canberrabirds

CST and when photographers were photographers

To: <>
Subject: CST and when photographers were photographers
From: "Geoffrey Dabb" <>
Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:03:55 +1100

And horses were horses.  The shrike-tits have a nest in the Newline paddock, as I think they have had for each of the last 10 years or so.  As mentioned before, I think these are getting scarce-ish.  In past years I’ve seen nests at Callum Brae and Campbell Park but I doubt there are any there now.  As usual, the nest is a small cup woven onto the topmost twigs of a tall tree.  This one is about 16m high, almost completely obscured from the ground and has advanced young, which will probably become evident in due course.

 

I am reminded of the remarkable photo in Alec Chisholm’s ‘Mateship with Birds’ (1922, introduction by CJ Dennis).  Chisholm describes his problems in finding and trying to photograph these birds at the nest.  You might wonder why the assistant is holding the ladder and not the horse, but the account states:  ‘’ the wheels of the cart were safely locked, to guard against any unscientific tendencies on the part of our venerable horse”.  Today’s snappers have it so easy.   The NP nest is even higher.  

 

cst nest_4229.jpg

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