If you’re looking to get some practice for your bird photography skills then Lake Monger Reserve is a great place to visit. Located in the heart of Perth’s northern suburbs you’ll be amazed at the variety & abundance of birdlife that you’ll find here.
Blue-Billed Duck, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Being relatively new to serious bird photography I still have many birds that I have not photographed and just one trip to Lake Monger Reserve gave me the opportunity to capture several new bird species which was very exciting.
Australasian Grebe, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Australasian Grebe, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
The walk around the Lake is very a beautiful 3.5km trail with plenty of photo opportunities, several lookouts and a variety of habitats attracting a wide range of bird species from water birds to parrots, wrens & even Kookaburras.
Kookaburra, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Whilst Lake Monger is a great place for nature & birds don’t expect your experience to be entirely natural or peaceful as this lake is a very popular tourist & suburban walking spot. You will be surrounded by people walking the lake with their earbuds firmly inserted, taking their prams for a walk, or exercising their bikes on the dual-use paths. Much as the experience is not equal to a walk in a National Park up in the hills it is still great to see busy people getting some exposure to nature so I can happily accept the compromise 😃
Australian White Ibis, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
It’s always great to see the Willie Wagtails out and chattering away as they do and there is no shortage of them around Lake Monger allowing for plenty of practice getting that perfect shot.
Willie Wagtail, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Willie Wagtail, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
As spring was in the air there were also a few ducklings parading their cuteness around the lake, and it doesn’t get much cuter than a Pacific Black Duckling 🦆
Pacific Black Duckling, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Pacific Black Duckling, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Pacific Black Duckling, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Pacific Black Duckling, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Pacific Black Ducks, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Pacific Black Duck, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Pacific Black Duck, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Lake Monger is definitely a great place to visit for a walk and to get some amazing bird photos. The 3.5km walk around the lake would normally take easily under an hour but you might want to allow a bit longer and take a few spare memory cards if you plan on taking some bird photos as there really is so much to photograph here.
Blue-Billed Duck, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Blue-Billed Duck, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Did you know that Lake Monger along with Herdsman Lake was once part of a larger series of wetland lakes known as The Great Lakes District? Sadly many of the lakes were reclaimed for farmland, parks & housing in the mid-1800’s 😢 Luckily for us Lake Monger & Herdsman Lake were too large to be drained and so remain with us today as a reminder of the vast wetland lake system that once covered Central Perth.
Dusky Moorhen, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Dusky Moorhens, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Australian Reed Warbler, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Reeds, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Eurasian Coot, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Eurasian Coot, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Little Corella, Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Post Processing
These images were processed using a combination of Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, Adobe Photoshop CC, ON1 Photo RAW 2020 & Topaz Denoise AI.
Topaz DeNoise AI is a new addition to my workflow that simply works wonders with any unwanted noise present due to the use of higher ISO values.
Also available at the Gallery are Greeting Cards, Magnets, Keyrings, Mugs, Scarves, Tote Bags, Wall Tapestries, Lens Cloths, unique 3D Printed Gadgets & Gizmo’s and much more …
Silver Gulls, or as they are more commonly known here in Perth, just plain old Seagulls are an enigma!
Fly Like a Bird! – Silver Gulls, Burns Beach, Perth, Western Australia
Our Seagulls are renowned for their annoying & scavenging lifestyle swooping down on unfinished open-air restaurant dishes and foraging through rubbish bins in their dozens.
Yet they are incredibly beautiful creatures, so pristine & almost picture perfect. Because of this they make very good photographic subjects 📷
These particular Silver Gulls were photographed at Burns Beach a few days ago in their natural environment not being a nuisance to anyone 👍
Burns Beach in Perth’s Northern Suburbs is a great spot for a walk, there is usually plenty of bird life and lots of rocks & rock pools to explore.
Besties – Silver Gulls, Burns Beach, Perth, Western Australia
In a world where native wildlife is struggling to survive, mainly due to the irresponsibility of the Human Race, these Silver Gulls are thriving , mainly due to the irresponsibility of the Human Race 😱
As natural scavengers they benefit enormously from our increasingly wasteful “throw-away” approach to life in general and more importantly food & refuse.
In the animal world food is hard to come by and generally very little is wasted, in the human world food is over-supplied in abundance (except where it isn’t, which is another sad reflection on Human Society) and much of what we purchase / produce is cast aside.
One Step at a Time – Silver Gulls, Burns Beach, Perth, Western Australia
On the positive side, many people are now trying to live a waste free life by avoiding packaged food, growing their own herbs & veggies, reusing unused food scraps as compost and recycling wherever possible. That is certainly our approach to life, we keep our bins as empty as possible and our garden as healthy as possible 😃🍎
On a Mission – Silver Gulls, Burns Beach, Perth, Western Australia
Bird photography can have it’s challenges but is also very rewarding when it pays off 🦅
Lots of patience & a fair bit of luck go a long way to getting some great images, but what I find most rewarding is seeing the individual character in each and every bird that I Photograph. Photography is as much about telling a story as it is the image itself.
Thinking of making some inspirational products soon, what do you think of my “I Love to Fly Like a Bird” Mug mockup❓
I Think I’ll get Maggie to print one for the Gallery.
“I love to Fly Like a Bird” Mugs – Wanneroo Markets
Prepare for Landing – Silver Gulls, Burns Beach, Perth, Western Australia
Preparing for Launch – Silver Gulls, Burns Beach, Perth, Western Australia
Houston, We are Go – Silver Gulls, Burns Beach, Perth, Western Australia
Chaos on the Rocks – Silver Gulls, Burns Beach, Perth, Western Australia
Are You Lookin’ at Me! – Silver Gulls, Burns Beach, Perth, Western Australia
Grace in Motion – Silver Gulls, Burns Beach, Perth, Western Australia
Silver Gulls, Burns Beach, Perth, Western Australia
Silver Gulls, Burns Beach, Perth, Western Australia
Human shortcomings aside, what do people think of our scavenging but pretty little friends? Beauty or Beast ❓
Post Processing
These images were processed using a combination of Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 & ON1 Photo RAW 2019.
Also available at the Gallery are Greeting Cards, Magnets, Keyrings, Mugs, Scarves, Tote Bags, Wall Tapestries, Lens Cloths, unique 3D Printed Gadgets & Gizmo’s and much more …
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