Black swan and cygnets at local lake

Wow truly wonderful pictures. Thanks for educating us here. I love the ruffled black back feathers and the white underside. Great bird.

Sad news, I think we lost one cygnet already. The swans have a small island they use as a base. One of the darker cygnets was by the island and wouldn't swim off with the other babies. He stayed there and then was gone the next time I cked.

This morning I only see 4, the two darker ones riding on the mama's back. The whiter ones look healthier. I wonder if the real dark ones were not as healthy. I have never seen such distinct color differences in cygnets before.

Mute swans have been a problem and the DNR has been trying to have the control the population (by taking eggs, etc) Although the same number seems to stay here and seems managed. But even with all that I am still sad to see them loose the little guys. They are just so darndable cute.

Fabulous pics and narrative Margaret. This thread is very entertaining as well as educational...it is wonderful to see the birds of your country and your efforts are so appreciated! The Kookaburra is so adorable and the Swan is awesome...thanks!

Cparts...so sorry to hear about the little one.

cpartschick, so sad to hear of the loss of the cygnet. Strange that there is such marked colour differences. Is this the first time you've oberved darker coloured ones or just the first time you've seen such differences within one clutch? Often sadly, nature has her own way of keeping species pure.

At next opportunity I will take some images of swans on the Swan River to share with you.

I took this shot of some Rainbow Lorikeets having a wonderful time a couple of years ago.

I'm glad you enjoy the snippets I am sending. Likewise, when I view the numerous other threads, it almost makes me feel as if I've been to the US - sans jetlag.

Please add to my list of Gatta Have.......


Rainbow Lorikeets (2)
Whte cockatoo (1)
Kookaberra (1)


These are to be added to my 2 Black Swans, alaying....no no, that's a Christmas song. Sorry.

I live on a lake in S Florida and I'm sure they would all do well in our warm weather.


Thank you for you time in making this order possible.


Hap

Good grief, Hap. That cockatoo sure put up a struggle, but I finally got them all into the box. Did you get the black swans OK?

I sure did and they are loving it here. They have made fast friends with my Muscovy ducks and are loving the warm lake water

I'll see if I can get you an Emu.

Margaret, Wood ducks can be very difficult to raise...due to their very small size and all of the problems you stated above. We cannot get any help raising these little loves. No one else in our area will try. The most that we have had at one time is 19 (5 different families). I am an RN and have a small gardening business however, rehabbing ducks is by far, my favorite job!

I am so l glad to know that someone else in the world has pictures of birds etc. hanging on their walls. ;o)).

When my husband and I were finishing college, we were asked about moving to Australia. I started doing research on everything Aussie. After months of studying, I decided the best place for us to live was Perth. Needless to say we never left the U.S. You have a lovely country and I am really enjoying your pix. Thanks so much for sharing.

Kim

Thanks Kim. Funny, I'm also an RN. It's sometimes a lot easier than looking after birds. Birds don't recognize shift start and finish times. Good grief, you would have had your work cut out for you with 19 ducks! What a shame you never made it to Australia. It's such a vast distance between the two countries.

Be still my heart...those Lorikeets are way too beautiful! I can't imagine having a bird like that fly into my yard...fainting time for sure!

I love the photo of the galah on your husband's knee! They're so beautiful. In Australia they're considered pests...and here hand-fed babies cost $1000 and up. We call them rose-breasted cockatoos.

I had a bare-eyed cockatoo when I was in my early 20's. I had to re-home him when he became too loud for my small apartment (and my angry neighbors). Having Tinker made me realize just how much care and devotion owning a large bird requires. It's certainly not for everyone.

Anyhow, I enjoyed your photos very much!

Thanks Kayly. Pink and Greys are beautiful birds although they sometimes test your patience when they start eating the house. In spring they bring their babies in the hope of scoring a free feed, which they get, but in very limited amounts, more like a treat, to prevent dependence. The sound the babies make is like a human baby crying - well almost. We used to have about fifty birds coming at one time, but now only feed one particular pair, Mr One-Eye, who, surprise, surprise, has only one eye (see image) and his mate. They've been coming for years now. They bring their own babies each spring, but often have several nieces and nephews in tow.

Hi dell, their colours are truly extraordinary - quite garish, really. They are also very noisy. We have a very large gum tree in the yard and sometimes there are countless dozens in the tree, all competing to see who can make the most racket. You can't hear yourself think. Each day, at dawn and dusk, in the Norfolk Island pines at Cottesloe, there are countless hundreds. The noise is so great, it almost takes on a surreal quality -too much for the senses to deal with. As I mentioned, before, they are an introduced species to Western Australia and are becoming an increasing problem by taking food and nesting sites from less aggressive species, including honeyeaters. We have several in a large aviary that have come to us injured- they cannot be released because of their feral status. One of the lorikeets started coming to the wire and formed a relationship with one of the aviary birds. We were able to catch it very easily and it and the one who was already in the aviary are now a strongly bonded pair.

Hey, Hap, I thought I trouble getting the cockatoo into the box. Be careful when the emu arrives. It will be REALLY cranky.

Great stories here. Loving this thread.
What great birds. Way different than what we have here.

Update. All 4 cygnets look great and healthy yesterday and today. There was a golden eagle out front today, but all the water fowl was well hidden. We also have a pair of bald eagles and their new baby. So lots of hunting out front.

cparts, I'm relieved to hear that four of the cygnets appear to be thriving, even the ones you were a little concerned about (the darker ones). Still and all, it is sad that the fifth little soul seems to have gone to the big pond in the sky.

dellrose, this is a rainbow lorikeet in the aviary. It and its mate had chewed the wood and were peeping out at me. I will try and get some better images for you. And yes, you can have as many as you like! But be warned, they're noisy and destructive. And they seem to take some sort of perverse pleasure in getting on a perch directly above you and letting you have it and then squawking with delight when you berate them for their antisocial behaviour.

cpartschick, do you live in paradise? Bald eagles with baby. Golden eagle. Wow! What's happening with the cygnets?

Kim, why doesn't anyone want to rear the wood ducks or help you to do so? They are so lovely.

dragonfly, how are those snappers going? My husband wanted me to let you all know that about three years ago an Alligator Snapping Turtle (he remembers it was the one with the spiky shell) was found in a sewer in Sydney or possibly Brisbane The authorities had no idea of how it got there, but I suspect someone got themselves a cute little baby Snapping Turtle and then realized what mean dudes they can be when they're bigger and let it go in a nearby drain and it ended up in the sewer. Hubby wondered what on earth it could have been eating, as it was reportedly in very good condition. I reckon it would have been having a grand old time feasting on sewer rats. Mmmmm

Margaret,

The birds arrived in great shape and singing wildly. They attracted every turtle in the neighborhood and have all been eaten. Alas.....

That's it, Hap. No more for you. I've called Fed Ex and cancelled your shipment of emus.

Margaret

Wow Margaret..that is an awesome picture! LOL on their behavior!! I think I will have to cancel my order on these as I have way too many pesty birds at the moment...although these would sure look pretty sitting in one of our trees!

AWHHH....

dellrose, if only I could convey the racket these birds make in the trees on the beachfront at Cottesloe. Coupled with the screeching of the corellas it is truly an incomparable sound. Even the half dozen we have in the aviary is enough to make you eardrums go into spasm.

There are two types of Corella, a large parrot, in Perth. Their numbers have increased over the years, with the Little Corella being more common than the Long Billed Corella. They are often seen together down the beach front. At our local lake, Lake Claremont, the Little Corellas gather in the eucalypts and Moreton Bay Figs that line the shore of the lake and nearby parkland. There's exercise equipment and a sandy area with children's play equipment. I've seen the Corellas on the swings on a number of occasions. I've experimented with their sense of fun and have been able to encourage them down to the swings from the nearby trees by setting a swing in motion. I have a picture of them on the swings but am having diffulty finding it. Will post it when I locate it.

Oh...I would love to see a pic of that! When you speak of Eucalyptus trees I get homesick for Calif. I love the smell of them and it always brings back memories of childhood (a million years ago). Thanks for such a delightful and informative thread!

Wood duck babies are difficult to raise. However, if the live 3 or 4 days they usually, survive. So many people around here have not had any luck raising them and do not want to continue to try...kind of hard on the heart.

What a sweet little doll baby...I am so glad you are doing the work you are doing. I think it is wonderful!

Thanks, I do live in paradise (at least to us it is)
We live on 110 acres of woods and swamp that border the river and the end of the lake. There are stumps and marsh out front, so we get to see deer, water birds etc out front and then the woods for the animals and birds. It is our peace of heaven.

It is also just like the old "deep woods off" commercial of the box of hungry misquitoes right now. We only have 2 months of summer and lots and lots of winter, cold 20 below F and snow by the foot sometimes. You learn to cherish the 70' F days.

I have to say that wood ducks are my favorite. Pretty cool to be able to touch one.

The snapping turtles here are laying eggs. We had 2 this morning tilling up the yard. (they cannot just make one hole, they have to make fake holes) What a mess. I don't mind though.

Oh thank you. I really enjoy raising these little angels (until they go through their teenage time LOL).

This is one of our males all grown-up.

Most beautiful. They don't even look real!
You are very lucky.

He is just gorgeous! You must be very proud of your work...I sure would be!

Oh yes, very proud. I did not think I could ever be more proud of the ducks until I saw one of our females with her own babies....yep, I got misty-eyed. Now, I am a great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother ;o))

Kim

Kim, the Wood duck baby is simply gorgeous and look at what they turn into. Our Wood ducks are vastly different and yours are spectacular.

It is always sad and worrying when you release a bird into the wild. I have found it less concerning if returning an adult bird that has recovered from injury, as you know they are familiar with what goes on and what to do. When you release something you've had since it was a ball of fluff and have nurtured it for maybe weeks on end, it is really hard, especially if they happen to be from a highly territorial species. However, you go ahead and do it and do it time and time again. However, we have cut right back. It is very time consuming.

cpartschick, your place sounds wonderful. Do you have frogs? How are the Snapping turtles going? Do you have any yard left?

Yes, lots of frogs. They can get very loud and shrill. Some sound like a loose banjo string, some peep, some sound like ducks quacking and some "rib it".

All four cygnets accounted for this morning.

DH got out the rake and smoothed the digging from yesterday's snappers. Yeah, like that will last!

Super pics guys!

Margaret, That pic of the Black Swans is lovely!

Duckmother, They are so adorable!

You are so right, Margaret. But, I would not trade the experience for anything!

I am so glad that 4 are still around. I cannot wait to see them all grown-up.

Thanks pelletory. I have so many pics, you would be bored after a short time. ;o))


This is Khaki Quackie. She was our pet duck...and the only daughter we will ever have!

Awww!!!!

You are the duckmother! The pictures are all really sweet.

Margaret, how cold does it get there in the winter? I am under the impression that it is paradise there where you live year round!
What a wonderful place to live. Sure enjoy the pictures of your birds.

I know I saw 4 cygnets this morning, but later, around 10am there were only 3. All 4 looked healthy this morning.

Saw 8 deer out in the marsh (which is more than we have ever seen in the marsh at one time)

I was just turning on the computer when DH (who has the day off today) yells to me that a bald eagle is sitting on a stump and the swans are swimming right at him. They didn't seem to care, got up on their little piece of land and started to preen. The eagle was about 50 ft from them watching. All of a sudden he went towards them and out of nowhere came another bald eagle and chased him off. They both flew off. Maybe daddy swan paid for some eagle muscle as protection. LOL

I was surprised, because I have seen an eagle take a cygnet before (a few years back) Maybe this pair of swans did not have that experience yet.

Oh no! I hope the other 3 stay safe.

She's beautiful duckmother!

Thank you very much. She was a delight. And, a great watch dog...ummm...duck. ;o)) She was the neighborhood mascot. She would fly off the deck, walk over to the neighbors and see what they were up to and then return home and walk up the deck steps to her little open-ended dog house that we called Khaki Shack. I have so many stories about her...once again...you would get bored in a short time.


She even went to the lake with us...

Oh my _I_ want a pet duck!!

Well, hello! I haven't dropped off the perch. My computer, which is not quite 5 months old, died on me yesterday afternoon. The procrastinating man I purchased it from was supposed to pick it up this morning but here we are, almost 2pm and no sign of him, so I've come to the local library - whew!

Mind you, it gave me time to actually open a book - on birds. Had a look at the Wood Ducks. They really are very beautiful and not surprisingly, are related to the Mandarin Ducks, which are diminishing in numbers because of habitat destruction. An estimated one thousand pairs in China and five thousand in Japan. Any more images of your Wood Ducks, anyone?

cparstchick, any sign of the 5th cygnet? It makes you feel sick when they vanish without a trace, doesn't it? Did the Bald Eagle come back? Interesting the way you describe the sounds some of your frogs make. We have a frog species which is actually called the Banjo Frog. We also have Mororbike frongs, which sound exactly like a motorbike accelerating, as well as Qucking froglets. Our yard and the local neighbourhood becomes very noisy from late afternoon for 2-3 hours with the sound of our Burrowing Frogs, which do exactly that. You can hear them, but it's very rare that you ever get to see one.

Thanks for the comment, Pelletory. I thought I'd better keep throwing an image of a Black Swan. I'm going to head over to a very large wetland, which has permanent water, later this afternoon. Will send pics if any are worthwhile (the pics not the subjects).

Duckmother, I don't think anyone would get bored with either images or stories. Go for it. Everything from your part of the world is so new to me and it really is lovely to share with all of you what is commonplace here. Love the images of Khaki Quakie. You speak of her in past tense......?

cpartschick, Perth has what is called a Mediterranean climate. Hot, dry summers and mild winters. Don't be too envious, though. We don't have four clearly defined seasons. Rather we have six, with one season gradually melding into the next. Summer starts officially on December 1st, but summer doesn't usually hit with a vengeance until mid to late January. Then we can have week after week of temperatures in the high 30's to mid 40's celsius (up to appromimately 112 degrees Farenheit) and minimums as HIGH as 30 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Farenheit). Our last summer was the worst in living memory. Summer kind of starts fizzling out in mid to late March. We also have very sandy soils, especially close the the coast, where we are, and so the water just pours through the soil. Lakes dry up and gardens really try hard just to survive. Everything looks dry and exhausted, including us. Autumn is gorgeous. Warm, syrupy days, but because we don't have intensely cold winters, we also don't get the glorious Autumn (Fall) colours you are blessed with. On the coast we'd be grizzling if the maximum got down as low as 13 degrees (56 degrees Farenheit) in mid winter and we'd only expect 2 or 3 days that cold (I hear you laughing). Minimums can be as low as 2 or 3 degrees and inland it can get as low as minus 2 or 3. I HAVE NEVER SEEN SNOW! That was a rather long-winded answer to your question about our winters. Sorry.

Wow, too hot for me. Your coldest days are the ones I like the best. I would like to visit though sometime.

No sign of the cygnets missing. They are just gone. So not sure if it is sickness, or preditor.

Saw 2 bald eagles sitting together and watching them yesterday evening. They did take a smaller duck, but not a baby.

Had a good wildlife day yesterday, in the woods we found and photo'd a beaver. I have to sort the pictures. I have wood ducklings, the two eagles (from the spotting scope) the marsh deer, and several of the beaver. I will probably post them on the wildlife forum.

We see lots of wildlife here, but usually not this much in a short period of time. We are overwhelmed and jumping for joy.