Day: June 9, 2020

Photography Items for sale

FOR SALE

I have the following items for sale in excellent condition
that have seen little use over the past couple of years. PayPal payment is available for your protection. Pick-up Emerald VIC or postage Australia-wide available
at cost. Drop-off also available in Greater Melbourne at cost, contactless if
you like.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4G VR ED IF lens
$5,900 including

·        
Nikon CT-104 case

·        
Wimberley arca-swiss lens foot and original
Nikon lens foot

·        
Nikon lens hood and cover

·        
Rear lens cap

·        
LensCoat protection in Realtree Max4 HD pattern:
LensCoat lens cover, Hoodie, TravelCoat

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8GII VR ED IF
$1,450 including

·        
Front and rear lens caps

·        
Nikon CL-M2 lens bag

·        
Jobu Design LP-N7228VR arca-swiss lens foot plus
original Nikon lens foot

·        
LensCoat lens cover in Realtree Max4 HD pattern

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR lens
$750 including

·        
Front and rear lens caps

·        
Printed manual

·        
Original box

Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III
$600 including

·        
Front and rear caps

·        
LensCoat lens cover in Realtree Max4 HD pattern

Nikon D500 (Body Only)
$1,600 including

·        
Body Cap

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Printed Manual

·        
Battery and Charger

·        
Kirk BL-D500N L-Bracket

·        
LensCoat protective BodyBag in Realtree Forest
Camo

·        
Shutter Count: ~80,000 (Nikon rates shutter life
expectancy as 200,000)

Nikon D800E (body only)
$950 including

·        
Body Cap

·        
Printed Manual

·        
Battery and Charger

·        
Shutter Count: ~47,000 (Nikon rates shutter life
expectancy as 200,000)

Jobu Design Junior 3 Gimbal Head (with Swing-Arm)

$225 including

·        
LensCoat protective Gimbal cover in Realtree
Max4 HD

I also have some other photography items for
sale although they are not strictly birding-related. Please ask for the full
list if you are interested. 

regards,
Mark Bennett
   

Brush Turkey – and RAOU Membership

Peter,
Being a callow youth at the time I can only guess (others on list may have a view) but at least in Sydney, meetings were held under the joint auspices of the Royal Zoological Society and Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union – i.e. they did operate under Royal patronage and membership was valued. I have no idea what happened in Melbourne but monthly meetings were pretty serious affairs in Sydney with some of the "names" of the day all in attendance like Norm Chaffer, Alec Chisholm etc.
My mother used to take me in to Bulls Chambers in Martin Place (which was the office of RZS I think) and we would sit up the back very quietly while I was enthralled with the evening’s presentation, latest photography and sightings. We were officially "visitors" when we signed the attendance register.
It was always run as a very formal meeting with a Chairman, Treasurer’s report, formal presentations and any other business etc. This was of course in pre digital times and not all that long after the end of WW2 where communication was telephone or typed or handwritten mail only, so it was an evening of valued exchange and update I believe – and not without occasional warm debate if there was a disputed sighting record! – there was nothing to confirm any record other than the Observer’s "field cred."
Keith Hindwood was the elected President and Chairman at a point and was also Honorary Ornithologist at the Australian Museum.
There was a slight murmur of shock around the room when Keith nominated a mere boy for membership from the Chair (seconded by Jack Waterhouse as I recall, who was a neighbour and keen photographer). Given Keith’s standing there was happily no dissent and no "nays" when the vote was taken – and so it came to pass.
So in summary Peter it was just a somewhat exclusive organisation in those far off days and while interesting to recall,  we now need all the members and the loudest voices for birds and conservation we can get so more power to Birdlife? Anyone who cares will have figured out by now this is my 75th year – body seems to recognise that even if the birding mentality and thrill of the field work still says 25!!
Good birding to all – especially when borders come down and other countries beckon.
Graeme Stevens
 
From: Peter Shute <Peter.Shute@unitedworkers.org.au&gt;
Sent: Tuesday, 9 June 2020 2:18 PM
To: ‘Graeme Stevens’ <gestev45@hotmail.com&gt;; birding-aus@birding-aus.org <birding-aus@birding-aus.org&gt;
Subject: RE: [Birding-Aus] Brush Turkey

 

Why did they require nomination for membership?

Peter Shute

Graeme Stevens wrote:
> BTW I was excited to buy my copy of Keith Hindwood and Arnold McGills’ book the day it was announced at a joint RZS  and RAOU (now Birdlife) meeting for 12 shillings and sixpence autographed by both authors. I was 13 and greatly privileged to be mentored by Keith. He nominated me for membership of the RAOU and yes in those ancient times one had to be nominated and seconded for membership!

casting

We found on our property at Barkers Vale NSW what appeared to be a raptor casting. On examination of contents it contained 100% echidna bits, all spines and one toe/claw. Having handled many of these, it is a somewhat daunting prospect as a prey item for a raptor, but I understand is recorded in Wedge Tailed Eagles. The only large raptors observed on our place have been WTE and Sooty Owl. Haven’t heard the Sooty lately but have seen the wedgies overhead. Apologies if this is common knowledge or unremarkable but it is another data point (!), but the thought of thought of those sharp spines travelling in both directions through a predator is pretty clever, if a tad uncomfortable.
Would love to hear if this is a common thing and whether folks agree WTE most likely?
Cheers
Mike Fitzgerald

Roosting places of Tawny Frogmouths

Hi all,

 

I watched a pair of Tawny Frogmouths (virtually always together: on the odd occasion, only one was present) roosting near Govetts Leap in the Upper Blue Mountains. My first observation was made (and photo record) was on 17 March and, several hundred photos later, the last time I saw at least one was 22 May.

 

Colleagues had reported their presence sometime before 17 March.  I observed them on a regular almost daily basis. They seemed to predominantly occupy one roost although on two or three occasions they had moved some 50 meters to another. They seemed to have gone now.

 

Can anyone direct me to any journal articles on their roosting behaviour or comment?

 

Many thanks

 

David in Blackheath