Birding at the Sydney Opera House …
Disclaimer, technically I was not at the Sydney Opera House, but I could see it, and I was very close. I was in fact at a flowering tree in the Royal Botanical Gardens, a great place if you are visiting Sydney. A great place to spend a few hours early in the morning or later in the day when the sun is lower in the sky. With over 140 species seen in this fairly small botanical garden near the heart of the city, it was only natural to pay a few visits during our stay in this magnificent city, my home for several years in the noughties. Sulphur crested cockatoos and rainbow lorikeets and a plenty, and powerful owl and tawny frogmouth have been known to breed in the gardens.
The day before I took this image, I had been struggling with food poisoning. My oldest son had been for a long walk in the city whilst I was holed up in bed for the best part of 12 hours, and had stumbled across this tree during his walk. When he arrived back at the hotel around 5pm, I was feeling a little better and forced myself from my unfortunate slumber. My son insisted we go to the botanical gardens as he had found something of interest! After the short 20 minute casual stroll to the gardens, we come across this huge tree and an extraordinary racket. At least hundred rainbow lorikeets feasting on these beautiful pink flowers. Still feeling weak, I did not bring my camera gear along for the stroll, therefore we agreed, when I woke up in the morning, I would return to the tree and spend a couple of hours photographing the rainbow lorikeets.
At the crack of dawn, I was up and out, the staff at the hotel were getting the breakfast ready, something I was looking forward to on my return, especially after not eating for the previous 24 hours. I wandered down to the botanical gardens, and a couple of hundred meters before reaching the tree I could hear the lorikeets. What beautiful birds. A good two hours well spent before my son arrived, we stayed a little longer, and then left with a rumbling tummy, knowing a delicious buffet breakfast was waiting back at the hotel.
Camera settings: Nikon Z8 - Nikkor 400mm f/4.5 VR S plus TC-1.4x @ 560mm, 1/500s, f/6.3, ISO 1800