Just some stuff i saw up in the bush

gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
edited December 9, 2005 in Wildlife
I spent last night up in the bush trying to shoot star trails...spent the afternoon walking through some scrub seeing whats about. Followed a wallaby for a long time but he wouldnt stop for me.

Scrub Turkey :eat


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I was chasing this kookaburra when i noticed i was in grass 6 foot high. I decided it wasnt smart & retreated. I went back there 20 mins later to see if he was still there to photograph him again when my foot missed a 6 foot brown snake by maybe 2 feet (it was in a small clearing with tall grass beside it). I dont know whom was more shocked..it or me. Had i stood on him i seriously doubt i would be here to post these as it was a big fat monster no doubt fully loaded with lots of venom & i was a long way from help. Sorry no photo :wxwax And i really cant repeat the words i used at the time.

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Sacred Kingfisher (very flighty & hard to get close to)

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Found some wild bees.

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Heron

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This bloke (orb) is about 3" across & is with the 400mm so not that clear.

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Native grass tree (or black boy as they are known here)

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Been a lot of storm rain which has brought out a lot of wild flowers.

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Rhodes grass in afternoon sunlight

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Sunset (will have to fix that purple fringing)

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Or cities water supply...we are running out. Its only at 34% & these storms are all dry. We need 30-50 " of rain 100 miles to the north to get it going again. We are in some trouble.

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Home for the night

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Comments

  • GREAPERGREAPER Registered Users Posts: 3,113 Major grins
    edited December 4, 2005
    Humungus wrote:
    Rhodes grass in afternoon sunlight

    46971377-M.jpg


    Glad to hear that you and the snake did not become better aquainted.

    I love this shot of the grass, excellent series Gus
    http://dehmphoto.smugmug.com/

  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited December 4, 2005
    GREAPER wrote:
    Glad to hear that you and the smake did not become better aquainted.

    I love this shot of the grass, excellent series Gus
    Ta mate...i was just walking back to my camp at sundown & had the 400mm on when i saw the light through it.

    Yeah the snake was a bit of a worry. I tend to get a bit casual sometimes but that one was a serious scare. They are #2 on the worlds most venonous list & he was big & fat so lots of power & a strong bite. Most people that die in 0z are from a brown bite.

    Wont be doing that again for a while.

    I was riding home today on the motorbike when i missed another on the road & as i went past i saw him swing back at the bike & strike at it.
  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,951 moderator
    edited December 4, 2005
    Hey Gus,

    Thanks for taking us on walkabout. I love those trips you take.
    Good piccies to show us all what we're missing.

    Ian
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited December 4, 2005
    ian408 wrote:
    Hey Gus,

    Thanks for taking us on walkabout. I love those trips you take.
    Good piccies to show us all what we're missing.

    Ian
    tks ian.

    Well you'll have to come over & i'll take you on a few. The weather is as close to perfect as it gets lately ..mid 80's days with mad electrical storms at night. The El nino has a hell of a lot to do with our weather. They say she is going to hit 100 (38c) this week.
  • ThusieThusie Registered Users Posts: 1,818 Major grins
    edited December 4, 2005
    Humungus wrote:
    I was riding home today on the motorbike when i missed another on the road & as i went past i saw him swing back at the bike & strike at it.
    Yowzer...Snakes=Terrified=Me. Good Lord do be careful. Wonderful shots, just wonderful.clap.gifthumb
  • livinginozlivinginoz Registered Users Posts: 497 Major grins
    edited December 4, 2005
    Humungus wrote:
    tks ian.

    Well you'll have to come over & i'll take you on a few. The weather is as close to perfect as it gets lately ..mid 80's days with mad electrical storms at night. The El nino has a hell of a lot to do with our weather. They say she is going to hit 100 (38c) this week.


    wonderful shots. it makes one realize how diverse things are, when i am up here in minnesota, usa, freezing my tail off, and you are doing these great shots in the heat. very nice!
    thumb.gif
    laurie in rural minnesota

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  • jwearjwear Registered Users Posts: 8,013 Major grins
    edited December 4, 2005
    well you know I am going to like the first 3 and thumb.gif on KF but Gus next time you and mr snake come close shot and run :D and I also like the back light on grass as with greaper
    Jeff W

    “PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ‘JAZZ’ FOR THE EYES…”

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  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited December 4, 2005
    Tks for looking guys. Its a pity i cant get closer to the birds as they are heavy crops but they are in the wild & dont see many humans.
  • aero-nutaero-nut Registered Users Posts: 693 Major grins
    edited December 4, 2005
    Great shots, as always, Gus. Glad to hear you didn't actually have a problem with that snake. I could imagine that almost any snake in that area could have some serious venom in it.

    You mentioned you were going to have to fix the purple fringing on the sunset photo. I'm just curious what method you use for that fix. I usually just try to use the "lens distortion" filter to correct for chomatic aberation....but I'm not sure if that's the best way...just wondering.

    Thanks for posting.
    -Kendall

    http://www.desertshadowphoto.com
    http://aero-nut.smugmug.com
  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited December 4, 2005
    Excellent series Gus. I'm gald that I shoot in Florida where the main danger is fire ants.
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited December 5, 2005
    aero-nut wrote:
    Great shots, as always, Gus. Glad to hear you didn't actually have a problem with that snake. I could imagine that almost any snake in that area could have some serious venom in it.

    You mentioned you were going to have to fix the purple fringing on the sunset photo. I'm just curious what method you use for that fix. I usually just try to use the "lens distortion" filter to correct for chomatic aberation....but I'm not sure if that's the best way...just wondering.

    Thanks for posting.
    Tks mate...shay has a 'purple fringe removal prog' for sale on his site at only $10.

    Yep plenty of others about..death adders springs to mind. I never really worried too much about them...must be an old age thing.
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited December 5, 2005
    Harryb wrote:
    Excellent series Gus. I'm gald that I shoot in Florida where the main danger is fire ants.
    Tks harry...i really wanted to get that heron & he was in direct 5pm sunlight but moved away as i got around a tree. I was a long way from him.
  • bfjrbfjr Registered Users Posts: 10,980 Major grins
    edited December 5, 2005
    Great series Gus thumb.gif
    always enjoy the sights and words :D
    Benjamin
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  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited December 5, 2005
    bfjr wrote:
    Great series Gus thumb.gif
    always enjoy the sights and words :D
    Tks mate.
  • marlofmarlof Registered Users Posts: 1,833 Major grins
    edited December 5, 2005
    Nice post, Gus. Although that bed still gives me the creeps, if I remember that you wrote in an earlier post that you had to clean the cabin from all kinds of snake skins and spiders. It doesn't help that I live in a country where you don't learn how to deal with all that. The only animal that can be life threatening here is human.
    enjoy being here while getting there
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited December 5, 2005
    marlof wrote:
    Nice post, Gus. Although that bed still gives me the creeps, if I remember that you wrote in an earlier post that you had to clean the cabin from all kinds of snake skins and spiders. It doesn't help that I live in a country where you don't learn how to deal with all that. The only animal that can be life threatening here is human.
    Tks for looking mate.

    You wouldnt get much sleep then as they are live trees that are the supporting posts you can see in the photo & when the wind blows the whole room creeks & groans as its a 2nd story. Sticks drop from trees all night onto the roof & you do get the odd possum race across it.

    The kitchen though...is a work of art ! Its a great place to hide out for the week-end.
  • Michiel de BriederMichiel de Brieder Registered Users Posts: 864 Major grins
    edited December 5, 2005
    The rhode grass is superb Gus!!! Love the lighting and composition and thanks for the tour with the other outstanding shots!!
    *In my mind it IS real*
    Michiel de Brieder
    http://www.digital-eye.nl
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited December 5, 2005
    Tks mick.
  • marlofmarlof Registered Users Posts: 1,833 Major grins
    edited December 6, 2005
    Humungus wrote:
    You wouldnt get much sleep then

    It reminds me a bit of the bushcamps I was at in Zambia. Hardly slept there. This year, when we went to Botswana, I made sure to bring earplugs. Slept like the baby I am, courage wise. :)
    enjoy being here while getting there
  • ginger_55ginger_55 Registered Users Posts: 8,416 Major grins
    edited December 6, 2005
    Nice shots, Gus!

    ginger
    After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.
  • rahmonsterrahmonster Registered Users Posts: 1,376 Major grins
    edited December 6, 2005
    Looks like a good weekend Gus. Has it been stinking hot up there? Its been hot here, and no evenng storms either. But then, my queenslander husband always reminds me that I'm lucky I don't live in Mt Isa where he is from and I do not know the meaning of the word "heat".

    Glad you didn't have a run in with that snake. I saw a 4ft brown and a really large red bellied black on my wanders on sunday arvo. Didn't get pics either. I got out there and in true ironic style my batteries died after 4 shots. umph.gif

    That grass is just lovely. And that heron made me giggle. IHope you get some more rain up there soon. I heard that we are in for a wet summer so fingers crossed!
    www.tmitchell.smugmug.com

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  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited December 6, 2005
    Tks G & RM. Browns would be hard to photograph with their speed. Not many faster than them. A red bellie black would be slower.

    I had to drag a german tourist off one at coffs a while back. He was only a few feet from it with camera & it was ready to strike & i pulled rank on him & told him to get away from it. He wasnt happy with me.

    Turns out that the day before there had been a carpet snake in the same spot & people told him it was harmless & he thought it was the same snake ! You should have seen the look on his face once we got the event translated to him an hour later.

    Yep its getting hotter..this is all Mt isa air blowing down they said on the weather so blame hubby.
  • RohirrimRohirrim Registered Users Posts: 1,889 Major grins
    edited December 6, 2005
    Nice shots Gus. Especially like that Kookaburra (sp?)
    Steve
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  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited December 7, 2005
    Rohirrim wrote:
    Nice shots Gus. Especially like that Kookaburra (sp?)
    Tks RH...you got the spelling right. Now can you do the sound ? This is why you can never sleep in around my place as they start about 4.15 am...all 4 of them !

    They have a nest about 100 yards away & i can hear the babys inside the tree hollow. I really hope to get shots of their 1st few days out.
  • aero-nutaero-nut Registered Users Posts: 693 Major grins
    edited December 9, 2005
    Humungus wrote:
    Tks RH...you got the spelling right. Now can you do the sound ? This is why you can never sleep in around my place as they start about 4.15 am...all 4 of them !

    They have a nest about 100 yards away & i can hear the babys inside the tree hollow. I really hope to get shots of their 1st few days out.
    What a racket. Pretty interesting sounding critter.
    -Kendall

    http://www.desertshadowphoto.com
    http://aero-nut.smugmug.com
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