Barry Callister Photography

22/06/2026

Bad day to be a fish, I guess. A bird's gotta eat.

Unfortunately, it didn't get to eat this one in the end. It dropped it while chasing off a white-bellied sea eagle.

Imagine if we had to fight off people in the supermarket to prevent them from stealing our food! Shopping would be a lot more interesting, that's for sure. 😉

21/06/2026

Showing off its 160 cm wingspan as it glides in for a landing at Dangars Lagoon in Uralla, NSW. A White-necked Heron, also called a Pacific Heron.

I don't know why they keep changing the names of these birds. Who makes these decisions? Are they bored? Are they vexed by a need to feel important or intelligent? Let's just name a bird and move on! 🙂

20/06/2026

This saddens me beyond words. Please be vigilant and look out for sick birds. 😞

https://www.facebook.com/share/1641CRQBuJz/

Today brings difficult news for everyone who cares about Australia's birds.

The Federal Government has now confirmed that the Brown Skua found in southwest Western Australia, which was previously suspected of having H5 bird flu, has tested positive for the virus. This marks the first confirmed detection of this devastating strain on mainland Australia.

Around the world, H5 bird flu has caused catastrophic losses, killing millions of wild birds and pushing already vulnerable species closer to extinction.

For Australia's birds, the stakes could not be higher.

One in six Australian bird species is already threatened with extinction, with many populations already under pressure from habitat loss, climate change and other human impacts. The arrival of H5 bird flu presents a serious new challenge.

BirdLife Australia is closely monitoring this developing situation and will continue advocating for strong monitoring, preparedness and coordinated action to help protect our birds.

We need your help more than ever so that we can continue to do our work to protect Australia's birds. Your donation means more now than ever.

Donate today: https://brnw.ch/21x3uZc

For more information visit our bird flu hub: https://brnw.ch/21x3uZd

19/06/2026

Same photo. Two different crops.

I finally managed to get out to my local headland yesterday for some whale watching. I did see a few whales (images coming soon), but it was this encounter with an Osprey that made my afternoon.

I noticed this bird from the end of the headland, flying back and forth over the beach. As the whales had gone quiet, I decided to walk back and see if I could get some photos. Soon after I got closer, it began diving for fish. On its second attempt, it snagged this beauty.

I managed to take some photos of it in the water, struggling to get this bad boy into the air. I was a long way away and shooting into the Sun, so those pics didn't come out too well.

After it caught the fish, it flew right past me. I took a few photos and was happy with that. To my amazement, it then flew past me another 4 times!!! I soon realised why it had done a few passes and not settled to eat this fish when I saw a juvenile White-bellied Sea Eagle circling nearby.

The osprey decided to scare off the sea eagle and, in the process, lost the fish. It must've dropped it sometime during the altercation, as I didn't see the fish in the eagle's talons. All that effort and spent energy, and it didn't even end up with a meal.

16/06/2026

The bite force of a Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo is between 350 and 400 psi. This, coupled with their 3-way jaw structure, allows them to easily break apart these Banksia seed pods. By comparison, the bite force of a human is just 120 to 162 psi.

10/06/2026

⚠STAY CALM⚠
The whales have returned. The 2026 Humpback Whale season is in full swing. I haven't been out to look for them yet; this image is from last year. This post is to inform you to be ready for humpback whale spam that will most likely start filling my page in the coming months. 😉

07/06/2026

For the longest time, I have tried to avoid photographing birds on man-made structures. I am a purist when it comes to the natural world; I like to present it in a way that shows it removed from the impacts of humankind.

As time progresses, it's very hard to find many places where humanity's dominance over the planet is not apparent. That's why I feel it's more important for photographers to present a view of the world without humans.

Even so, I thought I would post this photo. I liked the leading line created by the fence railing. It leads your eye into the photo and right to the bird.

This shot was taken at the beautiful Ebor Falls in NSW. It wasn't a very nice day; there was thick cloud cover, and it threatened to rain every moment. Even so, I managed to get some good shots.

What is your view on the state of the natural world? Do you believe we will learn to live in harmony with the natural world? Comment below.

03/06/2026

You never know when you you're being watched.

A White-bellied Sea Eagle lost in the mist at Dangars Lagoon in Uralla.

02/06/2026

Adorable.

Leave a one-word comment to describe this beautiful little Super Fairywren I photographed at Ebor Falls in NSW.

02/06/2026

A Pied Stilt wades out into the shallow water in search of breakfast. I love taking reflection shots like this. There's just something about that mirror effect that lifts the image. What do you think? Comment to let me know your thoughts.