Stephen Powell Wildlife Artist

This lyrebird is just 1 of 10 lyrebirds heard during a late afternoon walk in the Dandenong Ranges National Park. I was able to film 3 birds from as close as 2 meters. There appears to be an echo but is is in fact a second bird singing close by. My apologies to the video purists as it is not very steady. Unfortunately I was not equipped for filming. I don’t normally carry a tripod but prefer a Cullman 080 Shoulder-Table-Pod used as a shoulder stock. This is great for getting grab shots and is much steadier than hand held. However it is not suited to filming. Combined with the weight of the 7D and zoom is a strain and the results are less than perfect. The conditions were also difficult. Cloudy and late in the day. High ISO also diminished the quality. None the less I was very pleased with what I managed to get. Filmed on a hand held Canon EOS 7D Lens            EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

Postscript to this outing: I have a legacy of this lyrebird excursion. I learnt from previous expeditions that spiders like biting me on the legs so I now wear gaiters to the knee. Undeterred the spider this time bit me on the wrist. I did not notice at the time but an itch developed. Over 3 days this has progressed to a weeping 7mm sore. A hot and swelling area 12X6 cm. Just back from the doctor!

Just another day in the life of a Wildlife Artist – Photographer