tiabunna's photos with the keyword: AFF

In case you're wondering, those strange brown creatures with the King Penguins are their chicks!

My apologies for the anthropomorphism, these crazy Royal Penguins make it almost irresistible. :) Just bop along with the music.... I'll conclude my set on the penguins of Sandy Bay at Macquarie Island with this shot.

Although tourists are limited to landing at either the Macquarie Island research station, or at Sandy Bay, there is no constraint on floating around other parts of the island close to shore: apart from rocks and safety considerations. Lusitania Bay, toward the southern end of the east coast is a "must see" destination for its huge King Penguin colony, estimated at 170,000 breeding pairs, covering the beach in this photo and extending for several Km. Some details in notes. I was concerned about water getting to my digital camera, so for this excursion I used a pocketable APS-C film camera. After this voyage, I never again used film: on my return I was so disappointed by the colour reproduction of the prints I asked for them to be printed again, but there was little improvement - so I went entirely digital. This is from a digital copy I made from the film negative, technically not great but far better than the original prints!

Lusitania Bay, toward the southern end of the east coast is a "must see" destination for its huge King Penguin colony, estimated at 170,000 breeding pairs and covering the beach for several kilometres. Near the centre of the photo is the old hut installed by ANARE in the early 1950s. I once stayed there, a link to my 1968 photo is in a note at top left. The slopes are typical of the steep escarpment surrounding the island, inland it is essentially a rolling plateau. The island is about 34km long and 5km wide, running more or less north-south. Although tourists are limited to landing at either the Macquarie Island research station, or at Sandy Bay, there is no constraint on floating around other parts of the island close to shore: apart from rocks and safety constraints. I was concerned about water getting to my digital camera, so for this excursion I used a pocketable APS-C film camera. After this voyage, I never again used film: on my return I was so disappointed by the colour reproduction of the prints I asked for them to be printed again, but there was little improvement - so I went entirely digital. This is from a digital copy I made from the film negative, technically not great but far better than the original prints!

Taken from the deck of our ship, which was surrounded by swimming penguins while at Lusitania Bay. Somewhat ungainly while on land, the penguins are agile and fast in the water - essentially using their wings as flippers.

An Australian Darter (Anhinga Melanogasta) drying out its feathers alongside the Murray River.

Only yesterday, a friend posted a photo taken with the "wrong" lens that happened to be on the camera when the subject matter appeared. The same applies here: these Long-billed Corellas (Cacatua tenuirostris) burst onto the scene, busily having a very public disagreement. There was no time to change from the wide landscape zoom, so this is a crop.

Eastern Grey kangaroos and abandoned railway.

For some reason it was a little fluffed up, though it wasn't a cold day. RMC Tokina 400/5.6

This New Holland honeyeater was eating nectar from these neighbouring shrubs. I was bemused by the orange patch on its forehead until I realised it is pollen. RMC Tokina 200/3.5 + Kenko X1.4 TC.

The local callistemon shrubs are attracting the lorikeets. Taken with RMC Tokina 200mm 3.5

I photographed this male Superb Blue Wren in a Melbourne back yard. They are quite tiny and almost constantly moving. Vivitar (Komine) 135/2.8

This lorikeet became intrigued by the strange black thing with glass at the front. I thought for a while he was going to peck the front of the lens!