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The disappearance and downsizing of Australia's backyard in major capital cities is placing increased pressure of Australia's native birdlife. Ann-Maree Colborne, CEO of Gould Group, Australia's oldest environmental education organisation formed in 1909 with Prime Minister Alfred Deakin as its first president to protect native bird life said, the decade of drought has seen a major increase in birds migrating to the city in search of water and food.

"However, with the increase in higher density housing, smaller lots of land and larger homes the traditional Australian backyard is disappearing with fewer trees and shrubs being available for birds and other small animals."

Gould is urging people to think of birds by making sure that they leave a bowl of water in the garden in a safe spot off the ground for birds to get a drink. Ms Colborne said, with the lack of rainfall and excessive temperatures forecast to continue bird life in Australia will continue its migration to the city areas.

The appreciation of Australia's bird life has never been more important as many of our birds are facing extinction and unfortunately in the past one hundred years we have already lost many species. Teaching children to appreciate bird life in their own gardens is part of developing a life long environmental skill and understanding that is vital given the impact of climate change on the next generation. Australia is home to between 600,000 and 700,000 species, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. About 84% of plants, 83% of mammals, and 45% of birds are endemic - that is, they are only found in Australia."

The Department of Environment and Water list twenty three birds as extinct, and another forty which are endangered.

Ms Colborne said that with climate change, tree clearing, the removal of habitat in the cities with denser development and the drought, birds and other unique Australian fauna are under increasing threat.

Gould's Top Tips for Bird Watching

What scares birds?
Three things will frighten birds unnecessarily.
* Pointing with an outstretched arm will often frighten birds close-by.
* Sudden movement eg. a child swinging a bat, throwing a ball or play fighting will frighten birds because they see fast dangerous looking movement.
* Sudden loud sounds unsettle birds, but talking in an even pitched tone will cause little disturbance.

Locating birds:
To find birds, look for movement and locate where sound is coming from. The brightest parrot is invisible in a green tree when it remains motionless. Look for movement in the air, on the ground and among plants. You may also find some birds resting on structures like power lines, roofs etc. Look in the direction of bird calls. Remember not to point with an outstretched arm.

How close can you get?
Most birds will allow you to get reasonably close before they fly away or run off. You can get closer by moving slowly, approaching from the side and not walking directly towards the bird. How close you get may depend on the environment. So parks and your own garden, where birds are used to people are good places to begin bird watching. During duck shooting season, waterbirds may be nervous, and may not let you get within 200 metres of them. But in a park, the same duck may come up and take food from you.

Feeding Birds:
The best way to feed birds is to provide them with appropriate trees, shrubs, grasses and mulch. Many birds appreciate a shallow bird bath. Directly feeding feral birds can potentially cause problems for the survival of some of our native birds.

What do birds do?
There are many interesting books describing the intriguing life of birds. You may like to read some of these books. However you can look through a window into your garden, or go outside and discover first hand the amazing life of birds.

I knew I was looking at something special as soon as I arrived on this professional photographer's website which is totally white with no banner, no frills, no flash intro. The photography does the talking. Why I have not seen this photographer's work before is puzzling and yet when I looked at the many achievements of Greg du Toit and competitions he has won, I realised that I had probably brushed past him on the Internet before today. This photographer who was born in Africa in 1977 stands out from the crowd and raises the bar of wildlife photography.  The work of Greg du Toit has deeply impressed me and I not only enjoyed gasping at the quality of his wildlife photography which is inspired by African wildlife, landscapes and people but I also enjoyed the stories and personal challenges behind each photograph.

Greg outside his custom-built hide
deep in the heart of Southern  Tanzania (2007)

This man has put his health at risk by "sitting in the water for two  hours at a time absolutely motionless and  waiting for anything to come and drink in front of me! The water is warm but after two hours my vibration reduction technology is working  overtime as I am pretty numb and cold. But that is not the  worst! A huge troop of baboons spend most of the day at the waterhole  and being baboons, they do a substantial amount of their business in the water, so it does not smell all that pleasant and neither do I after  soaking in it for two hours!  There are also these mean little midges  that feed at  surface level and have been chomping on my arms. This has resulted in a  very persistent and itchy rash.  The water-snails are also  crawling onto my arms and seeking refuge under my watch-strap! The worst though are water-beetles who every now and again give me an  excruciating pinch and I have to grin and bear it, sitting motionless so as not to scare off any potential subjects! " That particular  photo shoot resulted in Greg contracting bilharzia and parasites from  the baboons!

Wild Lion
"These lion were, and for good reason, shy and skittish. In order to  capture them on film, I waited patiently until a particularly hot period infuriated the thirst of the cats. Lying in the water for two months, I contracted bilharzia and parasites from baboons. This image offers  partial solace to the feeling that I was born a century too late."

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
"Living in the wild bush country of Southern Tanzania, an ancient  grinding stone left by early inhabitants makes for a perfect birdbath.  At first, the birds are wild and shy but as time progresses, friendships form. The tiny, yet immaculate Red-cheeked Cordon-bleus allow me to  approach within a few feet."

Portrait of a Predator
"Leopards are for me the most beautiful cats on the African continent. I usually shy away from shooting straight portraits but the golden  yellow eyes of my subject complimented by the yellow brown African grass in the background, lead me to include this one in my collection."

Zebra and Dust
"Ensconced in my hole in the ground, the equatorial sun beating down  and Tsetse flies gorging on my flesh, sitting motionless became an  extreme test of photographic passion. Ultimately, one brave zebra stuck his head through the dust for a sip  of water. The rapid fire of my F100s shutter had never sounded so sweet."

Leopard Yawn
"The winter sky in South Africa’s lowveld region is brilliantly blue!  This leopard was positioned in the fork of a Marula Tree with her golden coat juxtaposed superbly against the blue sky. I had the psychology of  colour on my side with the potential makings of a half decent photo:  superb light, a clean background and an exquisite subject! All that was  missing was a striking pose or gesture on the leopard’s part. Half an  hour later, she obliged."


Thunderstorm
"It was late afternoon on the great plains of Africa and a storm brewed furiously in the east. I watched in awe as a solitary Kongoni wandered  across the plains. The cloud formation was like nothing I had seen  before, and using a lone tree, I tried to create a sense of balance.  Minutes later the storm hit and I became hopelessly disorientated not  knowing where my camp was and only getting back in the dark.


Nomads of Massai-land
"In the months prior to this frame, the lioness and cubs had stubbornly refused to drink in the daylight hours. I had waited in my hide until  dusk for them on numerous occasions, and twice, upon walking back to  camp, I met all eight on foot. I never carried a rifle and both meetings were rather surreal, with the cubs tentatively inquisitive, running  forward with ears pricked while mom kept a beady eye on my every  movement. I like to think that through such experiences, I gain a  greater understanding of my own niche in the ecosystem. Some say my  years of bush living have made me blasé?'


Predator of the Night
"I like to portray my subjects in their own environment and also to  relate my work to characteristics of their behaviour. Leopards are the  ‘proverbial stalkers of the night’ and to portray this, I switched my  flash off and used a spotlight from the side. The high ISO performance  of today’s modern cameras, allow us to shoot scenes previously  impossible to capture! (A special thanks to Outdoorphoto for sponsoring  me camera equipment for this project)"

Calabash & Hand
"Traditionally the Maasai only ate blood, water and meat. Once the  calabash is full, a stick is used to stir and coagulate the blood. The  brilliantly red and highly oxygenated fluid cascades over the edges,  staining the calabash and making for a graphic close-up shot."

Visit the Website of Greg du Toit

I'm not sure how far I would go for my photography and whether I would be willing to take risks like this.  How far would you go as a photographer to get stunning shots?  Would you be willing to endanger your health and even put your life at risk for that potentially award-winning shot? Leave your comment below.

I discovered this endearing story in the Mail Online  and the photographs taken by Richard Meston are beautiful.

There comes a time on every family outing when the little ones can go no further and demand to be carried the rest of the way.  Luckily for these six fluffy cygnets, Mummy was happy to oblige. One by one, under her watchful eye, the brood clambered aboard her back for a ride.

Having checked all were present and correct, the mother swan gently tucked back her wings to stop them falling off before gliding back to her nest. The mute swan and her fluffy cargo were caught on camera by Richard Meston on a visit to Bicton Park Botanical Gardens near Sidmouth, Devon.

Mr Meston, 32, said: ‘The cygnets had been splashing in the water around their mum. They looked like they were starting to get tired and one by one started to scramble up on their mum’s back. She didn’t mind at all and even gave them a nudge up.’ The father of three from Bournemouth added: ‘After they got settled in, she covered them with her wings protectively like a cushion and went on her way. She kept looking back to make sure they were still there. It was almost as if she was giving them a quick telling-off to keep them in line. I could imagine them like kids in the back of the car saying, “Are we nearly there yet?” and squabbling.’

Julia Newth, of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, said: ‘Mute swans are very protective of their young and will vigorously defend them from any threats. But this one is definitely showing the gentler side of her instincts in giving her young a lift on her back.’

Original Source: Daily Mail, UK

I've just caught up with this news which is really sad, not only for Spanish photographer, José Luis Rodriguez but also for the competition itself and all of the other participants. The winning "disqualified" photograph of an Iberian wolf jumping over a gate is suspected to have featured a "trained animal" which the competition rules will not tolerate.  As a result there will be no winner of the 2009 title.

Above: the controversial photograph, "Storybook Wolf" by Spanish photographer José Luis Rodriguez who denies the allegations and has not been able to be contacted.  The photograph was thought to have been captured using a specially set up camera trap so that the wolf would have triggered the shutter by crossing an infrared beam. Rodriguez now faces a lifetime ban.

Below: Other overall winners and runners up

Fergus Gill from Scotland was crowned Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year with his photograph "Clash of the Yellowhammers" taken with a Nikon D300 DSLR from a specially set up hide in his garden. He has beautifully captured two male birds fighting over some oats which Fergus had placed in nearby feeders and the action and colours of the birds markings really stand out against the snowy background.

Sam Rowley's image of a red deer in Richmond Park won the 11-14 Years section

Danny Green, amateur photographer won the Nature in Black and White category with this photograph entitled "Starling Wave"

Tom Schandy from Norway won the Endangered Wildlife category with this photograph "The Look of a Jaguar"

András Mészáros from Hungary won the Animal Behaviour category with his photograph "Raindrop Refresher" of a red ant sipping from a raindrop on a mallow petal.

Rob Palmer's "Opportunistic Snatch" won him the Animal Behaviour award with this shot of a bald eagle snatching a red-winged blackbird

Joe McDonald's "Ethiopian Mountain King" photograph was runner up in Animal Portraits.  "In the evening light, his mane appears like a golden shawl. 'He was compellingly, strikingly beautiful,' says Joe."

The best 100 images in the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year will go on show at the Natural History Museum in London

The search for the Veolia Environement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010 has begun

The closing date is 5 March 2010 and the fee for an adult to enter the competition is 20 British Pounds and for more information please visit the site here

Brisbane's night of nights returns, bigger and even better, to signal the opening of the largest festival the city has ever seen.

QBE Riverfire promises to be a pyrotechnic and musical extravaganza, bringing the city's skies, buildings, bridges, riverbanks and backyards to life as Brisbane Festival 2009's Opening Night festivities unite hundreds of thousands of people in celebration.

It's been a while and as an art teacher I don't get enough time in my studio but I have just finished an original graphite drawing of a family of pied curlews.  I saw these curlews at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and the tiny, gorgeous chicks were running around near the adults. Available to purchase in shop.

I have created a quarterly eZine called Nature's Paint Box which is geared towards wildlife, nature & landscape artists, photographers and craftspeople. All nature lovers will enjoy this production as well.  It is only AU$4.00 per eZine or AU$15.00 yearly subscription for four eZines.

Subscribe to this quarterly electronic magazine which showcases the very best wildlife artists, photographers and craftspeople.  These professional, full colour productions contain nearly 50 pages which are chock full of art, craft and photography techniques for beginning and accomplished artists.  Learn new skills, how to begin selling your work online, reviews of software to help you set up your very own website, how to organise and share your photographs.  Gain inspiration from the featured artists who have been interviewed and share their work with you.  Keep informed of current exhibitions and competitions, read hand-picked nature blogs and recommended books.  Learn about time management strategies for creative people and how to make the most of your creative time without distractions. Free goodies to download such as wallpapers, fonts, vector art and lots more…

You will receive all 4 eZines published in 2009 and save $1.00 plus be in the draw to win quarterly prizes just for subscribing.

After you make your purchase you will receive a private link where you will be able to download the eZines.

I have been thinking about doing something like this for a long time and realise that the job is bigger than just little old me!  I live in Queensland for instance and am not exposed to the wildlife in other Australian States. I have created a gorgeous free site using the Wetpaint Community platform and anyone can join who would like to contribute in creating a wealth of educational resources about Australian Wildlife and Wild Plants.

My aim is to provide an educational site for artists, writers, researchers, nature lovers, school children, students etc to be able to find information, resources and help in identifying all of our beloved Australian critters. I have so many photographs  just waiting to be added and I hope that you do too and that you would be willing to share them with the world!  Even if you can't identify what they are but they are good quality, members would love you to share them and we can help you identify the species. This is very much a community site where everyone has the power to create, tweak, modify, correct, add to, help, discuss and so on. It will, however, be moderated just to keeps things 'fair'.

Why would you do this ?

because you:

• are passionate about Australian native wildlife and you want to learn more about all of the flora and fauna around you 

• you have knowledge in this area which you would like to share 

• want to meet like-minded people who share the same love of nature as yourself  

• are a wildlife artist/photographer/writer/illustrator who would like to showcase your work and gain more exposure (you can link back to your website)   

• you have the opportunity to sell your photographs to publishers, artists looking for resource photos etc 

• want to help raise awareness of Australian animal rights and welfare  

• have good photographs of Australian flora and fauna which you would like to showcase, share and educate others about

• you are a wildlife carer   

• are a writer or author looking for information and images on Australian wildlife

• have or belong to a wildlife organisation which you would like to promote

Pop over to Australian Wildlife Educational Site now and explore. Please support my vision by becoming a member for free and contributing in whatever way you can, no matter how small and there will never be any pressure on you from anyone to contribute and no nagging e-mails.  After all, this site is about a greater cause than our own egos but rather a like-minded group of people who are passionate about their love for Australian nature. Having said that though, you get your own page as well where you may choose to promote yourself and your work.  What have you got to lose?

A few weeks ago I visited Currumbin Valley in the Gold Coast Hinterland,  Queensland which is one of the most beautiful places I have been to.  The  drive through the valley was stunning with canopies of green trees over-hanging the narrow  roadway which wound its way past  homesteads, scattered along this scenic drive.  It was a beautiful sunny Sunday morning  with hardly any other traffic on this secluded twisty road.  I had my binoculars, sketch books and camera gear with me, ready for a photo shoot adventure.

I started my walk at a Creek where I parked my gear on a wooden bench and noticed that there were lots of dragonflies and damselflies skimming above the water.  I was lucky enough to get a few good macro shots of the obliging critters who rested on stones, reeds and flowers, sunning themselves on this glorious morning.

Nature Journal - Scarlet Percher Dragonfly - a vivid red colour all over and very striking

Nature Journal - Redrump Wisp Damselfly - tiny with a noticable bright red tipped tail.

As I was sketching and taking photographs, I could hear a cacophony of birds in the nearby trees of the rainforest but there was not another soul about and the quiet serenity of the rainforest is very special - I had the whole creek to myself and the morning sun was getting hotter.  I was so engrossed in what I was doing that I didn't see him at first.  He was quietly perched on the far side of the creek, fanning his wings, then preening himself and watching me from afar.

A juvenile little pied cormorant

This little fellow then flew over to a tree log which was positioned over the pond and he proceeded to groom himself right in front of me without a care in the world and he was completely unphased by my presence or the camera.  I was moving slowly the whole time though making sure not to startle him and he allowed to get very close.  He was quite small and I had suspected that he might be a youngster.  It was a very special moment and to be completely alone with a wild creature of any kind is an amazing experience, especially when they trust you.

Such a beautiful bird and you can tell he is a youngster by the dark plumage above the eye and his head feathers were sort of fluffy.  Here he is right in front of me, fanning his wings and drying them off.

He was constantly on the alert and looking around him and in the water the whole time then he seemed to be aware of my presence and looked straight at me but was not alarmed and continued to be on the look out for food or predators by the Creek.

Nature Journal of the Little Pied Cormorant

After checking out potential predators, grooming and drying off his wings in the mid morning sun, my juvenile friend then flew down to the pond to find some tucker and he kept ducking and diving - this bird has the most peaceful, idyllic, undisturbed habitat and he is so lucky to be in this gorgeous rainforest environment with plentiful water, food and potential mates. I thoroughly enjoyed the quiet time we had together but I decided to leave him to find his food and move on in my rainforest walk.

There was a really strange insect who kept appearing along the Creek and when I got close he seemed to be "walking on water" with very long legs.  I have never seen this insect before and did not have a clue as to what he might be.  He certainly impressed me with his ability to walk on the water without disappearing below the surface so it piqued my interest and I tried to get as close as I could to him in order to identify the critter.

Nature Journal of the Water Strider

After doing some research I discovered that this pond walking critter is a water strider or pond skater which is a very apt name considering what I saw him do and walk normally as if there was no water under his long legs!  He seemed to float above the water and dart across it which was fascinating to witness.  How lucky this fellow is to live by a Creek and to hunt insects in and near water without having to actually enter the water of view the water as an obstacle.

Gorgeous ferns along the banks of the Creek as I continued my walk and when I got to a particular point,  further along the Creek, there were lots of butterflies who kept fluttering around and above me and then one rested on the ground very near me so I grabbed the opportunity to record him in my journal. I had no idea what kind of butterfly this was as normally butterflies do not simply rest in front of you, let alone stay long enough for a photo shoot so I was a bit unprepared but ready to meet the challenge and as I scurried around changing to a macro lense, the butterfly was still content in the same place!  I always get a bit nervous and trigger snappy when I see rare opportunities like this with the problem of rushing my shots, knowing that "the moment" will disappear in a millisecond.  I began to relax as this female butterfly seemed intent on keeping me company for a while and posing for the odd moment or two.  Thank you Mam!

Nature Journal - The Common eggfly butterfly

As I continued my walk along the Creek, there were these magnificent red flowers along the banks and I had to precariously balance on the periphery of the Creek bank to get a decent shot. There were also a few toadstools nestling amongst the damp, glistening  grass blades with perfectly shaped little hats.

I eventually wandered away from the Creek and trudged up along a steep and narrow, well worn, tree canopied path accompanied all the time by the pleasant bird songs including the occasional owl hoot but the owls must have been perched way up in the high tree hollows because I could not see any.  Hot and sticky from the climb, I was rewarded by arriving at a large pond and to get there, the track was downhill.  Long reeds, swaying grasses and colourful flowers lined the banks of this gorgeous pond and I immediately spotted a laughing kookaburra who greeted me as I arrived with his raucous laugh.

This kookaburra ended up following me for the rest of my walk and he flew from tree to tree, just in front of me all all the way as I took in the gorgeous flora and fauna in his domain.  I looked up behind the trees to the misty hills in the background and low cloud was still shrouding the cool blues and greens of the steep cliff face.  Lots of wild flowers lined the pond in magnificent hues attracting insects who fed on the nectar and pollen and drank from the fresh dew drops of  late morning.

A Wanderer Caterpillar is happily munching on this plant.

I wandered further along this gorgeous pond and saw a pair of  pacific black ducks who were feasting on the green plant life by the pond. I have never seen ducks eat plants before.  My kookaburra friend led me deeper into the rainforest alongside the pond and I caught a very quick glimpse of a king parrot in the high tree tops above me and listened to the shrill chorus of  rainbow lorikeets in the nearby trees.

A pair of pacific black ducks

More and more plants and seed pods intrigued me as I tread alongside the swimming ducks and the variety of colours and smells invaded my senses as I quickly sketched and photographed them.  Insects would appear from nowhere of all shapes and sizes, often sharing flowers with others.

You can just see a well camouflaged flower spider on these two milkweed flowers.

Dandelion Seed and Blackwood

All of a sudden, my kookaburra companion flew higher up to tree branches on the other side of the pond and I could hear the soft screeches of his hungry youngsters.  Fantastic wildlife behaviour in their natural habitat and it was almost as if he was leading me to his family and introducing them to me.

Dew drops on milkweed flowers.

This is a stunning place and I certainly will never forget my bush trek here and all the flora and fauna which were new to me and I have recorded in my nature journal.  My favourtie moments were the fleeting friendships of the cormorant and laughing kookaburra.