Merryl Watkins is often stopped by strangers when they notice her camera and impressive telephoto lens. They ask “are you Merryl Watkins? We love your photos”. (Photo: Julie Nance)
Story by Julie Nance, photos by Merryl Watkins
For an entire year over COVID lockdowns, Merryl Watkins posted a new bird photo on social media every day. The Blaxland resident wanted to remind people there was still beauty in the world and joy to be found if you stop, look and listen. Her photography obsession captured imaginations both in the Blue Mountains and overseas, raising awareness of endangered wildlife and treating audiences to the fun antics of our feathered friends.
Key Points:
“Change brought about by humans is reducing nature’s capacity to sustain birds and life for the future. In the face of nature’s changes, threatened bird species need our help to survive.” (Source: Birdlife Australia’s 2023-2032 Bird Conservation Strategy).
By sharing her stunning Blue Mountains bird photography, Merryl Watkins aims to raise awareness of the birdlife we have around us and spread the word they need our appreciation and support.
Over brunch at a Lower Mountains café, it was touching to learn how passionate Merryl is about birds in her backyard and beyond.
The former English, history and drama teacher grew emotional when describing the unintended impact her bird photography has had on strangers.
“During the lockdowns people were connecting with each other because I simply put a post up, having conversations with me and each other,” she says.
“It was really special. Although I don’t post every day now, the one reason I keep doing it is I’ve had people say to me, ‘you helped get me through a really dark time’. It just blows me away.”
After 10 years of sporadic photography, including taking happy holiday snaps with husband George, in 2017 Merryl signed up for a photography course at Nepean Community College in Penrith. She gained the skills and confidence to use the manual settings on her DSLR camera, rather than automatic.
However, it was an invitation to attend a camera club in Blackheath with a friend that was the gamechanger.
“The thing that really clicked for me was when we focused on shutter speed,” Merryl says.
“For a bird in flight, you need a higher shutter speed. It depends on the light and everything, but I try to have it on 1/2000th of a second.
“You see things you would miss with your naked eye. That opened up this whole new world for me. I’d always loved birds from when I was little but after that, I became obsessed.”
I asked Merryl to select some of her favourite photos over the past couple of years and share her experiences with us. Below is a tiny sample of her collection.
Galahs
This photo was taken shortly after dawn. I had watched the female Galah and her mate as they prepared a hollow in a neighbour’s tree. They fought off other birds including much bigger Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos and then started feeding their young ones.
It was the parents’ second season at the tree and they would come to our yard for water and to eat seeds from the grass and weeds we had grown for them. I knew the first young one (at the top) was getting ready to fly and had watched the parents encouraging him/her for days. This is the split second before the young Galah’s awe-inspiring maiden flight. I missed the actual moment because I was crying. This was such a special thing to see and to be there, in my backyard, was truly incredible.
Regent Honeyeater
This is a photo I never expected to get, especially in a suburban yard. This is a male Regent Honeyeater, critically endangered in NSW and Victoria. In fact, with only 250 to 300 birds in the wild, according to BirdLife Australia, “they are among Australia’s birds most likely to become extinct”.
He and another male were regular visitors to a grevillea in a yard at the bottom of the Blue Mountains earlier this year. The other bird was banded and from what I’ve read, his bands show he was bred in captivity and released in the Hunter Valley region. It would appear the bird in the photo is wild born. How exciting is that!
A number of birds bred at Taronga Zoo have been released into the wild and there are signs they are breeding with wild born birds. We can only hope successes like that continue.
Gang Gang Cockatoos
Gang-gangs were once common in the Blue Mountains and people who have lived here for years have told me about them feeding in their yards in the Lower Mountains during the colder months. Sadly, that is no longer the case.
I was incredibly excited to see a family of eight in the bush last year; the first I’d ever seen. The group was made up of two adult pairs and four young birds. It was great to see they were breeding successfully.
The older male (second from right) had been interacting with the younger male while the two females looked on. Then the younger male seemed to have a conversation with the older female. Perhaps getting reassurance from his mother.
The communication and connection was real; a sign of intelligence and complex lives.
Eastern Spinebill
Eastern Spinebills are frequent visitors to our garden and every time I see one, I get a little buzz because they are feeding from something I planted. I’m not the world’s best gardener but I’m learning. Seeing birds come to use our birdbaths and feed from our plants is all the encouragement I need.
Female Glossy Black-Cockatoo
What an absolute delight to stand and watch this beautiful bird as she and two others fed from a Casuarina in the Lower Blue Mountains. Glossy Blacks are listed as vulnerable in NSW and have a very particular diet, feeding almost exclusively from two species of Casuarinas. So many food trees have been lost to bushfire and development. It is just wonderful to know there are places they can still come and feed undisturbed, especially as they tend to return to the same trees each year.
Sulphur Crested Cockatoos
As my husband and I walked our dogs we noticed two Sulphur-crested Cockatoos preening each other on a power line running to a house. Suddenly, a third bird landed, and the moment was ruined as they struggled to keep their balance. One thing I love about photography (especially with a high shutter speed) is catching moments we would otherwise miss.
This photo reminds me of a synchronised gymnastics routine, but in reality it was a split second and certainly not as controlled as it looked. The next minute one bird was hanging upside down and the other was flapping madly.
Tawny Frogmouth
Tawny Frogmouths are fascinating birds. They are so good at staying still, I wonder how many I have walked past without noticing. A lovely person told me where two could often be found. Whenever I saw them they were in deep shade and behind lots of foliage.
One time, in the late afternoon, the light changed subtly, and this bird started paying attention to ravens calling nearby. Fortunately, I also managed to find a spot with a clear view. The patterns and soft browns of the feathers are intricately beautiful, but those golden eyes are just glorious.
King Parrot
King Parrots are not only beautiful to look at, they are also very special to interact with. I was visiting a friend when this male flew into her yard. As he flew down from a tree to a hose cart, I felt the wind from his wings, he was so close. There was no food offered but he really seemed to look at me and listen as I talked to him. One thing I love about this photo is the connection; he was looking right at me.
Take Action:
Consider joining Blue Mountains Bird Observers, a community group open to anyone interested in the birdlife of the Blue Mountains.
Feeding wild birds can cause great harm including malnutrition, disease and unbalanced populations. Birdlife Australia does not condone wild bird feeding but acknowledges 30 to 50 per cent of Australian households feed the wildlife they are often seeking to help. A guide to feeding wild birds in Australia provides tips to avoid causing birds serious problems. For example, it advises you should not feed birds any of the following:
Particularly in hot weather, provide bird baths for birds to drink from and bathe in. Make sure they are cleaned regularly and are close to bushes or trees where they can escape to.
Purchase cards, prints and calendars featuring Merryl’s photos on Made It Australia, at Blaxland Post Office or Leura Pharmacy.
Learn how to capture and share nature’s beauty through photography at affordable courses run by Nepean Community College.
Merryl recommends we all stop, even for 10 minutes, be still, look and listen to the amazing wildlife we have around us. “It’s good for your mental health. You can find things that bring you joy, and it can be the smallest thing.”
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
At the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium on August 2nd, Robert Tickner AO, the Ambassador for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), will explain how ICAN is building a powerful global groundswell of public support for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Dr Siswo Pramono, the Indonesian Ambassador, will explain why Indonesia ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in September 2024. They will both discuss the implications of the Treaty for regional and global peace. This discussion is part of a full day of activities at the Planetary Health Centre at which you can join the global groundswell for peace! View the program and get your tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-peace-symposium (link in profile)
We`re thrilled that the Bearded Ladies Community Choir will be performing at the Peace Picnic which is part of the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium on Saturday 2 August. Check out the full day program and book your ticket here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-peace-symposium
We`re offering a great opportunity for 6-8 yr olds to learn some fun basic textile skills next Thursday 17 July, that will give them the confidence and inspiration to eventually learn how to sew, upcycle and repair! You can book a place here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/weaving-and-embroidery-workshop-for-6-8yr-olds
Did you know that the Peace Symbol, designed by Gerald Holtom in 1958, is based on flag semaphore signals? The vertical line represents the semaphore signal for "D" (for disarmament), and the downward lines represent "N" (for nuclear). Design and make your own Peace Badge at the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium and Peace Picnic on Saturday 2nd August at the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre (bookings here (link in profile: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-peace-symposium).
On another one of the badges below, the phrase "Hell no, we won`t go" is one which gained prominence in Australia during the Vietnam War, when conscription was introduced. Many young men refused to be conscripted, leading to protests, demonstrations, and the formation of anti-war movements. These movements, including the Moratorium campaigns, played a significant role in shaping public opinion and ultimately contributing to the end of Australia`s involvement in the war.
The Planetary Health Peace Symposium is bringing together veterans of the Peace Movement (including an organiser of the Moratorium campaign), Rotary and Quakers, Robert Tickner AO (ambassador for ICAN: the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons), Mayor Mark Greenhill, a signatory of Mayors for Peace, Susan Templeman MP, Indonesian Ambassador Dr Siswo Pramono on Indonesia’s ratification of the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty, as well as community members concerned about a world increasingly consumed by war. On the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, participate in a program of talks, film, stalls, music, art and a Community Peace Picnic as, together, we take urgent action for nuclear disarmament and peace.
It`s been 80 years since the horror of nuclear weapons was first unleashed with the US bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Find out how we can work together to stop this madness and grow a Movement for Peace at the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium on Saturday 2nd August. The day will include presentations by Robert Tickner AO, the Ambassador for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN); Mayor Mark Greenhill on Mayors for Peace; Susan Templeman MP; Dr Siswo Pramano: Indonesian Ambassador; veterans of the Peace Movement and young activists; Rowe Morrow OAM from Quakers; Jennifer Scott AM from Rotary International; journalist Harumi Hayakawa; and Dharug man Chris Tobin. It will also include a film screening, and a Community Peace Picnic with food, exhibition, stalls, badge and origami crane making and live music with the Bearded Ladies Community Choir. The Symposium has been organised by the Blue Mountains Peace Collective and the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative. Please share to help us grow a movement and book your tickets at the link below (link in profile):
The Bushcare Seed Collectors are meeting today from 10am to 3pm at the Planetary Health Centre. It`s a great way to learn more about propagating native plants. Watch our video below and read more in Katoomba Area Local News: https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/bushcare-seed-collectors/...
The Bushcare Seed Collectors are meeting today from 10am to 3pm at the Planetary Health Centre. It`s a great way to learn more about propagating native plants. Read more in Katoomba Area Local News: https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/bushcare-seed-collectors/ (link in profile)
We are holding School Holiday workshops for young people on Thursday 17 July. In these fun workshops with Sherlie Mcmillan (known for her Fashion Upcycling and Women`s Shed workshops) young people will be introduced to woodwork and textile crafts with a great teacher! Accompanying adults welcome.
Book for the Weaving and Embroidery Workshop for 6-8 yr olds here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/weaving-and-embroidery-workshop-for-6-8yr-olds
Book for the Workshop for 8-12 yr olds to Create a Pom Pom Launcher, Pom Poms and Headband here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/create-a-pom-pom-launcher-pom-poms-and-headband
Our new Planetary Health Newsletter includes the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium, School Holiday Workshops, today`s Planetary Health Bushcare, a story about a Men`s Group in Lawson, a workshop on Designing Your Future Home, and information on how to prepare for Bushfire Season with Council`s chipping service. You can read it here: https://bit.ly/3TkWGRj (link in profile) #planetaryhealth #peace #peacesymposium #bluemountains #schoolholidayworkshops #hope #solutions #mensgroup #katoomba...
The Community Tree Planting Day for the Glossy Black Cockatoo is on this Saturday 5 July near Cowra! Learn more about how you can help grow connected landscapes to save the Glossy Black, including more about the Community Tree Planting Day, by fast forwarding to 48mins in our video "Falling in Love with Glossy Black Cockatoos" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCERdF21Ud0&t=2075s
Register your interest to join everyone at the Tree Planting Day here:
Join us for this fabulous workshop: Designing Your Future Home on Saturday 19 July (10am-12 noon) Create a Healthy, Comfortable and Energy-Efficient Home
Join local Passive House Designer Karina Rafailov from Earthy Haus for a relaxed, interactive, and inspiring workshop. Whether you’re planning a new build or thinking about a renovation, this session will empower you with the knowledge to create a home that’s healthier for your family and kinder to the planet.
Places are strictly limited in this hands-on workshop so bookings essential here (link in profile): https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/workshop-designing-your-future-home-tickets-1417752157869
As an increasing number of people are being affected by winter viruses, we’re offering a free session of Tai Chi and Qigong on Saturday 5 July in the warmth of our beautiful Frogs of the Blue Mountains exhibition. Places are limited so book in early here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/40fnGW2 Learn more about these Chinese medicine movement practices in the video interview with Virginia Field on our YouTube channel (link in profile) and read about how Chinese medicine helped her overcome illness as a young woman in our story: Healing Body, Mind and Spirit with Tai Chi and Qigong here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/tai-chi-and-qigong/
Julie Nance is a community storyteller with the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative. In her coverage of the Lower Mountains area, she brings 30 years’ experience in communications, publishing and journalism.
After specialising in health and social issues as a journalist, Julie led creative teams in the government and not-for-profit sectors including the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, YMCA NSW, Cancer Council NSW and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Julie is passionate about empowering people with quality information to help them make informed choices.
The Blue Mountains Perch may not be as adorable as a cuddly koala, but it is also an endangered animal in need of awareness and support. Populations of the freshwater fish have been hit hard by drought, fire and flooding over the past few years. A NSW fisheries study, while sobering reading, is helping experts develop a plan to save the fish.
