WA osprey

38 posts / 0 new

Tue, 11/12/2012 - 21:27

miccro

WA osprey

hi- my names mike, i've just found the forum, im from the UK and have been into photography for a few years now, within the wildlife community concentrating on kingfishers. I was however excited to start spending some time with a pair of ospreys nesting near by here in WA.

Tue, 11/12/2012 - 21:36

miccro

the pair managed succesfully to bring up 1 young this year, its first flight was taken yesterday- a few more of the parents-

Mon, 16/09/2013 - 22:52

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Hi Mike,great shots,I live in W.A. too - where were these taken??

Wed, 12/12/2012 - 12:22

WendyK

Well done, Mike. Looks like you went tree-climbing for those.

I'm also in WA (Mandurah ... land of the lightning storms!!). We have several high pylons here which have been purpose-built for Osprey nesting sites. They're great birds to watch.

Wendy
Mandurah, WA
Peel-Yalgorup System Ramsar Site

http://www.flickr.com/photos/girlinoz/

Wed, 12/12/2012 - 12:45

Holly

Lovely shots! Welcome to BIBY and thanks for sharing them

Wed, 12/12/2012 - 13:26

Araminta

Great photograpy. Also a big welcome from me.

M-L

Wed, 12/12/2012 - 14:18

Woko

Stunning shots, Mike. Thanks for putting them up. Do I hear a hint of future photos being displayed here? I hope so.

Thu, 13/12/2012 - 22:10

miccro

many thanks for the comments-

NaythanY- The pair are nested on the swan river, downstream from perth- its a well known stack- ive seen them fish at cottesloe beach and the dockyards.

i have quite alot of photos of them but didnt want to load the thread with a tonne of photos straight off-

Wendy- Im curently working in mandurah- ill need to take a look around- recommend any sites?

i also have also mannaged to get my kingfisher fix - found a pair of sacred kingfishers in the swan valley that are tollerant of me- but ill post them on another thread. Plan is to skick with the osprey and try and catch the yough learning to fish.

some others-

thanks,

mike

Sat, 15/12/2012 - 22:28

WendyK

I can recommend some sites, Mike. I've sent you a message.

Wendy
Mandurah, WA
Peel-Yalgorup System Ramsar Site

http://www.flickr.com/photos/girlinoz/

Mon, 16/09/2013 - 21:38

#10

miccro

First time ive been back to see the osprey this year, managed to stop off late evening and glad to see a fresh catch.

Mon, 16/09/2013 - 21:48

#11

miccro

Back today and happy to see fresh nesting material and birds spending longer periods on the nest.

Mon, 16/09/2013 - 22:33

#12

Annie W

These are stunning Mike, thanks for coming back to share the update & shots. So another successful breeding year, it seems, for this magnificent pair?

West Coast Tasmania

Mon, 16/09/2013 - 23:04

#13

miccro

thankyou,

-i really hope so, im waiting to find out ! ill keep updating with any news, there were as always a few birds flying past the nest, at least 4 adults, im pretty sure one of them was last years young who purched on a lower brach under the nest and was tollerated by the other 2 paired birds. im going to go through the photos last year and look for identifying marks, best way ive found is to look at the iris imperfections but dont have a clearclose iris shot of last years young, their iris seems to change in the first year aswell.- but if anyone has any other advise on how to distinguish osprey's in general please let me know!

thanks,

mike

Mon, 16/09/2013 - 23:24

#14

Annie W

Please do!! There are quite a few guys on here Mike who are brilliant with Raptors & ID's. I know you don't need an ID, but posting a new topic in that section would grab their attention for sure re help with individual ID's, if you wanted to. Just a thought.....

West Coast Tasmania

Wed, 18/09/2013 - 13:44

#15

miccro

Up close at feeding time.

Sat, 21/09/2013 - 11:18

#16

miccro

there are definitly eggs in the nest, 2 paired birds taking turns now sitting throughout the day.

- also im sure this is last years chick - perches down from the nest and is tollerated.

Sat, 21/09/2013 - 11:59

#17

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You get fantastic shots Mike, what equipment do you use?

Sat, 21/09/2013 - 12:09

#18

miccro

thanks,

i use a Canon 600mm f4 +/- 1.4 ext.

canon 5d mk3

using a 7d borrowed from a friend currently gives me a max 1344mm

last 2 shots close enough to just use 5d on bare 600mm with 580ex 2 flash unit + better beamer for some fill light.

in the uk shooting kingfishers ive often used pocket wizards and remote triggers but no need currently.

mike

Mon, 07/10/2013 - 23:21

#19

tamz.81

Hi Mike, I was just wondering if you can tell me where these wonderful birds are as I'm in perth myself and into photography also ..... thanks tammie

Mon, 07/10/2013 - 23:29

#20

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Mike already gave the location - "The pair are nested on the swan river, downstream from perth- its a well known stack- ive seen them fish at cottesloe beach and the dockyards."

Wed, 09/10/2013 - 01:24

#21

miccro

-Upsetting news, the stack was lost.

Despite one of WA's wettest and windy octobers, the pair were indeed nesting.

I turned up last week to see how they were getting on, i couldnt quite believe it when i arrived to find the pair perched aimlessly and uneasy on a newly broken branch, the branch that used to support their nest. sure enough the nest was 40m down the cliff. I managed to climb down to have a look but no obvious chicks.

such a shame as the nest has been in use for many years and a great place to observe these birds safely up close. The poor pair aswell, im not sure they will rebuild the stack, who knows. Maybe the fact that its been in use for generations will mean they will give in a go.

anyway, no new osprey chicks from this pair this year.

a few of the pair , you can see the broken branch the male is perched on.

Wed, 09/10/2013 - 23:41

#22

Annie W

Oh no, that is bad news! I hope they do decide to rebuild nearby sometime in the future.

West Coast Tasmania

Thu, 10/10/2013 - 00:02

#23

tamz.81

:( hope they will be ok

Sun, 13/10/2013 - 10:57

#24

darinnightowl

The same thing happened here where the nest fell into the water, as the tree collapsed. National Parks & Wildlife build a new platform as you can see.

See it! Hear it!

Mid-North Coast NSW

Mon, 14/10/2013 - 21:17

#25

Woko

With more intense weather due to climate change on the cards, structures like this may well be needed for the survival of ospreys.

Wed, 16/10/2013 - 15:28

#26

dna1972

Great photos Mike! BTW, a 7D does not increase the magnification of a lens (on any crop sensor camera) it just reduces the field of view to the equivalent of that FL.

It is a shame that artificial sites are not built with photography in mind. They could easily have attached a large branch that is more photogenic as a staging perch than that ugly table thing next to the nest platform.

Wed, 16/10/2013 - 16:58

#27

miccro

i am aware- equivalent FL then.

croped FF 5d sensor image to equivalent 7d remains less sharp on the 600 f4 , hense its use.

when possible FF is preferred, lovely DOFat f8

i rarely shoot less than f8

currently leaving on a borneo trip, however ill stop by the osprey on my return, ill contact NP+ Wildlife and see if they would place a platform, or the legality of doing it myself? - in that case it may well be worth camoflaging it for more natural photos. There are quite a few other stacks nearby though so may not be a priority for them.

Mike

Mon, 18/08/2014 - 20:04

#28

miccro

Having spent a long time away from photographing in australia i finally had a weekend off to go and have a wonder. First place was back to the osprey location where the stack had fallen last year. I was pleased to find four birds still in the area and one still using his old feeding spot.

i hope they will re build the stack this year.

Tue, 12/08/2014 - 01:51

#29

miccro

fresh fish

Tue, 12/08/2014 - 01:53

#30

miccro

up close

Mon, 18/08/2014 - 20:04

#31

miccro

I took a trip down to Creery wetland reserve in Mandurah and was pleased to count 5 osprey on the island, great to see a healthy population. Lots of wrens about aswell - ill start a creery wetland thread, have alot of wren shots aswell.

Thu, 14/08/2014 - 22:33

#32

Annie W

Brilliant Mike! (welcome back btw ). Fantastic to hear that the Osprey seem to be doing so well, such a majestic and beautiful bird. My field guide says they nest from May to September, do you know at all if they have a particular time preference for nesting in W.A. (meaning will they perhaps start soon, or have they perhaps finished)? Hope that they prefer later in the season, so you can perhaps get some shots to share , would be great to see.

West Coast Tasmania

Fri, 15/08/2014 - 14:21

#33

miccro

Thanks-

last year the birds were definitly more active, they were bringing material to the stack, they kept a bird on the nest from about this time, laid early September, so uncertain if there will be any activity this year . Can only hope!

Happy to to see they are all still in the same area and doing well tho!

thanks

mike

Sun, 17/08/2014 - 23:53

#34

miccro

Grey day here in Perth but went to check out the osprey. Alot of activity, i counted 5 birds in about 100m of cliffside. Found this pair with a catch.

At first i thought nothing of it, one bird was napping and the other eating its catch.

Mon, 18/08/2014 - 00:24

#35

miccro

Then the smaller bird took an interest in the larger. He proceded to edge closer and then all of a sudden jumped up on her back

The female was not to pleased and shook him free. For the next 20 minutes he fought off 2 other birds from landing anywhere near the female. He then disapeared and returned with a stick in his beak and sheepishly presented it to her.

Over the next half hour he was tollerated being very close to the female. He then tried twice more to mount her, the 3rd time it seems with success as he was not shaken off....

i hope we see baby osprey this year and maybe a new stack!

the annoying thing was i had not anticipated this happening so close to me and only had 600mm lens, my back up against the cliff i could only just get the 2 birds in frame.