I wouldn't say that photographing new species is a major driver of my interest in wildlife photography. It's nice to see a 'Lifer' (the first specimen of a species encountered in one's life) and even better to capture a satisfying photograph of one. But I don't put a lot of energy into pursuing lifers-I enjoy photographing familiar species again and again in the quest for compelling photographs of them.
However, when a new species is close at hand, I can get interested in chasing it. The Ground Cuckoo-shrike (an uncommon bird) was a lifer for me when I saw a group inbushland west of Gilgandra in 2017. I saw but did not photograph. Unfinished business.
Recently, I learned of a pair of Ground Cuckoo-shrikes east of Armidale on a property where a friend lives. As I was soon to be in the Armidale district, I contacted Heath to see if he could put me onto them. He did so and, within ten minutes of arriving at the location on a cool winter's morning, I found the pair in a stringybark tree exactly where Heath predicted they'd be. I got a mediocre record photograph on card and then the birds flew away-they didn't want to play-not to be seen again during the three and a half hours I spent on location. Such is wildlife photography.
This video is really about "not photographing" Ground Cuckoo-shrikes, and stars some other birds I found during my morning session. It was a good morning, accented by the discovery of a spectacular Flame Robin, and an enjoyable interlude spent stalking to get close to some kangaroos.
All photographs were shot with an Olympus EM-1 Mk2 (using ProCapture) and the 150-400mm f4.5 TC1.25X Pro lens.
The soundtrack is 'Friends in town' licensed from smartsound.com and composed by Mark Krurnowski.