About Me

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Canberra-based naturalist, conservationist, educator since 1980. I’m passionate about the natural world (especially the southern hemisphere), and trying to understand it and to share such understandings. To that aim I’ve written several books (most recently 'Birds in Their Habitats' and 'Australian Bird Names; origins and meanings'), and run tours all over Australia, and for 17 years to South and Central America. I've done a lot of ABC radio work, chaired a government environmental advisory committee and taught many adult education classes – and of course presented this blog, since 2012. I am a recipient of the Australian Natural History Medallion, the Australian Plants Award and most recently a Medal of the Order of Australia for ‘services to conservation and the environment’. I live happily in suburban Duffy with my partner Louise surrounded by a dense native garden and lots of birds.

Friday, 19 July 2013

Moonlighting

I'm taking an easy option for today's post I'm afraid; struggling a bit with the lurgy that's going around, and leaving town soon for a significant family birthday in Sydney. 

As I've mentioned (and demonstrated!) before, I make no claims to being a good photographer, but I have fun, and I'm always drawn to shots of the moon in natural situations. For no good reason I'll share a few of those today - maybe they'll inspire you to put up a collection of your much better ones! I'd like to see them. 

First, perhaps my favourite moon shot, taken recently in the northern Flinders Ranges in South Australia, just before it got too dark. (Normally I'd leave the best until last, but you might not read that far!)
Australian Magpie Cracticus tibicen, Arkaroola
You can take 'straight' moon shots, and of course it can be a quite different colour depending on its elevation and atmospheric conditions.
These shots were taken just 23 minutes apart, soon after moonrise, on the south coast of New South Wales.
 

However I like to include other features; vegetation is an obvious choice.
Through palms, Darwin.
Through Norfolk Island Pines, south coast New South Wales.
Moon over Coolabahs, Idalia National Park, south-west Queensland.
You can't go far wrong with water either.
Moon over the Pacific, Murramarang National Park, southern New South Wales.
Same ocean, moonlight without the moon!

And I'm pretty keen on rocky hills in moonlight too.
Moonrise over Sachsayhuaman, above Cusco, southern Peruvian Andes.
Moon over the Horns, Torres del Paine National Park, southern Chile.
OK, that's enough of that! As I mentioned earlier, I'm hoping this will inspire you to show off some of yours - by all means post a link to them.

BACK ON TUESDAY
(with a more conventional posting...)

4 comments:

Susan said...

Here are a few links to moon shots on our blog:
Moonrise

A Blue Moon

The Devils Marbles

I don't think we've got anything that beats yours, but it's fun playing around with the moon in photos.

Ian Fraser said...

Thanks Susan - that's just what I wanted to see! It's not a competition, but in any case there is no need to be modest about those lovely shots, which I greatly enjoyed.

Denis Wilson said...

I also love moon shots and a challenge.
Here are some of my varied blogs about the moon and its phases and moods.
My daughter always referred to the first sliver of visible light on the moon,(past the "new moon") as the 'nana moon, (because it reminder her of a banana.
http://peonyden.blogspot.com.au/2008/01/nana-moon.html
And here is a full moon and lunar eclipse.
http://peonyden.blogspot.com.au/2007/08/full-moon-and-lunar-eclipse-28807.html
And here is an orange-coloured moon, courtesy of a bushfire.
http://peonyden.blogspot.com.au/2007/08/orange-moon-for-celeste.html
Cheers
Denis

Ian Fraser said...

Excellent thanks Denis; I do love it when I can elicit a response from someone who reads this. Plus there are some lovely shots among those, which I greatly enjoyed.