WINGS ABOVE ~ ISLAND BELOW

South Australia's Island Treasure

Wings Above ~ Island Below is an unique audio/visual DVD which contains over 450 specially selected photos in transcending slide format complemented by the gentle and haunting music of Scott Davis. It's pure relaxation!

Wings Above ~ Island Below preview

 

Kangaroo Island's incredibly wonderful natural splendour offers the passionate visual artist an unique opportunity to capture the beauty of this Island wilderness through the camera lens.
As wildlife photographers, we are always looking for the perfect photo that enables us to show nature's amazing diversity and wonder ... to share our passion is our photography passion!
Wings Above ~ Island Below .... Kangaroo Island's Natural Splendour was realized as a result of my mother, Marie Louise Deering (nee Reeves) passing:
It is dedicated to both Colin and my parents who are now with us only in spirit and live on in our memories, and has been made a special dedication to Marie who was a 4th generation Reeves from the famous Reeves Point, Kangaroo Island.
We sincerely trust that you will find this collection an enjoyable and uplifting visual experience.
Including Gloss-Black Cockatoos, Superb Blue-wrens, Hooded Plovers, Kangaroos, Echidnas, Koalas, Seals, Goannas, Black-tiger snakes, Penguins, Coastal & Inland birds, Birds of Prey, Sunrise - Sunsets, Majestic waves & Rugged coastline, Natural attractions & Tranquil scenes.

Kingscote Harbour

Colin & Gillian Rayment 

 

AZOIC ARTS

 

Producers & Publishers of

VIVONNE BAY BLUE

&

Wings Above ~ Island Below

cm.glr.rayment@bigpond.com

 



Canon EOS 50D, 7D, 5Dmkll
Sigma lens 150-500mm - 50-500mm - Canon 24-105mm - Canon 100-400mm

Please come back and visit: www.wingsandwildlifephotography.com.au

"VIVONNE BAY BLUE"

Picture Perfect ... Superb Blue-wrens

A delightful tale of a delightful bird from Vivonne Bay, Kangaroo Island found its way into our camera lens on a very cold and bleak wintry day. It all began for Colin and I while on our annual wedding anniversary trip to the Island ... August 2008.
The morning started out with yellow skies, icy grounds everywhere and so cold was the air it hurt even to breathe, so we decided it was going to be an in-house day for us!
With heaters set on high and cameras set at all windows waiting for our little Blue friends to appear, our computers were working overtime. The holiday home "Koopalanda Dreaming" - Point Ellen where we stay is on the boundary of a National Conservation Park, a small part of Kangaroo Island's extreme rugged coastline. Wildlife abounds all over and this little wren family would appear again and again as they did on this South Australia's coldest day on record! Point Ellen is atop the stunning Vivonne Bay Beach, where rips can be deadly, waves can be surfed, boats can be moored, whales give birth, simply a beautiful beach to behold. On the leeward side, huge swells, deadly waves, hidden reefs. KI's Coastal Conflict post (5) tells of more:


Photo courtesy of Coralie Riedel
RUSTIC BLUE GALLERY
Kangaroo Island
 

The wrens came, the wrens went, our day was so rewarded with wonderful photography from this little couple that we decided to share our photography with all, putting together a delightful coffee table book called "VIVONNE BAY BLUE" dedicated to the Superb Blue-wrens from Vivonne Bay, Kangaroo Island. Our photographic book, while it does not have too many words! it presents a view of looking through a window into the private lives of the Superb Blue-wren.
This delightful Superb Blue-wren (Malurus cyaneus), also known as the Superb-Fairywren or colloquially as the Blue Wren, is a passerine bird of the family Maluridae, common and familiar across southeastern Australia. The Super Blue-wren can be found in almost any area that has at least a little dense under-growth for shelter, including grasslands with scattered shrubs, moderately thick forests, woodlands and heaths. It is a jaunty wren and is a great favourite, not only for the beautiful colouring of the males, but because it has adapted well to human intrusion and readily lives in gardens and parks where it is easily seen. The species is sedentary and territorial also exhibiting a high degree of sexual dimorphism; the male in breeding plumage has a striking blue forehead, ear coverts, mantle and tail with a black mask and a black or dark blue throat. Non breeding males are grey/brown in plumage, black/brown legs, bill and area around the eye whereas the female same grey/brown plumage, orange/brown legs, bill and area around the eye with a green/blue tail. All but the very old males - four years of age or more, moult into a brown/grey non-breeding plumage in which they superficially resemble the females this giving the early impression that males were polygamous as the dull-coloured birds were taken for females. Like other fairywrens, the Superb Blue-wren is notable for several peculiar behavioural characteristics, the birds are socially monogamous and sexually promiscuous, meaning that although they form pairs between one male and one female, each partner will mate with other individuals and even assist in raising the young from such pairings. Male wrens pluck yellow petals and display them to females as a part of a courtship display.

He who shall hurt the little wren

Shall never be loved by men

William Blake 1757- 1827

It is our pleasure to share with you all our little photographic book

"VIVONNE BAY BLUE".

Dedicated to the Superb Blue-wren from Vivonne Bay ... Kangaroo Island

 

 

Canon 7D
Sigma 15-500mm lens

Please come back and visit: www.wingsandwildlifephotography.com.au


 

ENDANGERED GLOSSIES ...

Kangaroo Island's Glossy-Black Cockatoo

The Glossy-Black Cockatoo was first described by Dutch naturalist Coenraad J Terminck in 1807. The scientific name honours the English ornithologist, John Latham.

Female and chick

The Glossy-Black Cockatoo's closest relative is the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, the two species form a subgenus Calyptorhynchus within the genus of the same name. They are distinguished from the other Black Cockatoos of the subgenus Zanda by their significant sexual dimorphism and calls of the juveniles, one a squeaking begging call, the other a vocalization when swallowing food.


Casuarina cone

The South Australian subspecies of the Glossy-Black Cockatoo,
Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus has disappeared from the South Australian mainland and is currently restricted to Kangaroo Island. It is listed as Endangered under the Australian Government's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The current population is estimated around 350 birds, including approximately 200 mature individuals.
The male Glossy-Black Cockatoo is predominantly black with a chocolate brown head and striking caudal red patches. The female is a duller dark brown, irregular yellow patches on head and neck and the bill is paler. The red tail panels generally have black bars with yellow edges on the inner webs.  Juveniles, as female, head darker often with small spots on breast and shoulder. An adult will grow to be about 46-50cms (18-20inches) in length. The birds are found in open forest and woodlands and usually feed on seeds of the she-oak, Allocasuarina verticillata, always using their left foot, never their right! It holds the cones in its foot and shreds them with its powerful bill before removing the seeds with its tongue. Small parties, commonly up to ten birds spend most of the day quietly feeding in the foliage of she-oaks, (casuarina trees), the only sound being the busy clicking of the bills as they demolish the hard woody seed capsules.
The South Australian subspecies of the Glossy-Black Cockatoo requires high quality Drooping She-oak woodland for foraging and large hollow bearing eucalypts for roosting and nesting habitat.
Availability of feeding habitat and suitable nest hollows may limit abundance in the future, also the nest failure rate in unprotected nests is high, principally as a result of predation by Common Brushtail Possums, Trichosurus vulpecular. Fires that occur frequently on Kangaroo Island may also diminish the availability of necessary habitat that is critical for the Glossy-Black Cockatoo's survival.
Colin & I have been very fortunate to be in a position to find and photograph these magnificent Glossy-Black Cockatoos. We have been photographing them since 2009, recognizing some that have been tagged for ongoing studies.
It is our privilege to share a few photos that we have taken of Kangaroo Island's Endangered Glossy-Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus.

Gillian & Colin Rayment




Glossy-Black Cockatoo ... male

Canon EOS 7D
Lens EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

Please come back and visit: www.wingsandwildlifephotography.com.au



"MISTY"

Western Grey Kangaroos

The Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) is a large and very common kangaroo or macropod, found across almost the entire southern part of Australia.
The subspecies on Kangaroo Island, South Australia is known as the Kangaroo Island, kangaroo. The Western Grey Kangaroo is one of the largest kangaroos in Australia. It weighs 28-54kgs and its length is 0.84-1.1mt with a 80-100cm tail, standing approximately 1.3mts tall.
It exhibits sexual di-morphism with the male up to twice the size of the female. It has thick, coarse fur with colouring ranging from pale grey to brown, its throat, chest and belly have a paler colour. The kangaroo feeds at night, mainly on grasses but also on leafy shrubs and low trees. It has the name "Stinker" because mature males have a distinct curry like odour! The kangaroo lives in groups of up to 15. The males compete for females during the breeding season. During these "boxing" contests, they would lock arms and try to push each other over. Usually the dominant male in the group mates. The gestation period is 30-31 days, after which the baby joey attaches to the teat in the female pouch for 130-150 days.

There are two subspecies of the Western Grey Kangaroo:
Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus of Kangaroo Island, and
Macropus fuliginosus melanops, which has a range of different forms that intergrade clinally from west to east.
The Western Grey Kangaroo is also referred to as a Black-faced Kangaroo, Mallee Kangaroo, Sooty Kangaroo and Carno Kangaroo.
Kangaroos are the largest living marsupials in the world and are usually red or grey.

The Australian Coat of Arms has a Kangaroo and Emu holding a shield with symbols representing the six states.  

Canon 5D MKlll
Lens EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

"MISTY"

 

Misty has her own story to tell as she was raised by Coralie and Smilie, owners of the Rustic Blue Museum/Gallery on Kangaroo Island.

Misty was a joey and found alive in her mothers pouch after a car accident, quite young but capable of being hand-reared. She survived but sadly her mother was killed as many kangaroos become victims especially on the roads on Kangaroo Island.

We met Misty when she was only around a year old and the photo below shows her asleep in the dandelions on Coralie and Smilie's property. Misty has now grown into an incredibly gentle kangaroo who has just become a mother herself.

If you travel to Kangaroo Island, we are certain that if you call into the Rustic Blue Museum/Gallery it is more than likely that you will meet "Misty", her joey and hear of her story. 

"Misty"
Rustic Blue Museum/Gallery

 

Canon 7D

Sigma 50-500mm lens

 

Please come back and visit: www.wingsandwildlifephotography.com.au

 



 

Kangaroo Island's Coastal Conflict

Meeting With A Rogue Wave

Kangaroo Island's coastline has everything, from surf pounded cliffs to becalmed coves, famous sweeps of sand to secret rocky inlets.

Point Ellen, the western headland of Vivonne Bay, about 60km from Kingscote is my subject for today.
The day began with thoughts of adventure especially for our Border-collie pups keen for their morning's walk to one of Point Ellen's little coves. The cove Colin & I chose was perfect for all with only a short climb down a small cliff face, over some rugged gnarly rocks and finally onto a pure white sandy beach littered with drift wood, seaweed, broken shells, just all the right ingredients for a good fossick.
The stunning colours in the crystal clear waters of this lagoon reflected so bright that we were nearly blinded by the sheer dazzle of it all.
The cove was secure or so we thought as there was a reef some 150 metres out to sea from the cliff face which broke the huge pounding deadly waves that from time to time have taken unsuspecting lives.
Our pups swam in the cold crisp clear waters while Colin enjoyed poking under stones and looking into the small cliff face caves, just doing what one does while on a remote desolate beach.
I had my 500mm lens attached to my camera so off I trotted across the reef towards the open seas to get some great photography of these huge waves. Every eighth wave seemed to be the big one so I positioned myself in a fairly safe and secure spot and waited!
The 500mm lens reaches pretty far out to sea so this is one huge advantage when photographing waves, especially big ones!
The locals told us to always keep an eye out for the possibility of a rogue wave as there have been numerous victims to such encounters.
Trying to show the hugeness of these angry waves is not easy.
Finding a comparison also is not easy!
In this photo with only waves in it the aqua wave is my big wave, the black wave at the back was in this instance, my comparison!

You got it, A ROGUE WAVE!
It came at us fast, I yelled to Colin to get the pups out of the water and run to the cliffs while I had my running shoes on as well.
Our good fortune was the reef!
It broke the wave and a wall of water about a metre high simply came at us.
By the time it reached us it washed up around our feet, we had made it far enough away as not to get caught. What happened next was simply scary! The wave that had broken over the reef and washed up to the cliff face went back out to sea taking all the water out of the lagoon...!
We stood there in a state of disbelief realizing just how deadly these waves can be and how vulnerable we are to natures splendour!

This next photo with the sea washing over the rock was taken at Point Ellen and this is the rock where waves have claimed some victims.
On our trip when I took this photo, only three days after we had left to go home two more lives were taken from this very point!
Rogue waves, sometimes known as freak waves, monster waves, killer waves, extreme waves are an uncommon ocean phenomenon in which winds, currents, non-linear phenomena such as solitons (self-reinforcing solitary wave) and other circumstances cause a wave to briefly form that is larger than the "average" large occurring wave (the significant wave height of SWH) of that time and place.
Rogue waves seem not to have a single distinct cause, but occur where physical factors such as high winds and strong currents cause waves to merge to create a single exceptionally large wave.

Untamed Power: The Sea 

 

Canon EOS 50D

Sigma 50-500mm lens

     

Please come back and visit: www.wingsandwildlifephotograph.com.au

A Bird's Soul .........

Time To Reflect

On these wet and wintry days when photography is less active it gives me time to reflect and view my photos that I have acquired while looking through the camera lens into the private lives of my subjects.

The subject in this photo is of a female Australian White-backed Magpie  Gymnorhina tibicen (race: telonocua) photographed at American River - Kangaroo Island 2010 and if every picture tells a story, then this one certainly does!

'PENSIVE'

Do you ne'er think what wondrous beings these?
Do you ne'er think who made them, and who taught
The dialect they speak, where melodies
Alone are the interpreters of thought?
Whose household words are songs in many keys,
Sweeter than the instrument of man e'er caught!
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Canon EOS 7D
Sigma 150-500mm lens

Please come back and visit: www.wingsandwildlifephotography.com.au

Winter on the Fleurieu Peninsula

As The Rain Falls Ever So Gently

I am tucked away behind double glazed windows with the fire roaring in the background, watching the birdlife dash for cover amidst the bushes and shrubs while the rain falls ever so gently.

House Sparrow

In this photo a delightful Common House Sparrow looks to the sky and wonders ....
When will this rain ever stop.

Even the little common House Sparrows Passer domesticus are a wonderful subject for my camera lens.

Canon EOS 5D MK lll
Canon EF 500mm lens

Spoggies In The Rain!

Please come back and visit: www.wingsandwildlifephotography.com.au

Changing our Blog site

Since we established our new website just a few weeks ago, we've been experimenting with ways of keeping you informed of what we're up to and how you can see more of our photos as we add them.

Our website!

Of course, our website will be our main 'showcase', offering a number of pages, information and images which provide an in-depth look at our photographs and ways you can access them.

We are very proud of our website, and from the comments we have received, our website visitors are impressed too! (We had over 30 comments of congratulations on the site's Blog within days of our website going 'live!)

Our website designer though wasn't satisfied with the look of our original Blog - and he felt it was too complicated to administer by us, which of course, we want to do so that we can update you frequently, from wherever our cameras take us.

Our new blog!

So to cut a long story short, our web designer has migrated our Blog to an easier system, much more visually interesting, and something we can handle ourselves (albiet with a bit of training!)

At left, this is what our new Blog looks like.

It integrates more efficiently with GooglePlus and has an overall better 'feel'.

It can be accessed as a 'free standing' blogsite here: http://wingsandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com.au

and we've integrated it into our website here, for those people who go to our website first: http://www.wingsandwildlifephotography.com.au/our-blog.html

We hope you like the look of our new Blog so check back here often to learn the latest about what we've been up to!

The Magic Of Winter...

As winter closes in, we're re-visiting some of our best photos

Winter is a magic time on Kangaroo Island and the Fluerieu Peninsula, but wet and windy conditions do restrict our opportunities to get out and about with our cameras - not to mention the 'wings and wildlife' we like to photograph stay out of the bad weather too!

So we're taking the opportunity to look back at what we believe to be our best photos - and each week we'll be posting one of our photos we're particularly proud of, here on our blog page.

Superb Fairy-wren (female)

To start off, we were very happy with this shot of this little female Superb Fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus, which we managed to photograph at Vivonne Bay on Kangaroo Island.....

Our book 'Vivonne Bay Blue' captures the personalities of these dear little birds and is available from selected outlets on Kangaroo Island and the Fleruieu Peninsula.

Canon EOS 50D
Sigma 150-500mm lens

Come back again next week for another photo - or visit our website www.wingsandwildlifephotography.com.au for more details!