flight photos. Great trip out there anyway.