Gouldian Finch (male) Erythrura gouldiae September 21st, 2019 Wyndham, Western Australia, Australia Canon EOS 1D X Mark II Canon EF 600mm f4L IS II USM lens Canon EF 1.4x III Extender The local caravan park in Wyndham is a well known hot spot for these incredibly colourful Finches. We drove about 8 hours from Pine Creek in the NT to Wyndham to spend a couple of nights here with hopes of photographing this species. Thankfully, a couple of flocks dropped by the waterhole of a morning for a quick drink. This is a black-headed male, the more common of the male colours. They also occur in red-headed & orange headed varieties. Definitely made the long drive well worth it!
Comb-crested Jacana Irediparra gallinacea September 17th, 2019 Kununurra, Western Australia, Australia Canon EOS 1D X Mark II Canon EF 600mm f4L IS II USM lens Canon EF 1.4x III Extender My favourite bird for my birthday! Comb-crested Jacana are such quirky-looking birds yet have subtly beautiful markings as well. We spent many hours photographing this species on our trip up North a few months back.
Comb-crested Jacana mating Irediparra gallinacea September 17th, 2019 Kununurra, Western Australia, Australia Canon EOS 1D X Mark II Canon EF 600mm f4L IS II USM lens Canon EF 1.4x III Extender One of my most wanted targets on our trip to The Kimberleys were these Comb-crested Jacana. Lily Creek Lagoon is well known for its bird life, particular these peculiar waterbirds & I'd seen many wonderful images of them from this lagoon, so I was hopeful for success. I had no idea what I would witness on our first evening at the lagoon! I was watching one particular Jacana fuss about a specific spot on the lagoon. After a few minutes, she started calling. Within seconds, her partner was on the scene & ready for action! Over the next minute or two I watched the male awkwardly try & stabalise himself on his partner's back, which was clearly a tall order with those fantastic feet! While those feet are an asset for walking over lily pads, they present somewhat of a challenge when attempting to reproduce! After a couple of very awkward (& hilarious!) attempts, the male finally managed to do the deed. And the circle of life continues! Such a thrill to capture this behaviour!
