In 2015 I started to use camera trapping as a photography technique, mainly for with the intent of photographing marsupials at that time. See introduction in previous post. Since I began using the camera trap, which first consisted of just a camera and a flash and the IR trigger I have constructed a real field setup complete with housing and multiple flashes. This was subsequently used to photograph the Quenda (Isoodon obesulus fusciventer) and the Common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) in Western Australia.









Now that its 2016 I hope that I will be able to use the technique more this year to photograph wildlife here in The Netherlands since I will be based here for the coming period.

For my studies I have made the move to Wageningen University, The Netherlands for a while. This will give me the opportunity to photograph the wildlife that can be found here in The Netherlands. Between being busy with my classes I have been able to photograph a little, and I thought I would show some examples of the results here on my website. To the left is a composite image of the Long-winged katydid (Conocephalus discolor) found close to my student housing complex. The male (bottom) is noticeably smaller than the female (top), which is not clearly indicated by this image as it is not to scale! Both insects were found in tall grassland on an overgrown plot sectioned for development. I hope I can continue to photograph here once spring returns and more of the smaller flora and fauna will be active.





This frog species; the Edible frog (Pelophylax kl. esculenta) is a hybrid species between two other Pelophylax frogs found in The Netherlands. The 3 species cannot be easily distinguished from one another, however the back legs differ in lenght between the three. Another ID tool are the different shapes knobs on the metatarsus, which the frogs use for digging.

Inspired by the photographs of Steve Winter, Nick Nichols, Frans Lanting, Jonny Armstrong, Sebastian Kennerknecht, and the other famous camera trappers I have started out a camera trapping project of my own. Camera trapping involves a dslr camera wired to a PIR motion sensor, and a couple of flashes, plus a healthy dose of patience and persistence. The idea is that an incredibly shy creature stomping through the night triggers the PIR sensor, and so fires the camera and flashes, taking a selfie as it were.









This can give exciting new prospects in terms of photographing shy, nocturnal, species. And allowing for natural behaviour to be photographed in the natural habitat without the presence of the photographer to disturb the animal. Here are some test shots from the backyard, showing some honeyeaters feeding on the flowers of a potted "Robyn Gordon" grevillea.

Meet Your Neighbours is an international nature photography project founded by Clay Bolt and Niall Benvie in 2009. The aim of the project is to allow people to reconnect with wildlife living close to home, which is facilitated by the field studio photography technique. The isolation of the subject on a completely white background allows the viewer of the image to appreciate the individual animal/plant/fungi and removes distractions created by the background, allowing to get a fresh view of the creatures living on their doorstep. You can read more about the project here .









After following this photography project for a while I finally decided to join in spring 2014, the orchids that were blooming at that time provided interesting and unique subjects to photograph in the MYN "field-studio". Since then, I have continued shooting animal and plant subjects, and am building up my collection of MYN portraits, mostly of species found on the Swan Coastal Plain. You can see some of my photographs displayed on the website and facebook page of Meet Your Neighbours .











If you are living in the Perth area then perhaps you have seen some of the creatures displayed in my photographs before, or on the contrary have never encounter them. The majority of the subjects are not particularly rare, and can probably be found quite close to where you live; maybe even as close as your backyard.

At one of my favourite stomping grounds along Perth's Swan River; Pelican Point, I found the resident pair of Australian Pied Oystercatcher busily foraging along the shore. These birds are quite used to people and its fairly easy to approach them closely without disturbing them. Today some sort of estuary shellfish was on the menu, perhaps a species of mussel? Not sure.













But the small creatures were plucked from the sand just where the waves were breaking and then raced further up the beach to be eaten. The oystercatchers carefully pried open the small shells with their beaks, and then swallowed the critter inside before running back to the water to catch the next one.













The pair of oystercatchers are very defensive of their stretch of beach, and do not allow any other oystercatchers to use the area. Actively pursuing and chasing off any juvenile or adult oystercatchers that alighted on the beach. Perhaps a sign of them breeding again this spring? Hopefully.

In the past weeks I have been able to go looking for birds in an area of Wandoo woodland in the Darling Range, namely Flynn Road. This area is home to a variety of species, but the main target of these birdwatching expeditions was the Western Crested Shrike Tit (Falcunculus leucogaster). Off course, we didn't manage to spot this species (nearly always happens, at least to me, when I'm looking specifically for any species). However the area is a very good birdwatching location close to Perth, which supports a variety of species far less common or absent from the Swan Coastal Plain.









Yellow-plumed honeyeaters (Lichenostomus ornatus) can be found here, and in large numbers. Yellow-plumeds (top photo) are easily distinguished from other honeyeaters by their striated breast, and, obviously, their bright yellow plume. These medium sized honeyeaters are very active and often can be seen chasing each other around the treetops in small flocks. Luckily for me this particular honeyeater came down to the ground, so that I could photograph him or her.











I could also photograph both the male (above) and female (left) Scarlet robin (Petroica boodang). This bright red robin is very curious of people, and often flies towards you as you walk through its territory. Other "special" species seen on the trips were Painted button-quail, Dusky woodswallow, Fantailed cuckoo, Restless flycatcher, Western yellow robin and Brown-headed honeyeater.

The Rainbow bee-eater (Merops ornatus) is Australia's only bee-eater species. In the southern regions of Australia the bird is a summer migrant, arriving only for the breeding season which ranges from November to January. This time of year the bee-eaters make their first appearance around Perth, their trilling cricket like calls are often the first sign that they have returned again. Bee-eaters have an unusual nesting behaviour, the female bird will dig a long tunnel into soft sandy soil which often extends to 2 meters underground. At the end of the tunnel a nesting chamber is created, where the eggs are laid and the young stay until they are of fledging age. I hope to locate some nests to photograph the bee-eaters at work. Last year many of the bee-eater nests that I found had been dug-up by the introduced Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) which cunningly awaits till the chicks are large and then digs out the tunnel to get to the tasty reward.



The male (top) bee-eater can be distinguished from the female (bottom) by their long tail streamers at the base of their tail. At the moment, when the bee-eaters first arrive in the southern breeding regions is when their plumage is at its prime. Through the season the bright colours get worn down as the birds swoop in and out of the dusty sand tunnel at breakneck speeds, to feed their hungry young dragonflies, bees and butterflies.

The European wood mouse does not hibernate, but in winter seeks out human habitation for an easy meal. This short video filmed in a barn in Exloo, The Netherlands, shows Wood mice using spilt bird seed as a food source during the winter months. I found the woodmice when I went into the barn to get some birdfeed, and as I stuck my hand into the bag, the mouse came running out! I took the birdfeed away, but the following day put a few grains where the bag was, and placed the camera on a tripod nearby. Then I experimented with the mouse, and as it got dark used a light to illuminate the feeding area. This is a compilation of the resulting footage.

Currently, most of my “photography”time is spent in Shenton Bushland, which surrounds my school, Shenton College. I am frequently here, because I am photographing for a project that aims to produce a book about the flora and fauna that is found within the school grounds. I have been photographing since winter, so that I can get the iconic seasonal species documented. The writing of the book, which will be done by Biology students of the school, will commence in the early months of 2013. If all goes according to plan, we can get the book published by the end of this year.

I went down to Dryandra for the 3rd time, yet again to continue the search for WA's most iconic marsupial. The Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) is a small dasyurid that feeds exclusively on termites. Due to predation by feral species such as the Red fox and feral Cats, Numbats were on the brink of extinction in the 60's and 70's. However, because of re-introduction programs by Perth Zoo and CALM (now DEC), the surviving Numbat populations in Dryandra State Forest and in the then called Perup State Forest were replenished and protected from predation by introduced species. On this trip I did not succeed in finding Numbats (for the 3rd time !). But did plenty of other native wildlife.

Dryandra Woodlands consists primarily of Brown mallet (Eucalyptus astringens) plantations, a remainder of the areas once thriving tannin industry, and Wandoo (Eucalyptus wandoo) woodland. There are also areas of heath where many Banksia (formerly Dryandra) and other heath species flourish, aswell as Casuarina thickets. Dryandra Woodlands lie in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, which has been extensively cleared for wheat and sheep farming, Dryandra is one of the few areas that was allocated for forestry purposes and thus not cleared. Now it is primarily for conservation, and provides a safe haven for many Wheatbelt species.

Birdlife in the woodlands is plentiful. On the trip I saw many species of birds, from small wrens to Wedge-tailed eagles. The Eucalyp seed orchard behind the paddock of the Lions Village is one of my favourite birding sites in the woodland. The rows of Eucalyptus provide nectar and seeds all year around, and, especially in the morning and afternoon lots of bird species visit the area. The resident mob of Western grey kangaroos also rests here during the day. Some birds sighted in the Eucalypt seed orchard were:

Yellow-rumped thornbill (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa)

Restless flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta)

Australian ringneck (Barnardius zonarius semitorquatus)

Western rosella (Platycercus icterotis)

Brown goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus)

Rainbow bee-eater (Merops ornatus)

Splendid fairy-wren (Malurus splendens splendens)

Red-capped robin (Petroica goodenovii)

Carnaby's black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris)

Common bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera)

At night, a whole different spectrum of animals comes out of hiding. Nocturnal marsupials and mammals forage on the forest floor and in the canopy of the trees. Those that live around the cottages have become very accustomed to humans, one example of this is the Common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula).

The invertebrate fauna of the woodland are off course very important. Especially the very abundant termites, which are a key species in the woodland. Termites provide habitat and food for many species. This is because they are the main instigators of hollow formation in both standing and fallen trees. These hollows then provide habitat for many marsupials, birds, reptiles and other invertebrates. Termites are also food for many vertebrates, including the iconic Numbat and the Short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), as well as many birds. One bird that is commonly encountered searching for termites and other insects on trees and fallen logs is the Rufous treecreeper (Climacteris rufus).

At night, many of the larger insects and arachnids make an appearance. Large wolf spiders can be seen on the forest floor, hunting by sight for any invertebrate smaller than them. This large wolf spider is presumably one belonging to the genus Venator.