I took a walk down to the swamp this afternoon to see if the Pink-eared Ducks were as active as they were last year. They sure were, squabbling and displaying in an attempt to secure both a mate and a nest hollow in the dead trees. Unfortunately it was a really dull afternoon and even drizzled briefly, but I managed a few shots that I'd like to share with you. I hope they aren't too dark.
I've been slowed to slower than snails pace. This is going to take some time.
They have a distinctive call which sounds nothing at all like a duck
At first I thought this one was looking at me.
But it wasn't. It was anticipating the arrival of its mate
...
Serenading the love of his life
Off they go together on a flight around the area.
They are such fun to watch.
I'm looking forward to going back when the lighting is a bit better. Here's one that's just flown from the other side of the tree.
Could be the same duck.
Sitting and waiting for a bit of action to be drawn into.
I had to lighten this one and hope it's still not too dark.
A tiny bit of weak sunshine lighted this Pacific Black Ducks wing.
..
The ubiquitous Willie Wagtail. This was clearly a male. His white eyebrows had been so puffed up they took up almost all of his head. They'd returned to their normal position by the time I took a shot.
Pacific Black Duckling. This was the only one with its parents. Normally there are at least 6-7 in a brood, so I imagine this ones siblings had fallen prey to something, probably turtles.
As I headed for home, the travelling circus passed over.
Little Corellas, no doubt heading off to eat a golf course.
Oooow, I wanted to include some shots of a Magpie Lark having a bath.
It was really having the wonderful most time.
That's it for today. I hope you enjoyed it. We're expecting some wild weather until Sunday. I'll have to toss up between the swamp and the Osprey nest.
Excellent quality photos, Margaret. Any coloration differences (Pink-eared Ducks) between the male and female ?
I would think a swamp is a haven for a myriad of waterfowl this time of year ? I particularly like the Willie Wagtail pose and the Magpie Lark. I prefer wetlands to any other type of habitat because of the diverse wildlife.
Turtles are a constant threat to duckings and I never imagined that the impact is as severe as it really is.
Thanks for sharing ..........
Thanks, Linth. I'm with you on wetlands. They are magic places and yes in my frustration at the time it was taking to upload, I neglected to say that there was a pair of Pink-eared Ducks with five ducklings (no photos), there were Black Swans with cygnets and other swans could be seen sitting on nests. There were also lots of Eurasian Coots either sitting on nests or in the process of constructing them. From what I've observed, both the male and female Pink-eared ducks have the pink spot and the heavy barring. One or the other may be a bit smaller, but it's not really obvious, say like with the Ospreys.
The turtles that inhabit the swamp are the Long-necked Turtle, native to the area. When the swamp dries up at the beginning of summer, they bury into the heavy clay/muddy stuff. People are heard to comment on how sad it is and that they must have perished in the heat/dry. In fact, as soon as the first rains arrive, they pop up like mushrooms. There's a lookout in the swamp and they can be seen 6 or 7 deep waiting for people to throw them bread (which they're encouraged not to because it harms the ducks and when the ducks come over to take the bread, the turtles take the ducklings).
Outstanding photos Margaret! So much detail in your shots! I'll make it a triple play, I love wetlands for birding!
The Pink-eared Ducks are so unique looking and beautiful along with the Willie Wagtail and Magpie Lark. Love the Circus (Corellas) going by overhead too!
Thanks so much for this great thread!
I enjoyed them all too, Margaret, especially the in-flight shots. Thanks for sharing them.
Dave
Wetlands are my favorite also, there's always something going on. Great thread,Great Picture's, Great Job Margaret!
Thank you Pelle, Dave and Burd. I've been practicing in-flight shots at every opportunity. Slowly improving. The most difficult thing is trying to predict the random and unpredictable flight of birds in the field. Here's another shot from yesterday. It was predictable but I wasn't quick enough in following it to get a crisp shot.
Just lovely.
Beautiful series Margaret...great action and detail. Your in-flights are terrific and I just love the Willy Wagtail! Enjoy your summer and all the great photo ops!
Your doing great with those in flight shots!
Lots of great pics Margaret, I particularly was struck by the wing of the Pacific Black Duck - that bit of color is something.
Hack
Magnificent photos Margaret! All those birds are beautiful and the pink eared duck shots are just breathtaking. And I love that dead tree!
Have you ever managed to get some video of the ducks? I'd love to hear their distinctive call.
Sue
Margaret, in regard to your last photo, I think it is pretty good and I'm rather picky with my own photos. The only thing that you might experiment with, if you haven't already, is a higher ISO setting. The body of the bird is relatively crisp and only the wings show some blurred effect, which is somewhat normal. I've set my camera at 1600 ISO for some in-flight shots and they turned out pretty good with minimal noise. With that ISO setting and an Aperture Priority setting at f/8, my shutter speeds were rather high especially against a bright white sky. Anyway, just a thought. Your photos are always rather crisp so I don't think you need a lot of advice ............
They're all beautiful Margaret!!
Thanks all for your very welcome comments.
Linth, I try to keep the ISO as low as possible but have set the high speed noise reduction to "on". I increased the ISO to some of the shots this afternoon which allowed me to shoot at 1600th of a second with f7 or 8. I can't see any discernible noise, but I know with the Ospreys, if I have a high ISO the white chest comes out with a distinct noise with a greenish tinge to it. I'll keep on playing around with it seeing the rainy weather is going to continue for another week or so.
Sue, funny you should mention that about video. No I haven't because I don't own a video camera However, Canon are about to release a 7D, which has several features I find appealing, including high definition video. I need a new or at least another body, so am going to test drive it when it comes out. I've been concentrating on the call and typical of many birds, they have more than one call, but the closest I could come to describing it would be like a canary playing a flute.
Hack, the Pacific Black Duck remains in an undiluted form in Western Australia. In the eastern states, the breed has been watered down by interbreeding with domestic ducks. That patch of iridescence is glorious.
Here's an adult with babies from the afternoon.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw this Black Swan with just one cygnet which was in the process of climbing up under her wing. I grabbed a quick shot. You're seeing it cropped and de-shadowed.
An Australasian Grebe.
You down there love?
Aw Margaret their wonderful! I always love seeing the ducklings and cygnets! The Grebe is beautiful!
Margaret, wonderful thread and I love every single shot. A great way to end my day. Thank you.
