tessa_murray

tessa_murray, 15 hours ago to random

High key Spoonbill. Low key Spoonbill. Full colour Spoonbill. The light was terrible this evening - but I was so happy because we finally got a few drops of rain which we desperately need.

A side on portrait of the same bird but now against a dark background so that it stands out as vivid white against shadow.
The same spoonbill standing and looking towards the camera in slight profile. It is now against a background that fades from warm pastel tinged sunset colours to cooler grey / blue at the bottom.

tessa_murray, 6 days ago to random

Hop Hop Hop. No-one wanted to stay still for me today.

A Female red-winged fairy wren walking along a concrete border.
A male western (golden) whistler) just hopping out from behind a tree trunk

tessa_murray, 6 days ago to Birds

I went birding somewhere different today - and got rewarded with some species I don't normally see. This handsome fellow is a Western Whistler (they used to be called a Golden Whistler, till the powers that be decided they were a separate species and deserved their own, much more boring name). #birds #birdphotography

The same bird as before, but now perched low to the ground with his back to the camera and his head in profile.

tessa_murray, 14 days ago to Birds

Catching breakfast is only the start of the battle. The whistling kite caught the stilt, but then had to evade its sibling AND a swamp harrier who came to see what all the fuss was about and whether there might be a free meal involved. Kite no. 1 managed to keep the stilt all to itself. #birds #birdphotography

2 whistling kites and a swamp harrier in an aerial battle with a city skyscraper in the background.
A swamp harrier flying just above the whistling kite with some prey. It looks like the harrier is trying to force the kite to land.

tessa_murray, 21 days ago to Birds

The egrets were playing shadow puppets today. #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 24 days ago to Birds

Spoonbills are such good models. #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 27 days ago to Birds

These Carnaby's Cockatoos are an endangered species, but currently there are hundreds of them at Yanchep National Park. I really struggle to take nice photos of birds en masse like this - I just don't have the eye to put any sort of composition or coherence into these images. It's just chaos. #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 27 days ago to Birds

I went out today to take photos of these guys - Western Spinebills. Unfortunately, Yanchep was infested with large, noisy (endangered) Carnaby's Cockatoos so I took over a thousand pictures of them and only managed about 8 of the target species - who apparently does not feel comfortable sharing space with a bird 50 times it's size, even if that bird does only eat honky nuts. #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 1 month ago to Birds

This black shouldered kite was hovering almost motionless just in front of me. Was there for so long I had time to adjust settings. The light was really poor so I tried using a low shutter speed of 1/640 (this is almost glacial for a bird in flight). Alas the light was still too dim for a really good exposure, and the shutter speed still too fast to get wing blur. I hope she'll indulge me and give me a second chance with an even lower shutter speed next time #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 1 month ago to random

Ok - we're going to take a nice family photo here, so if you could all just sit on the branch and look straight at the camera please. Oh, a few cousins want to joint in - yeah sure, just snuggle up and if we can all be looking straight at the camera please. The camera - just look at the damn camera would you. Um, Jerry, get back on the branch please. Thanks, and now looking at the camera. Please! Oh, F you all.

tessa_murray, 1 month ago to Birds

I hope you all enjoy your daily bathing ritual as much as this little Grey Fantail. #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 1 month ago to Birds

A regent parrot flying on a very misty morning. #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 1 month ago to random

Lol, enough people (like 2 😆) asked for video so please let me indulge myself.

A slow motion video of a yellow billed spoonbill using its bill to sweep laterally to stir up tasty morsels. In the end it tosses something up to catch and swallow it.

tessa_murray, 1 month ago to Birds

I spent far too long watching this spoonbill foraging! It would sweep its bill from side to side and every now and then toss up a tasty morsel to catch and swallow. So very very zen to observe. And I may have a few hours of slow mo video which no rational human will ever want to see. #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 1 month ago to Birds

Normally a very hard bird to photograph! (for me anyway) This is one of many that were hanging around the Stirling Range Retreat campground this weekend -- probably because they put water out for the birds and the rest of the region is extremely dry at the moment. This was just adjacent to the bird bath, their normal behaviour puts them high up in trees or they are extremely wary of humans when near to the ground and do not generally tolerate being approached. Regent Parrot. #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 1 month ago to Birds

Me and the family went camping for the Easter long weekend. Which means I have a LOT of bird photos to post. This is a Crested Shrike Tit - I only saw this one (previously this spot has been great for them) but she posed beautifully for me and even demonstrated the lovely crest. 😊 #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 1 month ago to Birds

I went out to Yanchep NP today to look for spine bills. I never found the spine bills because this falcon (and friend) were busy hunting dragonflies and just being generally gorgeous. Hobby Falcon. #birds #birdphotography.

tessa_murray, 1 month ago to Birds

Normally, when I find a perched raptor and wait 20 minutes for it to do something I lose patience and lower my camera just before the critical moment, or my camera suddenly finds a little twig or leaf far more interesting to focus on than the bird. Or the bird takes off away from me and I only get bum shots. Today none of these things happened and I am so happy. This bird is now very tolerant of photographers and merely flew about 10 metres to a shadier tree just behind me. #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 1 month ago to Birds

A young western rosella feeding on some rushes. He was very happy with us quite close BUT always managed to keep a few twigs between us and himself. I guess he felt safer that way. #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 1 month ago to Birds

This one is a red-eared fire tail finch. They are small, shy, fast and like to stay in shady patches so getting a photo wasn't easy. I also needed to lie down in an area with copious kangaroo poo to get this shot. I think he's pretty enough to justify the challenges! #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 1 month ago to Birds

This is Australia's smallest bird - the weebill. They do something a bit similar to the hummingbird hover - but with a lot less colour! #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 1 month ago to Birds

Besieged! A black shouldered kite fronts up to its tormentor, but ultimately lost the battle when a second raven turned up to join in. All 3 birds then flew off, but a short time later the BSK returned to an adjacent tree. I like to think the bodies of the ravens are still floating in the swamp, but I suspect it's something much more mundane than that! (and I have been reading too much violent fantasy) #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 2 months ago to Birds

This one is a little black cormorant. I love that they have such a blue eye #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 2 months ago to Birds

Black fronted dotterels are teeny little birds. I love the way this low angle makes this one look big and intimidating 😂 #birds #birdphotography

tessa_murray, 2 months ago to Birds

My best version yet of a glossy ibis in flight. I like to refer to them as disco chickens in reference to

1. mardigras week
2. their less fabulous cousins the classic Aussie Bin Chicken (white ibis)
   No if I could get the same shot but with wings up and slightly faster shutter speed (I was not prepared for this one to fly and all the up wings are clipped)
   #birds #birdphotography