Day 174: S/he's baack...

Day 174: ...as was the moon

I am, by habit, an early riser. Seems I don't need an alarm, there is just an internal clock that goes 'ping' at first light, or earlier, even in winter. A sharp bright light through the window this morning got me up and at it early on, much brighter than usual. I thought perhaps it was one of the early planes. I got up to investigate. 

What greeted the early risers today, pre-sunrise, was the beauty of the crescent moon (yes, apologies dear reader, another moon) with the morning star and the beautiful inkiness of the pre-dawn morning. It is neither light nor dark. The star is just above the tree in the bottom right corner.

Still

Once the sun was up, the dawn chorus began...the kookas, some cockatoos off in the distance, the loris got going... and a little later, in came the noisy miners, again. They are always a signal that some 'intruder' is about and lo and behold, today the Pacific Baza returned (see yesterday). Back in the treetops...What is a photographer to do? Well, dear reader, you know the answer to that. 

Outa here...

I was preparing to take a still shot of it perched on the branch when it took flight. Yes, a fluke of a shot, fast shutter speed to combat the direct sun and just luck that I was hitting the shutter button at the right time; the 1/800 shutter speed really freezes the flight action. It's just about my favourite bird shot of late.

S/he might be back again tomorrow, for some more practice shots. 

[Camera : Canon EOS 60D, 18-55mm, 6.23am; 300mm, 8.16am]