The Hunters Lap of Australia

"Gone Bush"

Chance Meeting (News Update)

News Update

Earlier this year, January to be exact, we spent a few wonderful days within the wilds of Fitzgerald River National Park in Southern Western Australia. If you have been following our travel blog since 2015, you may remember our Carnaby’s Chance Meeting feature?

Well, after we posted that blog, we had many people who loved the above image, so thus keenly encouraged Geoff to enter it into the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year Competition. The Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo’s are an Endangered species, found only in southwest Western Australia. To enter the competition Geoff had to get his image authenticated by a designated bird expert from Birdlife Australia.

There were over 2500 entries into the competition and Geoff was shortlisted into the final 70. Although his image did not win his category, it was wonderful to see the calibre of the other 8 finalists.

If you happen to be in Sydney, you can see his image, amongst all the category winners and finalists in the exhibition at the Australian Museum opposite Hyde Park, until October 9, 2016. The exhibition is also on now at the Adelaide Museum.

And because the image was selected as a finalist, it will also appear, along with the complete list of winners, in the Australasian Nature Photography 2016* hardcover edition, published by Australian Geographic. I have included a link below to AustGeo website, where you can see them online.

Finally, I just wanted to mention that the boys and I are extremely proud of Geoff and his images. We’ll be making sure he will be entering a few more categories over the coming year(s) has inspired both Aidan and Lochie to enter the Junior category. His newfound love of photographing birds (properly) means he will have to get another lens (or two!) but it’s a sacrifice we’re happy to shoulder. I noticed that the prizes included $10,000 cash so, as long as he doesn’t go over that amount, we should be fine. 🙂

Celia

Click here to view the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer winners and finalists.

* Apology: Geoff’s image will appear in the Hardcover book, NOT in the magazine edition as we were given to understand.

***

Previous Post – January 2016.

It was nearing 5:00pm in what has been a long but rewarding day spent exploring within the Fitzgerald River National Park, WA.

Having not seen another car in the park since leaving Point Anne an hour or two earlier, we were driving along one of the parks backroads on our way back to our camp site at Bremer Bay. Our map coordinates of 34°12’38.72″S 119°20’7.92″E we had just rounded a left turn at a t-junction in the middle of nowhere on one of the parks north-western boundaries. and started gently accelerating up a steep’ish incline when we saw too our right, a cluster of possibly Eucalyptus Lavida (Native to WA), approx 4-5M in height …and we could hardly believe our eyes as to what was perched atop of them.

Balancing on the new growth were perhaps 20-25 endangered Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo’s feeding – most likely having their final feed before nightfall. By the time we fully realised this and managed to pull the D4 up on the heavily corrugated road, we had driven approximately 100 or so metres past them. As we came to a stop, I could see in my sideview mirror our passing had spooked at least a half/two-thirds of them away and were all but out of sight …but still hear their highly distinct far-carrying squealing in the distance.

We quietly hopped out to gaze back at what numbers remained and to see if they too would fly off. Half dozen or so were peering back at us. A shy bird by nature and too our surprise didn’t fly off and kept on feeding whilst keeping one eye on us.

I quickly grabbed the camera, changed lenses to the 90mm Elmarit f2.0 lens (the longest focal length lens I took on this trip), took a few paces towards them, stopped, and fired off a couple of frames at first.

This was the 1st frame …all attentively watching me.

carnaby's 1.jpg

I then slowly eased a little closer towards their tree but veered slightly more down the centre of the road so to appear i’m not walking directly at them – the whole time holding the camera up to my eye and every 20-odd metres taking another frame.

The 2nd frame…

carnaby's 2.2

To my astonishment, after 80-100M, they are still not too concerned in what I was doing and probably because of the thunderstorm we had earlier in the day, very little sound was coming from under foot when walking. It was strange, I fully expected them to take flight well before getting this close.

The 3rd frame and some now appear to be not even watching me…

carnaby's 3.2

I was well & truly muttering quietly to myself by this stage that is not suppose to happen – not like in this anyway. I can’t believe they are still there.

I stop once again and take a 4th frame and now they start to appear to be uneasy with my presence and pretty much stop feeding altogether and stare down at me…

carnaby's 3

I am now almost at the base of their eucalypt and looking directly up at them trying not to make any sharp sounds or sudden movements that may spook them. The whole time still peering through the viewfinder whilst continually adjusting the focus (manual focus camera) should they take flight at any moment.

And they finally do…

In a big combined shriek, a pair head left and two other pairs flew straight in a line across my field of view and I fired off a 5th and 6th frame, with the 6th frame resulting as the feature image of this blog.

***This image is the 6th frame which is not a time-lapse image which I know it could be mistaken for. These birds are two pairs with a 5th mate still in the tree at 6 o’clock on the image which was taken as a single frame as they all take flight. Update: This image has been ‘shortlisted’ in the 2016 Australian Geographic ANZANG Nature Photographer of the year award to be announced in September.

Several seconds later as I’m standing and watching them disappear out over the park and out of sight and ear shot …just as quickly as we found them …they’re now gone.

I stood in the middle of the road for a moment kicking a few small stones around at my feet and reflecting on what had just happened not wanting to take a look at the frames I took in case I had stuffed something up, often focus.

Did I get any of them well enough, are any in sharp focus, was the compact flash card reformatted …all these types of thoughts. 

I then turn around and look back up the hill to see Celia and the boys smiling back at me like “Cheshire Cats” not knowing themselves if I have taken a single frame, many, or none at all. It must have been funny and amusing to watch from a distance an unusual and privileged event such as this …and one I personally will remember for a long time.

I jog back up to the car and I finally take a peek at the last frame (as is 1st when you play them back), and without looking with my glasses on, hand the camera straight to Celia with the image showing. After a couple of moments gazing into the screen, she looks back at me with “that smile” she often shows.

I apologise if all of this sounds somewhat contrived or dramatic. However these were the events of how things panned out. Rather than post a random shot or two of the Carnaby’s within a general trip log like we often have done, because of the special occasion, Celia and I thought we would re-live the story behind the picture(s) and hopefully by doing so place you in the scene as well?

All comments and questions very welcome!!!

May the Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo live on strong, long and prosper and hopefully at some time in my lifetime be removed for ever off the endangered list. 

4 Comments

  1. Debbie Dunn's avatar
    Debbie Dunn

    Congratulations Geoff that is a fantastic achievement. I will definitely pay homage to the museum to see you beautiful print. Love your work Debbie

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