My day started in swamp area just north of Maitland with a fellow photographer Brad Le Brocque.
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We were busy trying to get pictures of a Hobby Falcon which was proving very elusive.
There were a number of waders along the water course but the big surprise was spotting a Jabiru in the reeds close to the bank.
To find a Jabiru was unusual to say the least as this is right at the very bottom of the range for them in Australia.
They have been spotted before in the Newcastle wetlands, but very rarely.
And on those rare occasions when you do spot one, you can be sure they will be hard to get near.
The Jabiru is a wader, usually seen in the top end of Australia. It is most likely to be seen on its own or in pairs.
Their main food is fish, but they will also eat reptiles, frogs, crabs and so on. Most prey is caught by the bird jabbing and seizing it with its large bill.
Both the male and female take part in the building of the nest and incubating the eggs.
The nest is a platform of sticks and other vegetation, which is placed in a tall tree standing in or near water.
When the chicks arrive it is common to see the adults spraying the chicks with water, especially in the hot temperatures of the top end.
Sometimes if you are lucky – really lucky, in fact because these birds like to keep to themselves – you can see the parents displaying to each other wings out.
But back to my local Jabiru. Experience told me that we would have to approach very carefully or they would be gone.
With this in mind we made a wide sweep round the area well away from the subject , coming in with the light behind us, camera ready.
Moving in so slowly we were in range when the bird took off as expected which is the image we have here.
It landed some distance away, before lifting off again heading for Maitland and probably Newcastle.
Nature photography always comes up with surprises and this was no exception.
I have also included online images taken in the top end in past years.
The images taken in Maitland were with a canon camera and 400 lens, available light with fast shutter speed to freeze the action.
Great care has to be taken to have the light working for you.
