Canberra is a lovely city but I also like the coast, especially the variety of wildlife there. So, with the easing of the COVID restrictions in New South Wales (NSW), like a lot of Canberrans, we wanted a break down the coast. The weather was not forecast to be the best, with the rain and clouds having blanketed the southeast corner of NSW for most of November, and no sign of beautiful weather on the horizon for early December. That meant we had to make do with the weather at hand. We had a very simple plan, to drive down for a lunch at Narooma. Then follow the Princes Highway north for dinner and accommodation at Mollymook before continuing the next day through to Jervis Bay and the Greenwell Point area. Even though this was more of a family getaway I still took my camera because I wanted the chance to photograph, even with a compalining family telling me to hurry up. I am glad that I did take my camera, even if I was only pairing it wth my trusty go to lens, the Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM. I also viewed only having one lens as a challenge to see what compositions I could achieve across the two days. Even with that self-imposed restriction I was thrilled to be able to capture some of the lovely wildlife that we saw, including a Little Black Cormorant on our second day that was looking for food in the Shoalhaven River. The two day trip was a great little rest and I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.
More of this story is on my blog at https://bit.ly/3GLpIkG
Little Black Cormorant swimming in the Shoalhaven River looking for food
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
NAROOMA
Two Masked Lapwings on the emerging sand flats
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/500 SEC])
Adult Masked Lapwing chasing away a juvenile
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/500 SEC])
TUROSS HEAD
Driftwood structures on the beach
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Tuross River flowing out into the sea at Tuross Head, with the actual river mouth at the bottom left
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 114mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Waves breaking on seaweed covered rocks
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 114mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC])
MOLLYMOOK BEACH
Wave breaking on part of the rock platform
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/1000 SEC])
Striking white Quartz embedded in the dull, brown rock platform
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/125 SEC])
One of the rockpool channels cutting through the rock platform
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
Limpet on the rocks with Little Blue Periwinkles
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Two Rose-coloured Barnacles, at bottom right, and two Turban Shells, to the left, surrounded by Little Blue Periwinkles
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/10 and 1/200 SEC])
Turban Shells in a circle around a rock
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/125 SEC])
Great Cormorant on a rock against a rough sea
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/10 and 1/400 SEC])
Little Pied Cormorant surveying the waves
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
Smooth Toadfish
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/11 and 1/1000 SEC])
Bubble Weed underwater
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 3200, 35mm, f/10 and 1/400 SEC] in an Aquatech Elite II sport housing and PD-140 Lens Port)
One of the beautiful Rainbow Lorikeets that joined me on the balcony
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
House Sparrow female
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
HUSKISSON
Purple Swift-footed Shore Crab
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Crab tension, it was the little one on the left that charged at the big one on the right
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 124mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])
CULBURRA BEACH
Small water channel in the sand
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])
White-bellied Sea-eagle flying in from the sea over Culburra Beach
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
Elephant snail among the shorelife
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
Eight-arm Sea Star
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
Sowrie Crab in a crevice
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC])
Group of conjevoi or sea squirts on the beach with a wave breaking in the background
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])
GREENWELL POINT
Old wooden posts sticking out of the Shoalhaven River at Greenwell Point
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 125, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Semaphore Crabs on the mud in a small patch of mangroves
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Sydney Rock Oysters in the Shoalhaven River
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Little Black Cormorant swimming in the Shoalhaven River looking for food under overcast skies
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
The two days had been a short trip and not specifically to take photographs but I still wanted to have a camera. We all enjoyed the couple of days down the coast and I was happy with a number of shots. While the weather could have been nicer it probably helped us to look at those small worlds in rock pools and on rock platforms rather than just at the wider scenery. It was a great couple of days and I was glad that I took my camera.
Thanks for reading this post and thanks also for looking at my photos. I hope you come back again to read more about some of the wonderful natural things that the Australian Capital Territory and the surrounding area has on offer. All the best until the next post.
