Lighthouse Eco

Striving for a sustainable Lifestyle

    • Wings spread by Tai Morton. During a walk along the Victoria Quay in Fremantle I was shooting some photos of the seagulls flying around me. I noticed there were moments where they would fly directly above me. I tried for a shot like this one a few times but failed until I eventually captured one of the birds scratching itself mid-flight
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    The 2023 BirdLife Australia photography winners – in pictures

    Shea Woodrow Posted on
    Wings spread by Tai Morton. During a walk along the Victoria Quay in Fremantle I was shooting some photos of the seagulls flying around me. I noticed there were moments where they would fly directly above me. I tried for a shot like this one a few times but failed until I eventually captured one of the birds scratching itself mid-flight
    Wings spread by Tai Morton.
    During a walk along the Victoria Quay in Fremantle I was shooting some photos of the seagulls flying around me. I noticed there were moments where they would fly directly above me. I tried for a shot like this one a few times but failed until I eventually captured one of the birds scratching itself mid-flight

    Superb singers, pollen showers and some jambalaya on the bayou. The winners of the sixth annual BirdLife Australia Bird Photography awards have been announced

    Portfolio prize winner

    Where there is smoke there is fire by Martin Anderson. To capture this sequence I spent two full days a week for a two-month period at the same location, observing and learning the behaviours of the spotted harriers in the Richmond area of NSW. I became attuned to their daily routine and achieved many closeup flight shots. On this day, however, the spotted harrier came from an unexpected direction, at an unexpected time and it brought unexpected company with it – a brown falcon
    Where there is smoke there is fire by Martin Anderson.
    To capture this sequence I spent two full days a week for a two-month period at the same location, observing and learning the behaviours of the spotted harriers in the Richmond area of NSW. I became attuned to their daily routine and achieved many closeup flight shots. On this day, however, the spotted harrier came from an unexpected direction, at an unexpected time and it brought unexpected company with it – a brown falcon

    Birds in the landscape shortlist

    Wetlands dawn by Diana Andersen. It was a magically still and misty morning at the Alcoa wetlands in Wellard, Western Australia, with a flock of pelicans and a couple of pied stilts waiting for the rising sun. I liked the changing light on the birds from left to right in relation to the rising sun
    Wetlands dawn by Diana Andersen.
    It was a magically still and misty morning at the Alcoa wetlands in Wellard, Western Australia, with a flock of pelicans and a couple of pied stilts waiting for the rising sun. I liked the changing light on the birds from left to right in relation to the rising sun

    Special theme winner

    Jambalaya on the Bayou by Jason Moore. The somewhat messy but beautifully coloured background in Perth inspired the title of this image. For those of you who don’t know, the Carpenters released a hit song in the 70s called Jambalaya (On the Bayou). It was a happy song with a tuneful beat, and it spoke of life on the bayou ... my thoughts of a bayou include water everywhere, flooded cypress trees with Spanish moss hanging from their branches, and swampland with wading birds
    Jambalaya on the Bayou by Jason Moore.
    The somewhat messy but beautifully coloured background in Perth inspired the title of this image. For those of you who don’t know, the Carpenters released a hit song in the 70s called Jambalaya (On the Bayou). It was a happy song with a tuneful beat, and it spoke of life on the bayou … my thoughts of a bayou include water everywhere, flooded cypress trees with Spanish moss hanging from their branches, and swampland with wading birds

    Bird portrait winner

    Piercing by Colin Driscoll. Just on sunset a female Australasian darter looks up from preening after her final successful fishing session for the day at Lake Macquarie in NSW. These birds are so angular it is difficult to get an interesting composition. This shot captures what these birds do under water. One can imagine this is the last thing a fish sees as the long neck launches that bill, piercing it as a spear fisher would
    Piercing by Colin Driscoll.
    Just on sunset a female Australasian darter looks up from preening after her final successful fishing session for the day at Lake Macquarie in NSW. These birds are so angular it is difficult to get an interesting composition. This shot captures what these birds do under water. One can imagine this is the last thing a fish sees as the long neck launches that bill, piercing it as a spear fisher would

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    Back yard birds winner

    Song of the Superb by Nikki Kenwrick. There are several families of superb blue wrens living at my mother’s place, and I often sit and watch them popping around her garden in Tamworth. They are such happy little birds
    Song of the Superb by Nikki Kenwrick.
    There are several families of superb blue wrens living at my mother’s place, and I often sit and watch them popping around her garden in Tamworth. They are such happy little birds

    Bird behaviour winner

    Pollen Shower by Guy Draper. I had spent several weeks returning to the same area of Kaiserstuhl conservation park in South Australia, watching and photographing a wide variety of native birds feeding on the grass trees. After taking a lot of front-lit shots, I set myself the challenge of getting some ‘last light’ backlit shots, capturing some behaviour with warmer light. I knew the instant I checked the back of the camera with this image that I’d captured a special moment, as the bird showered itself in pollen as it plucked the flower from the stem!
    Pollen Shower by Guy Draper.
    I had spent several weeks returning to the same area of Kaiserstuhl conservation park in South Australia, watching and photographing a wide variety of native birds feeding on the grass trees. After taking a lot of front-lit shots, I set myself the challenge of getting some ‘last light’ backlit shots, capturing some behaviour with warmer light. I knew the instant I checked the back of the camera with this image that I’d captured a special moment, as the bird showered itself in pollen as it plucked the flower from the stem!

    Birds in landscape winner

    Morning! Time to get moving by Veronica McPhail. Early morning movement from all residents along the South Perth foreshore. The black swans awake and swim across the lake, looking for food
    Morning! Time to get moving by Veronica McPhail. Early morning movement from all residents along the South Perth foreshore. The black swans awake and swim across the lake, looking for food

    Bird portrait shortlist

    Casso-unwary by Gail Yager. We were driving in Tully Gorge national park and pulled off the road. To our surprise, this young southern cassowary was standing there. He was as curious about us as we were about him – while maintaining a safe distance! I love the tilt of his head and the way his casque looks like a cap, which I have emphasised with the way I have cropped the photo
    Casso-unwary by Gail Yager.
    We were driving in Tully Gorge national park and pulled off the road. To our surprise, this young southern cassowary was standing there. He was as curious about us as we were about him – while maintaining a safe distance! I love the tilt of his head and the way his casque looks like a cap, which I have emphasised with the way I have cropped the photo

    Birds in flight winner

    Fingertips by Kate Burgess. Being able to capture both the ‘fingertips’ of the feathers in flight and the cockatoo’s head and feet in the background makes this a magical image for me. Shooting in burst mode enabled me to capture just the right composition
    Fingertips by Kate Burgess.
    Being able to capture both the ‘fingertips’ of the feathers in flight and the cockatoo’s head and feet in the background makes this a magical image for me. Shooting in burst mode enabled me to capture just the right composition

    Human impact winner

    Curlew construction consideration by Gregory Abbott. One night in April I went down to pick up a passenger off the late ferry. The Macleay Island jetty (then still under reconstruction) was deserted except for myself and this attentive bush stone-curlew
    Curlew construction consideration by Gregory Abbott.
    One night in April I went down to pick up a passenger off the late ferry. The Macleay Island jetty (then still under reconstruction) was deserted except for myself and this attentive bush stone-curlew

    Youth shortlist

    Rim-lit Robin by D’Artagnan Sprengel. Walking around the lake at sunrise, I came across this scarlet robin flitting around in the trees. I positioned myself so the bird lined up with a tree in the background, as I didn’t want a silhouette, and I underexposed the image a little, which allowed me to retain detail in the brighter parts of the photo and avoid blowing out the beautiful rim lighting around the bird and the sun filtering through the trees
    Rim-lit Robin by D’Artagnan Sprengel.
    Walking around the lake at sunrise, I came across this scarlet robin flitting around in the trees. I positioned myself so the bird lined up with a tree in the background, as I didn’t want a silhouette, and I underexposed the image a little, which allowed me to retain detail in the brighter parts of the photo and avoid blowing out the beautiful rim lighting around the bird and the sun filtering through the trees

    Birds in flight shortlist

    Galah and the lagoon by Mitchell Roberts. Sitting and watching the sunset over a lagoon in outback Queensland, this galah flew down for its afternoon drink while being bathed in a golden glow. Seeing and understanding typical behaviours helped me achieve this shot, allowing myself to position around where the light on the subject and background would be
    Galah and the lagoon by Mitchell Roberts.
    Sitting and watching the sunset over a lagoon in outback Queensland, this galah flew down for its afternoon drink while being bathed in a golden glow. Seeing and understanding typical behaviours helped me achieve this shot, allowing myself to position around where the light on the subject and background would be

    Birds in flight shortlist

    The Hover in black & white by Michelle Gardner. Hovering! It’s what these birds do so well. I was trying to capture the movement in the wings so I lowered the shutter speed and used the side of the car to steady as I took the photo, hoping to keep a good focus on the eye. I find these black-shouldered kites contradictory in that as a bird of prey they have a certain softness to them. I think this photo shows that as well
    The Hover in black & white by Michelle Gardner.
    Hovering! It’s what these birds do so well. I was trying to capture the movement in the wings so I lowered the shutter speed and used the side of the car to steady as I took the photo, hoping to keep a good focus on the eye. I find these black-shouldered kites contradictory in that as a bird of prey they have a certain softness to them. I think this photo shows that as well

    Bird portrait shortlist

    City slicker by Nathan Watson. After scouting some locations the evening before, I arrived an hour before sunrise and got into a position for the compositions I wanted. Some obliging birds gave me a few opportunities. Eventually this pied oystercatcher posed in the perfect position long enough to hold focus and capture a silhouette portrait that’s bursting in colour from Perth’s city lights
    City slicker by Nathan Watson.
    After scouting some locations the evening before, I arrived an hour before sunrise and got into a position for the compositions I wanted. Some obliging birds gave me a few opportunities. Eventually this pied oystercatcher posed in the perfect position long enough to hold focus and capture a silhouette portrait that’s bursting in colour from Perth’s city lights

    Source:

    The Guardian

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