Centralian Blue-Tongue Lizard

Centralian blue-tongue lizard (Tiliqua multifasciata)

Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory

This species is an icon of inland Australia, exhibiting some of the most vibrant colourations of any reptile. On a trip to Uluru, I spotted it sunning on a dune. Using a flash and some careful framing I also managed to capture the outline of Kata Tjuta in the distance.

Canon EOS 1DX Mk II, Canon EF 16–35mm f/4L IS USM, 1/250, f/11, ISO 100, Canon Speedlight EX-600 RT II flash and transmitter

Hidden Dotterel

Black-fronted dotterel (Elseyornis melanops)

Mourachan Conservation Reserve, St George area, Queensland

A dotterel camouflages amongst a meadow of flowering plants around a waterhole in outback Queensland. I laid down in the mud to capture an eye-level angle. It took many attempts to photograph this speedy bird as he darted back and forth, feeding along the edge of the water.

Canon EOS 1DX Mk II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, 1/1600, f/4, ISO 2000

Dinner Time

Garden orb weaver (Eriophora sp.)

Springwood, NSW

The Australian bush really comes alive after dark! Where there is life, there is also death, as this garden orb weaver wrapping dinner for the evening shows.

Sony A57, Tamron 90mm F2.8, 1/60, f/8, ISO 800, flash and home-made diffuser, handheld

Emerging

Greengrocer (Cyclochila australasiae)

Blue Mountains, New South Wales

It was a huge summer for cicadas this year, which meant that I enjoyed hour upon hour watching hundreds of them emerge each night. I was captivated by the intensely beautiful colouring of this greengrocer.

Sony A57, Sigma 18–250mm F3.5–6.3, 1/60, f/13, ISO ISO 100, flash and home-made diffuser, tripod

Eye to Eye

Leaf beetle (Chrysomelidae)

Buderim, Queensland

This particular morning, the flowers had begun to bloom, the entire fence line sprinkled with flowers of all kinds. I spotted an unusual, reddish figure happily situated in the centre of one of these flowers – luckily I didn’t walk straight past him!

Nikon D800, Nikkor Micro 105mm f/2.8G VR, 1/250, f/11, ISO 640, handheld

You Can’t See Me

Lichen huntsman (Pandercetes gracilis)

Daintree National Park, Cape Tribulation, Queensland

I spotted this lichen huntsman waiting in ambush, perfectly camouflaged on a tree trunk near our campsite in the Daintree National Park. This spider, native to north Queensland, is one of the fastest moving of all known spiders, but harmless to humans.

Nikon D750, AF-S Nikkor 24–120mm, 1/60, f/4, ISO 900, handheld

Standing Tall

Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)

Mount Elvire Station, Goldfields region, Western Australia

On a drive through the Mount Elvire Station after a stormy night, we came across two emus. Despite the isolated location, these emus were extremely inquisitive and not bothered by the uncommon sight of a car. This allowed me to take this photograph of one of them checking us out.

Panasonic Lumix G85, Panasonic G Vario 1:4.0–5.6/100–300mm, 1/2000, f/8, ISO 1600, digital, handheld

Cockatoo

Sulphur-crested cockatoo

(Cacatua galerita)

North Narrabeen, New South Wales

In my front yard on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, a group of cockatoos were gathering for some food. With the late afternoon sun on one particular cockatoo, I was able to photograph its crest in the golden light.

Nikon D7200, 18–300mm, 300mm, 1/3200, f/9, ISO 1250, handheld

Hidden hunter

Adelaide Hills, South Australia

While photographing bees buzzing around my back garden, I noticed this tiny spider in a bright orange nasturtium. I think the spider was waiting for a pollinating insect to fly onto the flower. Unfortunately for the spider, the only insects coming to the flowers were bees, which were much bigger than it was.

Nikon D7200, AF-S DX micro Nikkor 40mm f/2.8G, 1/250, f/14, ISO 4000, handheld

Long Reef Landing

Silver gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae)

Long Reef, Sydney, New South Wales

I got up bright and early to go to photograph these birds at sunrise at Long Reef and was fascinated by the sheer number of birds coming in to land. I zeroed in on one gull in particular, taking the photo just as it skimmed the water’s surface.

Canon EOS 4000D, EF 75–300mm f/4–5.6, 1/2000, f/5.6, ISO 400, handheld