David Kleinert Photography

David Kleinert Photography has moved!

2006-02-25T08:36:00.000+10:30

Hi everyone!

My photoblog "David Kleinert Photography" has moved to a new home at

http://davidkphotography.com

I have really appreciated all the feedback I have recieved and hope that you will all keep visiting at my new URL. Also, if anyone has put a link to my site on their blog than you will need to update the link!

**It would be great to hear any feedback on my new site layout - there are still some small modifcations I need to do, so please tell me if anything isn't working/displaying right.

See you at my my new home!

Cheers,

Dave.

Has someone been digging?

2006-02-24T08:27:00.000+10:30

Staying with the baby animal theme, I thought it was time to post another photo of my baby "Bella". It wasn't hard for me to work out who had been digging holes in the garden again!

Egret eyes

2006-02-23T08:28:00.000+10:30

Another one of my photos taken while wading through the waters at Gunbower Forest. With their big eyes and fluffly heads, these baby Great Egrets were pretty cute.

Baby Brown

2006-02-22T08:29:00.000+10:30

Finally I came across my first snake of the summer yesterday - very exciting. This guy was a very young Brown Snake, only 30 cm in length. The black bands on the head fade with age but may still be evident in some adults. Brown snakes are highly venomous and one of Australias most dangerous reptiles. Juvenile snakes, such as this fine specimen, still have the potential to deliver a nasty bite!

Australian White Ibis baby

2006-02-21T07:20:00.000+10:30

As I mentioned in yesterdays post I was out on the weekend wading through flooded wetlands. The main reason for this was to photograph breeding water birds. This very young Australian White Ibis watched me cautiously from the nest as I waded quietly through the waters. I was also lucky enough to see baby Great Egrets and Little Black Cormorants. I will post more of these fluffy headed chicks over the next few days.

Gunbower reflections

2006-02-19T21:27:00.000+10:30

This photo was taken while wading through waist height water at Gunbower Forest in Northern Victoria. Gunbower Forest, a wetland of international significance, is situated on the River Murray and covers an area of 19,450 ha. Current environmental flows are helping to protect & enhance the unique flora and fauna of the forest.

Superb Parrot

2006-02-17T09:54:00.000+10:30

Well today is my 100th post & I thought why not celebrate it by posting a photo of my favourite Australian bird - the Superb Parrot. This is a beautiful bird but unfortunately, due to such things as land clearing, loss of hollows and lack of regeneration of woodland habitat , is now a threatened species :( .The total population of the Superb Parrot is estimated to be only a few thousand birds.

Red Dragonfly

2006-02-16T08:25:00.000+10:30

A red Dragonfly perches at the edge of Kennington Reservoir in Bendigo. The colour of this guy was amazing! I would have liked the image to be a little sharper, however it still shows the beauty of the insect.

Lacewing

2006-02-15T08:54:00.000+10:30

A Lacewing holds on tight to some dry grass in the garden outside where I work. I noticed this insect sitting in same spot for two days. Lacewings belong to an ancient order of insects, Neuroptera. Members of this order are diverse in behaviour and appearance, with wingless larvae that are very different from their delicately-winged adult forms. Sometimes people mistake these guys for dragonflies - however the long antennae help to distinguish that it is a Lacewing.

Yellow Spider

2006-02-14T07:22:00.000+10:30

Another one of the many spider species I have been seeing around the bush lately. This guy, most probably belonging to the Orb Weaving family, had built his web in a Heakea shrub in the Axedale flora & fauna reserve. The colours & pattern on the abdomen were quite vibrant and impressive!

Robber Fly

2006-02-13T08:16:00.000+10:30

A Robber Fly gets ready to take off in pursuit of insect prey. I posted a Robber Fly a while ago now but I was much happier with this image taken yesterday. There were so many spiders & flies out and about in the bush - seemed to be the only thing out in the heat!

Redback Spider

2006-02-12T07:56:00.000+10:30

I came across this juvenile Redback Spider yesterday while searching for bugs to photograph. The white markings on the back indicate that it is only a young spider. When matured, the females abdomen usually retains only the red colouring. They are probably one of Australias most well known dangerous spiders and can cause serious illness.

Eurasian Coot

2006-02-11T06:50:00.000+10:30

One of the many Eurasian Coots that inhabit Kennington Reservoir in Bendigo. This species is widespread in Australia, and as the name suggests, they range from Eurasia to Indonesia & New Guinea. These birds are a common site in wetlands and are easily recognised by the snow white bill and red eye.

Black-shouldered Kite

2006-02-10T09:11:00.000+10:30

A juvenile Black-shouldered Kite perches on a powerline and scans the ground for prey. They are small birds of prey that live in woodlands, grasslands, paddocks and city parks over most of Australia. These birds can often be seen hovering in one spot and then quickly diving on top of their prey.

Nankeen Kestrel

2006-02-08T20:43:00.000+10:30

I photographed this Nankeen Kestrel today at Donald in Victoria. The Nankeen Kestrel is a slender falcon and are found in most areas of Australia, although tend to be absent from dense forests. The preferred habitats are lightly wooded areas and open agricultural regions. The success of this species as a bird of prey can be largely contributed to its tolerance for a wide variety of habitats and its ability to feed on a variety of foods and nest in a range of sites.

River Red Gum

2006-02-07T19:53:00.000+10:30

The River Red Gum, belonging to the eucalyptus family, is an iconic Australian tree species. I took this photo along the Avon-Richardson River in Banyena, Victoria. The afternoon sun created amazing colours on the bark and I thought that this, combined with the deep blue sky, would create an interesting photo. River Red Gums are the most widely distributed of all eucalypt species in Australia, occuring in all mainland states. They are typically found along permanent and ephemeral watercourses and under a large range of environmental conditions.

The ducks eye

2006-02-06T06:48:00.000+10:30

This Pacific Black Duck came for a closer look while I was sitting at the edge of a lake in Bendigo taking photos of dragonflies. I just had to take his potrait!

Blue Dragonfly

2006-02-05T08:05:00.000+10:30

These blue Dragonflies are everywhere at the moment & after many attempts I finally got a photo I was happy with. Dragonflies are found all over Australia and although they need water to breed, individuals can be seen flying many kilometres from freshwater. Males are very territorial, staying close by water to guard their hunting and mating grounds. I would take a guess that this Dragonfly was a male as I watched him constantly chasing off other insects and returning to exact same perch each time.

Bella

2006-02-04T08:24:00.000+10:30

I couldn't resist posting a photo of my puppy "Bella". She is an Aussie Bulldog and about 20 weeks old now. Going by the expression on her face I think last nights walk tired her out a bit! Hopefully I can get out and about this weekend to photograph some more native Australian wildlife.

Topaz & Ruby

2006-02-03T08:23:00.000+10:30

Something a bit different for todays post. These are some of my families horses - "Topaz" on the left & her foal "Ruby" on the right.

Ready for landing

2006-02-02T07:50:00.000+10:30

Another Great Egret photo from when I stumbled across a breeding colony earlier this year in Coleambally, NSW. This bird was flying down towards its nest which had been built in a Wilga tree. Both the male and female Egrets construct the nest, which is a large platform of sticks, and usually placed in a tree over the water. However, the difference with this colony is that they had actually nested over dry ground.

Shingleback Lizard

2006-02-01T08:31:00.000+10:30

Took this photo a few months back while in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia. Shingleback Lizards are my favourite Aussie reptile, however this particular guy didn't think much of me! He may look a bit frightning, but don't be fooled, they are very dosile and quite harmless - the tongue is used to scare off predators when threatened.

Noisy Miner

2006-01-31T08:19:00.000+10:30

I photographed this Noisy Miner yesterday while walking around Kennington Reservoir in Bendigo. These birds are an Australian native, however some people consider them to be a pest. They are quite bold and curious and despite their moderate size (28 cm), can aggressively attack larger birds such as hawks and kookaburras. Behaviour such as this can be enough to drive out other native bird species from within the Noisy Miners occupied area!

Eastern Rosella

2006-01-30T08:28:00.000+10:30

I caught this Eastern Rosella feasting on the nectarines in my bacyard yesterday. Over the last two days these colourful Australian parrots have managed to eat nearly all of the remaining fruit on the tree!

Bearded Dragon

2006-01-29T07:51:00.000+10:30

A Bearded Dragon basks in the hot afternoon sun. These lizards are named for the distinctive flap of skin that lies below their jaw. When threatened they assume a defensive posture, open their mouths and push their throat skin forward to make a 'beard'. This guy was far from threatened, quite relaxed really & was happy to pose for me.

Hairy legs

2006-01-28T08:31:00.000+10:30

I couldn't resist putting another spider photo on the blog - sorry everyone. This female belongs to the Garden Orb Weaving spider family, in which there are over 100 different species in Australia. This close up image shows more detail than my previous spider posts - check out the hairy legs (enlarge the image for a closer look). I hope my Arachnid images are not scaring people away from my blog!

Bronzewing Pigeon

2006-01-27T10:53:00.000+10:30

Bronzewing Pigeons are another Australian bird speices that display a glossy wing colour. In this photo the late afternoon sun helped to enhanced the metallic feather colouring.

Pacific Black Duck

2006-01-26T09:12:00.000+10:30

This Pacific Black Duck shows off its glossy wing colour as it stands at the edge of a lake in Bendigo. These birds are quite common and probably one of the most versatile of the Australian ducks. It frequents all types of water, from isolated forest pools to tidal mudflats, and is found in all but the most arid regions of Australia. Oh, nearly forgot - Happy Australia Day to all!

Red-bellied Black Snake

2006-01-25T07:53:00.000+10:30

This Red-bellied Black Snake came slithering towards me along a country road. I was able to get a few quick snaps before I decided that it might be safer to let this guy go on his way!

Spiders silk

2006-01-24T08:16:00.000+10:30

This Orb Weaving spider's web glistens as the afternoon sunlight shines through.

Lightning strikes again

2006-01-23T07:08:00.000+10:30

Another lightning photo from Satuday nights storm in Bendigo.

Lightning strikes Bendigo

2006-01-22T07:46:00.000+10:30

Bendigo was treated to a massive lightning storm last night. This photo is one of the many that I was lucky enough to capture. I thought this image showed the intensity of the storm quite well!

Blue Tongue Lizard

2006-01-21T07:48:00.000+10:30

A Blue Tongue Lizard looks for food amongst the dried Eucalyptus leaves.

The Spiders Web

2006-01-20T03:39:00.000+10:30

An Orb Weaving Spider sits in the middle of its web.

Ready for take off

2006-01-19T08:23:00.000+10:30

This Bee Fly gets ready to take off after having a feed on the Lemon Beauty-heads flower, a native plant in the Bendigo area.

Port Campbell

2006-01-17T23:17:00.000+10:30

Vegetation growing on a steep beach side cliff near Port Campbell in Victoria.

Rustic Rushworth

2006-01-17T08:41:00.000+10:30

Rushworth is an old goldmining town which retains much of its original character through its many early buildings. The town became a stopping place in the early 1850s for those travelling between the Bendigo and Beechworth diggings. This old rundown home, surrounded by the remains of horse carts & other old rusting farming equipment, stands alongside Waranga Reservoir on the outskirts of the town.

Full Moon

2006-01-16T08:41:00.000+10:30

This photo was taken during a full moon last Saturday night. It had only just come up over the horizon - so it was large and bright. The clouds over and around the moon created an almost red glow.

Dead Bulloak Tree

2006-01-15T20:40:00.000+10:30

Bulloaks, an ancient looking tree, are a threatened species in Victoria. Although this particular tree has died, it still provides habitat amongst the other surviving trees within this remnant. Government funding is currently being used to fence off areas of remnant vegetation (like the one pictured). This will not only protect them from grazing but will improve the chance of any natural regeneration.

Red sky at night

2006-01-13T10:25:00.000+10:30

Another red sunset over Bendigo last night.

Orb Weaving Spider housekeeping

2006-01-12T08:36:00.000+10:30

An Orb Weaving Spider carefully cuts away a Eucalyptus leaf that has fallen into its web. After the housekeeping duties the spider returned to the middle of the web, where it waited for its next meal to come along.

Carp feeds at Reed Bed Swamp

2006-01-11T09:26:00.000+10:30

Carp, introduced into Australia in the 1850s and 60s as a sport fish, have become a major threat to waterways within the Murray Darling Basin. Some of the impacts that Carp have include disturbing waters through bottom dwelling feeding and competing with native fish for food and spawning sites. It is currently an offence in Australia to return any caught Carp back to the water.This photo was taken of a Carp feeding at Red Bed Swamp at Mathoura.

Rosebud Pier

2006-01-09T20:57:00.000+10:30

I watched this guy as he climbed a light pole on Rosebud Pier and dived into the sea.

Great Egret

2006-01-08T21:24:00.000+10:30

A Great Egret displays its breeding plumage. This is another Egret photo I took when I came across a breeding colony in Coleambally recently. The green facial skin, black bill and extra feathers along the back are all signs that that this bird was breeding.

Sunset over Bendigo

2006-01-06T15:41:00.000+10:30

Another amazing sunset over Bendigo. Capturing this image shortly before the last of the light dissapeared really enhanced the intensity of the colour.

Robber Fly

2006-01-05T18:58:00.000+10:30

This Robber Fly sits on the rusty wire and feeds on its prey. Robber Flies, with their voratious appetite, are a very successful predator in the insect world. They prey on other insects such as bees, wasps, dragonflies, grasshoppers and even spiders. After catching their prey in mid air and injecting them with a special saliva, they then return to the perch to consume the liquidised body tissues.

Australian Painted Lady Butterfly

2006-01-04T20:17:00.000+10:30

Australian Painted Lady Butterfly feeding on an Everlasting Daisy. This is another insect photo I took while walking through the Flora Reserve at Axedale. These butterflies are a common site in Victoria, especially during the warmer months. Again I took this picture with a 300mm zoom, however, a true "macro lens" would have have made the image a lot sharper.

Fly on flower

2006-01-04T19:40:00.000+10:30

A native Fly feeds on a Sticky Everlasting Daisy at Axedale Flora Reserve. I followed this large fly for quite a while and this photo was about the best I got using my 300mm zoom lens.

Great Egret

2006-01-02T22:19:00.000+10:30

I photographed this Great Egret while in Coleambally on the weekend. While walking through a White Cypress Pine forest on the edge of town I came accross a breeding colony of Great Egrets. This was quite a surprise as I have lived in Coleambally for 4 years and have never seen the Egrets nesting in this forest. The Great Egret measures 41 to 49 cm, and is the largest of the Australian Egrets.

Silver Gull @ Rosebud Beach

2005-12-30T13:34:00.000+10:30

Another Silver Gull photo from my trip to Rosebud beach. I'm heading off to Coleambally (southern NSW) this weekend and with the weather approaching 40 degrees I hope to get an oppurtunity to photograph some more reptiles.

Silver Gulls

2005-12-29T22:49:00.000+10:30

This photo was taken today on the beach at Rosebud, a small coastal town south of Melbourne. The Silver Gull is a very common bird, and can be found at virtually any watered habitat throughout Australia. The way in which the Gulls are standing in two straight lines made an interesting composition.

Spiny Spider

2005-12-27T18:10:00.000+10:30

The Spiny Spider, also known as the Christmas spider or Jewel spider, is found throughout most of Australia. They prefer to live in shrubby woodlands, and are often found in colonies where large numbers of individuals congregate to construct their webs. The bright colours and spines make these spiders easy to identify.

Dragonfly

2005-12-26T21:08:00.000+10:30

This was one of the many Dragonflies I saw today as I walked through the bush around Axedale. Running around with my camera, trying to photograph insects, was a great way to work off all the ham and beer that was consumed over Christmas day!

New Holland Honeyeater

2005-12-25T09:27:00.000+10:30

I thought this photo, taken earlier this morning, had a Christmas feel to it - a New Holland Honeyeater sitting amongst the red and green coloured Grevillea. New Holland Honeyeaters are an attractive small bird that mostly feed on the nectar of flowers, and like I saw this morning, busily dart from flower to flower in search of this high-energy food. Other food items include fruit, insects and spiders. Merry Christmas to all!

Apostle Bird

2005-12-24T21:33:00.000+10:30

This Apostle Bird was photographed at Coleambally, NSW. Apostle Birds are a medium sized bird, dull in colour and have a loud & distinctive voice which has been described as "scratchy, like tearing sandpaper".

Sundew

2005-12-23T20:29:00.000+10:30

This photo was taken in September while searching for native orchids near Junourton, Victoria. Sundews are a widespread group of carnivorous plants. There are more than 160 species distributed around the globe, with about 65 species native to Australia. Through glands that exude attractive nectar, adhesive compounds, and digestive enzymes they are able to feed on insects that stick to the leaves.

"Tristen"

2005-12-23T14:36:00.000+10:30

Tristen, my friends 4 year old son, was happy to pose for me amongst the native grasses during a recent sunset. The photo was taken earlier this week while staying at a farm at Banyena. Unfortunantly this farm (and others in the area), are currently under the threat of mineral sands mining. If the mining goes ahead it has the potential to destroy large areas of productive agricultural land and remnant vegetation.

Dragonfly in flight

2005-12-22T08:22:00.000+10:30

This Dragonfly was hovering above the Loddon River in search of prey. Photographing them in flight was a bit of a challenge! This photo turned out alright, maybe a little out of focus, but I think the movement of the insect makes an interesting photo.

Blue Damselfly

2005-12-22T08:12:00.000+10:30

A blue Damselfly takes a rest along the edge of the Loddon River near Serpentine. While working along the Loddon River recently I saw some amazing damselfly and dragonfly species, with colours ranging from bright red to blue. They were quite hard to photograph but using my 300mm zoom I managed to get a few good photos.

Brown Songlark

2005-12-21T15:47:00.000+10:30

I came accross this Brown Songlark while driving to Banyena earlier in the week. They are a plain looking bird but have a beautiful call. This guy was singing away on the old fence post as I took the photo.

Praying Mantid

2005-12-21T13:51:00.000+10:30

This Praying Mantid was hunting insects that were attracted to an outside light. Praying Mantids are easily recognised due to their large size, which can range from 10 to 120 millimetres in body length and their characteristic way of standing with forelegs held together as if they were praying.

Blue Tongue Lizard

2005-12-18T20:32:00.000+10:30

I found this young Blue Tongue Lizard wandering around my backyard on the weekend. He was quite aggresive and even managed to scare off my new puppy. These lizards are found in most parts of Australia and are a great survivor of urbanisation. They can live in the same backyard for years and happily consume garden slugs and snails.

Sunset over Lake Mungo's "Walls of China"

2005-12-17T19:25:00.000+10:30

Lake Mungo, located in NSW, is an archaeologically significant part of the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area. This photo was taken at sunset while on the "Walls of China", which is a large lunette rising to 30 m above the plain and runs for some 30 km around the old lake's eastern shore. As the sun went down the ancient sands turned an amazing pink colour.

Rainbow over Bendigo

2005-12-16T13:23:00.000+10:30

This photo was taken a while ago while driving home from work. It was an amazing site as this double rainbow appeared after some heavy afternoon rain. The rainbow seemed to be spliting the sky into two - one dark & the other blue.

Black Kite

2005-12-14T17:24:00.000+10:30

I photographed this Black Kite as it circled above the Loddon River near Kerang, Victoria. Black Kites are a medium sized raptor and are distributed across the majority of inland Australia. They prey on lizards, small mammals and insects (especially grasshoppers). The large locust plauge thet Central Victoria is currently experincing would be providing an abundant food source for ther Kites.

Golden Orb Weaving Spider

2005-12-13T17:54:00.000+10:30

Golden Orb Weavers are large spiders, around 2-4 cm in body length (although the male is a tiny 5 mm). They build large, strong, semi-permanent orb webs which can actually sometimes manage to trap small birds or bats. Common prey of the Golden Orb Weaver include flies, beetles, locusts, wood moths and cicadas. Taking the photo into the sun really enhanced the colour of the legs and made the tiny hairs stand out.

Marbled Gecko

2005-12-11T20:14:00.000+10:30

Gecko's are a small nocturnal reptile and are common throughout Victoria. I photographed this Marbled Gecko out the front of my house today. At present I have a family of Gecko's living under my front door and each morning as I head off for work I have to take care not to step on these little lizards. You can see from the picture that this Gecko has recently lost his tail.

Black Swan

2005-12-11T20:03:00.000+10:30

This picture of a Black Swan was taken this morning while walking around Kennington Resevoir. I thought the neck reflection and morning light made an interesting photo. The Australian Black Swans can grow up to 142 cm in body length and is the only entirely black-coloured swan in the world.

Lightning strikes Banyena

2005-12-10T14:27:00.000+10:30

I took this lightning photo while staying at Banyena during the week. It was quite a large storm and produced almost 2 inches of rain in some areas. Due to the heavy rain I only managed to get a few photos - but I was very pleased with the results. Looking forward to the next big storm!

Young Galah

2005-12-09T20:12:00.000+10:30

This morning I heard some strange loud noises coming from outside my office window. After some investigation I found this young Galah amongst the garden. Each time he called out I could hear his mum replying from the tree across the road. Try as he might he couldn't quite fly but eventually wandered safely across the road underneath the tree where his parents perched. Lets hope he avoids the neighbourhood cats and foxes over the next few nights!

Storm hits Banyena

2005-12-08T22:03:00.000+10:30

This photo follows on the previous post and shows the intensity of the storm as it begins to saturate the crops in Banyena. I managed to get some shots of he lightning frm this storm and will post them shortly.

Storm clouds over Banyena

2005-12-08T21:17:00.000+10:30

While staying in Banyena this week I witnessed some amazing storm activity. This photo shows a large storm approaching a chickpea crop. Althouth the storm produced some great photos, it was not welcomed by the local farmers who were ready for harvesting. The haevy rain had the potential to ruin many crops in the area.

Purple Swamphen

2005-12-07T23:21:00.000+10:30

While recently at Mathoura I came across this Swamphen and it's young chicks. I took this photo while it was pulling out reeds and taking them to the nest. The Purple Swamphen is found around freshwater swamps, streams and marshes, and is common throughout eastern and northern Australia. The Swamphen diet includes the soft shoots of reeds and rushes and small animals, such as frogs and snails. However, it is a reputed egg stealer and will also eat ducklings when it can catch them!

Dragonfly

2005-12-05T19:46:00.000+10:30

I found this Dragonfly taking a rest while out at Axedale recently. In the insect world adult Dragonflies are quite fierce and feed mainly on flying insects. They catch their prey in mid flight and can travel at speeds up to 50km an hour.

Bearded Dragon

2005-12-04T21:51:00.000+10:30

Another photo from my weekend away in Coleambally. This young Bearded Dragon was very agressive and actually lept at my face after I took this photo.

Emu

2005-12-04T21:30:00.000+10:30

This inquisitive Emu couldn't resist sneaking up behind me (and scaring me) while I was trying to photograph Dollar Birds at Darlington Point on the weekend.

Red Wattle Bird

2005-12-01T21:15:00.000+10:30

Following on from my previous post, this is mother Red Wattle bird on the Hills Hoist - keeping a close eye on her young fledgling.

Young Red Wattle Bird

2005-12-01T21:01:00.000+10:30

The baby Red Wattle Bird, which is living in my backyard, emerged today from the nest for the first time. I watched him as he climbed to the top of his shrub - where he sat quietly waiting for his mum to bring dinner. Mother Wattle bird didn't seem too pleased with me taking photos!

Murray Turtle

2005-12-01T08:01:00.000+10:30

The Murray Turtle, also known as the Murray Short-Necked Turtle, is restricted to the Murray-Darling River system in southeastern Australia and inhabits larger rivers and permanent lakes in this region. They feed mostly on molluscs, crustaceans and vegetable matter such as fruits and water plants. I photographed this turtle while in Deniliquin, NSW.

Black Swan

2005-11-30T11:01:00.000+10:30

Black Swans are a large water bird and are found throughout Australia. They prefer larger salt, brackish or fresh waterways and permanent wetlands. I took this Black Swan photo while at Gunbower Forest in Northern Victoria. Gunbower forest, which is lisetd under RAMSAR, is the second largest red gum forest in Victoria and is an internationally recognised wildlife sanctuary. (click photo to enlarge)

Storm clouds over Bendigo

2005-11-29T21:05:00.000+10:30

The afternoon sun makes a final appearance before huge black storm clouds engulf the sky. As I left work today I noticed this storm appraoching - but of course I didn't have the camera on me - so I raced home grabbed the gear and headed for the nearest look out (One tree hill). Luckily I caught the last section of sky on the horizon!

Brown Falcon

2005-11-28T17:51:00.000+10:30

Brown Falcons are a common bird of prey in central Victoria. This particular photo, taken in Coleambally (NSW), is one of my favourites. The combination of dark storm clouds behind and the afternoon sun lighting the subject clearly shows the amazing colour of the falcons wings

Wedge-tailed Eagle

2005-11-27T19:52:00.000+10:30

Wedge-tailed Eagle flies above Johnson's Swamp in Northern Victoria. The Wedge-tailed Eagle is Australia's largest living bird of prey and one of the largest eagles in the world

Clouds

2005-11-26T13:51:00.000+10:30

This was an amazing cloud formation. When I looked at the sky it reminded me of angels or spirits floating through the air

Sunset

2005-11-26T13:42:00.000+10:30

Another great spring sunset in Bendigo

Cat's Claw Grevillea

2005-11-24T10:23:00.000+10:30

Cat's Claw Grevillea are a common native shrub around Bendigo - this particular plant was growing on One-tree Hill. The attractive spider-like flowers can range in colour from yellow through orange to red

Wattle Bird

2005-11-23T19:51:00.000+10:30

This Wattle Bird, mouth full of food, is currently nesting in my backyard. Yesterday afternoon I sat and watched it as it busily collected food and feed it to the young in the nest

Banjo Frog

2005-11-23T11:14:00.000+10:30

The Banjo Frog or "Pobblebonk" gets its name from its distinctive "bonk" call. It is a large species and the warty appearance sometimes causes people to mistake them for Cane Toads. I almost ran this guy over while pulling into my driveway!

Lightning

2005-11-22T13:26:00.000+10:30

I took this lightning photo during a huge storm in Bendigo back in September. This was my first attempt at lightning photography and I was pretty happy with the result. Looking forward to the next big storm!

Orb Weaving Spider

2005-11-22T10:57:00.000+10:30

This Orb Weaving Spider constructs it web amongst the Sticky Everlasting Daisies

New Holland Honeyeater

2005-11-21T15:12:00.000+10:30

New Holland Honeyeaters are an attracive small bird and quite common in the Bendigo area. This one was busily feeding on nectar in my back yard and didn't even notice me snapping away

Kangaroo Grass

2005-11-21T10:32:00.000+10:30

Kangaroo Grass - Themeda triandra, is one of the most recognizable members of the grass family (Poaceae) in Australia. It can can grow to 1.5 m tall and 0.5 m across and produces distinct large red-brown spikelets. This has always been one of my favourite grass species

Scorpion Fly

2005-11-21T09:59:00.000+10:30

While out photographing wildflowers at Axedale, VIC, I came across this unusal looking Scorpian Fly. I'm not sure on the species yet but will post once indentified. Scorpion flies are predatory insects and feed on a wide variety of other insects such as flies, moths, caterpillars and beetle larvae as well as spiders

Brown Snake

2005-11-19T11:34:00.000+10:30

Brown snakes are probably one of Australias most deadliest animals. I found this guy crossing an outback dirt road while heading to Arkaroola in the northern Flinders Ranges. He was in a bit of hurry but I managed to follow him for a while and get some good shots.

Blue Finger Flower

2005-11-19T09:44:00.000+10:30

Blue Finger Flowers are another native plant found around the Bendigo region. I took this photo on a property near Lake Eppalock. I think this flower got its name through the fingers and thumb like formation in it's centre

Great Cormorant

2005-11-18T19:49:00.000+10:30

As I walked around Kennington Reservoir in Bendigo I came across this Great Cormorant enjoying the sun on his wings. I have often see cormorants posing like this but have never been able to get a photo

Musk Lorikeet

2005-11-18T15:04:00.000+10:30

I took this photo last night while the musk lorikeets were busy eating the final loquat fruits off my tree! They stripped the tree in a matter of days. The intense colours of the Lorikeet make a nice image

Sunset

2005-11-18T11:22:00.000+10:30

I captured this sunset while in Heathcote, VIC. I love how the colours in the sky came out in the photo

Sunrise

2005-11-18T11:14:00.000+10:30

The sun rises over a farm dam in Longlea, VIC

Tiger Orchid

2005-11-17T12:06:00.000+10:30

North Central Victoria has a wide variety of native wildflowers and I think one of my favourites would be the Tiger Orchid (pictured left)