Flying Parrot Photography

04/09/2026

Taking a quick fly by my old stomping ground this weekend to host a couple of workshops, I do miss the wonderful ... but the beautiful thing is, it just gets better and will always be here for future generations - and my future visits 🧡 White-fronted Chat

01/09/2026

What if your next great bird photograph started as an idea… rather than an encounter?

We all love those lucky moments when a bird lands in exactly the right place, the light behaves itself and somehow everything comes together.

But there’s another kind of photograph I find incredibly rewarding: the one you PLAN.

It might be a particular species, a behaviour, a technical challenge you want to master or simply finding a completely different way to photograph a familiar bird.

And sometimes these photography projects take days, weeks, months… occasionally years.

The lovely thing is that the finished image is really only part of the reward. Along the way you observe more, experiment more, learn more and start heading out with a much clearer sense of purpose.

My latest blog is all about the value of creating a project shot, and I’ve included five ideas to get you started and give yourself a project of your own 📷🐦

Read it here:
https://www.flyingparrot.au/post/the-value-of-a-project-shot

And I’d love to know: do you already have a pet project quietly bubbling away in the background?

31/08/2026

I doubt I'll get the chance to take this shot again! It was a very unusual opportunity and a little bit of sneaky planning to get one up on the cheese-stealing campground Kookaburras 😄 I did darken the background to black with a mask, as it was a bunch of not-so-attractive leaves and weeds ... and I wanted the focus on that super sharp beak ⚔ You don't mess with the pointy end that's for sure!

30/08/2026

My apologies if you have seen this blog post from last month - I'm writing up a new one now and I realise I never actually shared the last one 🙃

Beautiful bird photography is rarely just about the bird. It’s about how the bird is revealed.

30/08/2026

Ahhh the humble Pipit, one of our nondescript birds that frequents fields and open grasslands, and loves a fencepost for a vantage point, just like a robin. These quiet 'plain Jane's' of the fields were also known as a ground lark - and I knew them in my teenage years by the local name of 'skylark', due to their a characteristic habit of high, swooping aerial dives accompanied by a sweet trilling song to attract a mate.

29/08/2026

It's a pretty rare happening to have the bird TOO CLOSE for a shot 😄 This curious fellow came bounding towards my lens and I found myself wriggling backwards on the grass to fit him in the frame 😅 Gotta love a Superb Fairy Wren - this one is especially for you Margaret 💙

28/08/2026

I’m very excited to finally share something I’ve been putting together...

The Mallacoota Bird Photography Retreat
2–8 November | 7 days / 6 nights | Just 4 guests

This isn’t a race to see how many species we can tick off a list.

It’s about slowing down.

Finding the birds, certainly, but then giving ourselves the time to watch them, understand what they’re doing and work towards creating really good photographs.

Over seven days we’ll explore some of my favourite birding locations around Mallacoota, including Double Creek, Gipsy Point and the Wallagaraugh River, with access to private property and some very special local experiences.

We’ll head out by boat into the upper reaches of Mallacoota Inlet looking for the elusive Black Bittern, spend time in habitat with excellent prospects for Southern Emu-wrens and Glossy Black-Cockatoos, and keep our eyes open for kingfishers, raptors, spring migrants and whatever else Mallacoota decides to throw our way.

But the real focus is photography.

I’ll be there throughout the week to help with fieldcraft, camera settings, positioning, light, backgrounds, behaviour and those little decisions that can turn a bird sighting into a photograph you’re genuinely excited about.

With only four retreat guests, we have the luxury of time. If we find a great photographic opportunity, we can stay with it. We can experiment. We can wait for better light, better behaviour or that one moment when everything comes together.

There’ll also be plenty of downtime, good food and time to enjoy this rather beautiful little corner of the world.

The full retreat includes 6 nights' accommodation in your own private room, all meals and non-alcoholic drinks, guided bird photography outings, special excursions and local transport.

I’m also offering just 4 Tag-Along places for photographers who would prefer to arrange their own accommodation and join us for selected excursions, meals and a photography workshop.

If your idea of a successful birding trip is coming home with a handful of photographs you love rather than simply a longer species list, this one might be for you.

Mallacoota Bird Photography Retreat
2–8 November
4 Full Retreat places + 4 Tag-Along places

Find out more: https://www.flyingparrot.au/mallacoota-tour

26/08/2026

Who's a pretty boy then? Superb Fairy-wren striking a pose in a very photogenic patch of weeds, thank you kind sir 😄

25/08/2026

The Weebill - a tiny architect who builds a cleverly woven, dome-shaped hanging nest - complete with a narrow, spout-like side entrance near the top. You need to be an architect of patience to get a shot of these small fast-movers, they certainly kept me on my toes following them around in Mallacoota 😛

19/08/2026

Awww wrens - haven't managed to spot any at my new place yet, but I do have another fantastic bonus bird that I'm seeing on a daily basis! When I finish wading through cardboard boxes I'll pick up the camera and all will be revealed 😉 Male Superb Fairy-wren #