Thanks for sharing these wonderful shots!! The Clearwing Swallowtail is a real show stealer.
Your first pair of mating Wattle Blue is in a classic perfect parallel and at eye level to the butterfly.
I find it easier to establish broadside parallel from a slight distance before closing in, this will also minimize lateral movement when moving in for the shot.
To get eye-level , it is easier to lower yourself below its perch till the legs are obscured , then move up slightly till all the legs are visible. This will also lessen the shadow cast on the perch.
No birds?? I recall the wet season is also the bird season and the flocks of birds was always a threat to aircraft when we have to stage through Darwin from Singapore to the east coast of Australia.
Cheers!
Sunny
~~When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going~~
Thanks for the info on techniques, Anthony and Sunny. I will give these a go next time that I am out in the field.
Thanks, Federik. Kakadu is a great place for a visit.
I will add a few more reptiles, wetland habitats and then move on to Litchfield NP.
Gehyra nana was a lifer.
Both Amphibolurus gilberti and A. temporalis live in the park. They look quite similar so I am not certain of the id. I think that these are Gilbert's Dragons due to the relatively short tail.
Here are a couple of the numerous Carlia skinks. I am not certain but think them to be C. amax and/or C. rufilatus.
I think that this is Ctenotus essingtonii.
another shy Ctentous sp. There are several striped species like this in Kakadu so I am not certain of the id.
Kakadu is famous for its wetlands. At this time of the year, the flood plain was full of water and all sorts of life. Crocs were numerous. I was amazed by the local fishermen who often stood right at the edge of deep pools while casting and retrieving their lures. A few guys were even wading waist deep in a creek and throwing a net to catch bait fish. I always had the impression that such activities would end with an attack.
Paperbarks (Melaleuca sp.) grew out on the flooded areas as well. This was the habitat of Bar-breasted Honeyeaters, a new bird to me.
Brown Honeyeaters were also common here and in the monsoon rain forest. They were drably coloured but had loud, cheerful voices.
One of my favourite birds up north is the Black-necked Stork (formerly known as the "Jabiru"). This one is a juvenile but I saw adults as well.
Magpie Geese seemed to be the most abundant or at least conspicuous bird in the wet areas.
Radjah Shelducks ("Burdekin Ducks") have a nice pattern.
This Broad-banded Awl (Hasora hurama) was flitting about on plants just above the mangroves that lined a river. I had an interesting experience while photographing this butterfly. The river bank here was tiered and I had hopped down one level to try and get closer to where it frequently rested. There was another drop in the bank and then the mangroves commenced. While taking a shot, I heard a loud crashing through the mangroves and then a big splash in the river. I had disturbed a large croc that I had not seen. It blended well and I only realized it was a few meters away when it fled to the water.
After Kakadu, I headed over to Litchfield NP. This park is only about 90km south of Darwin. The habitat here was generally dry eucalyptus woodland with deep gorges. Some of these supported monsoon rain forest. Here are a few shots of the park. The monsoon rains made butterfly photography difficult. There was plenty of activity but just in those brief periods of time when the sun was out.
William, these are almost like the palmetto thickets in the Everglades, don't you think?
This Spotted Opal was on rocks near Tolmer Falls.
I found an area with flowers near Wangi Falls. This proved to be an excellent site for butterflies when the sun was shining. Here are a few of those that I observed.
My favourite was this lovely Orange Lacewing (Cethosia penthesilea). I saw beautiful, pristine males drifting about but they rarely seemed to land. I was only able to photograph worn individuals. This butterfly you, of course, know well. In Australia, it is restricted to the top end of the Northern Territory.
I only saw one of these nice Blue-banded Eggfly (Hypolimnas alimena).
Small Brown Crow (Euploea darchia) -- these always remained in the dark interior of the forests. It also was the smallest of the three crows of the area.
David: I agree with you that they both look quite similar. I'll be heading down to Florida in about a month's time and hope to do a little bird and butterfly photography. Meeting up with my brother from Alaska and we'll mostly spend time with my mom, whose in her 90's. Plan to visit Corkscrew Swamp which is located not far from the Everglades proper. Might try Sanibel Island, which is mostly for birding.
Each time I get interested in possibly visiting Australia one day, you put up a nice display of snakes and that has the calming effect that i need. Fortunately the lads up in Singapore mostly complain about leeches and mosquitos which i can tolerate. I did run across a rattlesnake (a young one) in Florida a few years ago and must admit he was quite beautiful. I'm sure he packed a whallop if disburbed!
Beautiful shots David! Your butterfly photos are improving by leaps and bounds! My favourite is the last shot, where the butterfly is nice and sharp with a flower perch. Hope to see more butterflies from Australia!
Anthony
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or one.
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