Gluepot was given its name because it’s possible to be stuck there if it rains – I’d love to be stuck there. The reserve is 50,000 ha of semi-arid mallee scrub in South Australia, about 4 hours drive northwest of Mildura. I drove up in two days via Ouyen. Gluepot was purchased by BirdLife Australia in 1997 and is a wonderful place for birds including several endangered species (which I didn’t see, unless that miner really did have black ears).
Mallee Ringneck (Barnardius barnardi)
Canon 5DIII, 100-400mm L IS USM, 1/640, f5.6, ISO 400, focal length 400mm
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The only images I managed to capture with the kind of pixel-peeping quality I aspire to were these shots of a Mallee Ringneck; they were very memorable images to take. Accommodation at Gluepot is camping with long-drop dunnies. I was there in winter and the nights were twelve hours long, which is a long time to sleep in your vehicle. The temperature the first night dropped to -3 degrees Celsius and I was well rugged up when I unbent myself and set out early that first morning to hike around bush with my camera gear. After taking photographs of White-backed Fairy-wrens, which can best be described as abstract, the rising sun rapidly raised the temperature until I found myself wearing thermals, two pairs of socks, jeans, a shirt, a jumper, an oilskin jacket, a woolly scarf, gloves and a Canadian down-filled ski vest with the sun beating down on me and the temperature in the low twenties. I was ridiculously hot and was heading back to my vehicle to get changed when I came face to face with this beautiful bird. It stopped feeding when it saw me so I slowly backed away until it started picking blossoms again. I was hotter for the next half hour than I am on the crazily hot days of summer.
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Mallee Ringneck (Barnardius barnardi)
Canon 5DIII, 100-400mm L IS USM, 1/640, f6.3, ISO 340, focal length 400mm
Mallee Ringnecks are a subspecies of the Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius). They are large parrots that measure about 36cm and weigh about 160g. They have beautiful plumage with rich, disruptive colours that help camouflage them amongst the foliage and flowers. I loved having the opportunity to enjoy this bird’s stunning blues and greens with splashes of yellow and bright red forehead. I like the way the image above shows the birds’ head, tail and the picked blossom against a clear background rather than being lost amongst the eremophila.
Mallee Ringneck (Barnardius barnardi)
Canon 5DIII, 100-400mm L IS USM, 1/640, f5.6, ISO 400, focal length 400mm
I used a range of settings for the images as I squatted in the red mallee sands and kept an eye on the large ants that were curiously exploring the new object in their territory, me.
Mallee Ringneck (Barnardius barnardi)
Canon 5DIII, 100-400mm L IS USM, 1/400, f5.6, ISO 200, focal length 400mm
These images are amongst my favourites for the year. The Gluepot expedition was wonderful and it was good to share some of the time with Ken, a long-time birding friend with an outstanding knowledge of birds and their calls. I chose one of the Mallee Ringneck images for next year’s lirralirra calendar, though looking at them again there is another I like just as much – hopefully people will like the one I chose.
The 2015 calendar contains images I have really enjoyed taking, including the front cover image which I took a few days ago on my way home from a rain-soaked trip to the Snowy Mountains. Click the following link if you’d like to see the calendar in more detail: lirralirra 2015 calendar
Happy birding, Kim
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These beautiful birds look too colourful to be real. I’m glad you put up with the extremes of temperature and got the pictures.
Me too Susie!
Very pretty photos, Scarlett loved them too
Aw, lovely!
🙂
Beautiful shots of such a cheeky looking fellow enjoying some nice flower foraging 🙂
He does look a bit cheeky, the bill looks as though he’s giving a little grin, I’d not noticed that before.
And thanks for your eremophila email 🙂
I am enchanted by the colours of the Mallee Ringneck which your photography has captured superbly. I often think about favourite colours, but when you look at a bird like that all the colours are equally magnificent.
Enchanted is the perfect word to use Margot, such beautiful birds 🙂
Gluepot is on our list of places to visit when we fully retire. Friends of ours volunteered there two years ago as Rangers and they haven’t stopped talking up Gluepot as a destination. We have had quite a few members of our field naturalist club visit too. Maybe a visit there and Ned’s Corner would be the trick!
Oooh Gluepot followed by Ned’s corner … enough to make me hop in the car right now! It’s great that you have friends who know the place so well, retire quickly and have fun on your trip/s!
I’m a parrot lover (have one myself and used to have quite a few captive bred ones) so these shots sing to me. The first is stunning but I really like the closeness of the last!
Thanks for letting me know your favourite shots Sherry, I really like knowing what people like best, it’s fascinating how we all see different things.
Wow! Stunning photos made even more enjoyable by the narrative. It isn’t nice to laugh at someones discomfort, but I did while reading about your dilemma with the clothes and rising temperature.
Your comment made me laugh! Where would we be without funny things happening.
Actually Dave, I’ve just realised that I didn’t even consider foregoing the chance of the ringneck shots to get comfortable, the crazy things photographers do eh.
Gorgeous images and sooooo sharp. Glad I popped in to check out your latest lira lira post. I’ve been busy with family down from Qld etc and forgot to place an order. The reminder at the bottom of your post gave me the very bright idea to get a few as. Christmas Pressies !! So glad to support your cause and tick off my Christmas list at the same time !! Cheers
That’s really lovely Lyn, so glad you like the ringneck shots, I think they’re my favourite for the year. That’s lovely about the calendars, I hope the recipients are super pleased with them. Have a wonderful Christmas!
What an absolute charmer.
Megathanks.
Your calendar is stunning too. When the insanity of the season has abated I will be back to buy it. Thank you.
Another thank you! I hope it brings you smiles all year, Kim
Thanks EC 🙂