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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Megan Doherty

Canberran's birdlife photo goes viral

"Don't think I can't see you down there Samantha. Turn around now and look at the camera" was the original caption that accompanied Ben Milbourne's photograph of 11 double-barred finches at the Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve. Picture supplied

It's the picture of tiny birds captured at the Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve that has gone viral - at last count seen by almost three million people.

The photograph by Ben Milbourne of 11 double-barred finches has quickly become an online sensation.

The image is remarkable enough in showing the 11 tiny birds perched delicately on twigs, just one of the zippy birds had enough to capture.

But the fact 10 of the birds were facing one way, and just one was facing the other, and the photo was accompanied by the caption - "Don't think I can't see you down there Samantha. Turn around now and look at the camera" - has struck a chord with millions of people.

Mr Milbourne, from Scullin, shared the image to the local Canberra wildlife photography Facebook page - and it quickly became the most popular post so far in the group's six-year history.

To date, the photograph has reached 2.9 million people, had more than 117,000 reactions and been shared almost 20,000 times.

Tyrie Starrs, a public servant from Greenleigh near Queanbeyan, started the Canberra wildlife photography page in 2017 to "have a space for local wildlife photographers to share their photos and discuss local opportunities for wildlife photography".

He said Mr Milbourne's image had enjoyed a remarkable reaction and the page had not had anything of "this scale before".

The popularity of the image also led to 4000 new requests to join the Facebook group.

"I think it blew up for a few reasons, firstly it's a great photo, but to include unique and popular Australian birds coupled with a witty caption meant it had international appeal," Mr Starrs said.

Another example of Ben Milbourne's work, a superb fairy wren. Picture supplied

A collection of finches is known as a charm - and the way the image was captured was definitely charmed.

Mr Milbourne, 50, said he took the photo at the end of the day on a track at the wetlands.

"I wasn't even looking for them," he said.

"I was actually after a different bird, a wader, and I'd finished for the day and was just getting up to turn around and go home, and there were these little birds.

"I took a couple of photos and went, 'Oh my goodness, there's more than I thought'.

"So, I refocused and took some more shots and when I went back through them, I went, 'Yeah'.

"It just reflected the joy I had of seeing them and I went, 'Okay, that's what I hope other people get out of it'. And that's been the main response, just this joy that people have had."

A black-shouldered kite by Ben Milbourne. Picture supplied

Mr Milbourne said he was "just shocked" the image had been so popular.

"I'm surprised this one has taken off. I didn't think it was any more special than anything else," he said.

An amateur photographer, he only started taking and sharing photographs fairly recently.

"I really only got into bird photography during the COVID years because you couldn't go anywhere," he said.

"So I thought, I will see what I can grab locally and that just got me hooked, that dedicated time. And I've just fallen in love with it.

"I've always had an interest and passion for wildlife and Australian nature in general, it's just been the circumstances over the last few years which have really cemented it and finding the local photography wildlife group gave me an avenue to share."

A Hoary-headed grebe and chick. Picture by Ben Milbourne
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