A month flying between the river and the swamp.

Looks like you've been having fun Margaret! All brilliant, love all those cute babies, cygnets stuffed to the brim, lol, love the pink-eared ducks, etc etc.

Fantastic capture of the Ospreys too, the last pic really got the female in a good pose!

Absolutely jaw dropping series Margaret, I enjoyed them all so much, especially the babies :)

Thanks for your most welcome feedback. I've had a ball. And it ain't over yet. We've had a wonderfully wet winter and the swamp has more water and bird life than I've seen for years. Wetlands are such magical places. Unfortunately, the swamp starts to dry up as soon as the rains end and with the heat of summer, it dries up completely, apart from a tiny little pool at the southern end, which is incapable of supporting any life.

I don't know why I can't re size some of my images. Tried with the one that I just tried to post, but it wouldn't downsize, so I thought I'd post it anyway and it's obviously sooooo large, it wasn't accepted.

Got it! Another shot of these enigmatic birds, the Pied Oystercatcher.

Baby Coot.

Thanks Resin. What about the Grebe?

This message was edited Sep 30, 2008 11:22 PM

You got the grebe right! The two names you gave are just variant names for the same species. Lynx HBW lists it as Australasian Grebe.

Resin

Mother Coot with babies

Marg, they are so adorable. Springtime is so wonderful!

Kim, you're so right. There's so much happening at present. Lots of ducks!

Clamorous Reed Warbler. These birds are frequently heard but seldom seen. Again I've had to crop for detail.

I'm not sure what this one is.

Resin?

Silver Gulls.

Magpie Lark. Also known as a Pee Wee.

Wow that Magpie Lark is really striking!!

Wonderful pics Margaret!

OH margaret, where to begin. Well you know I love the honey eaters. But all are spectacular!!!

WOW, such amazing pics. Thanks for sharing, and I think it is safe to say we're all jealous of your great spot(s)!

Thanks, Pelle, Knip, Wallaby, Mrs Ed , Kim, GP and evie for the comments. They are all gorgeous, but I think the baby Mountain Shelducks take the blue ribbon.

Thanks for the ID Resin.

The baby Shelducks skim along at a cracking pace with their heads under the water. The mother allows them to spread out, but when she considers them to be too far away from her, gently grunts and they all swim back to her.

(Amorous) Swamp Hens

Port Lincoln Ringneck. (Twenty Eight). Some of you may have seen this one before, but the photo was taken in the bushland at the edge of the swamp.

Here's one of the parent Shelducks with four of the five babies.

OMG! More marvelous photos! I agree the Shelducks take the top prize.

Those shelducks are adorable! Love the swamp hen and Twenty Eight!

Margaret...I will not take any out...they are all great...thanks! ok..I like the baby coot! That river is huge...all ours combined around here is abou 1/5 of that.

Margaret~
It's obvious that you love what you're doing~the photos are stunning and have been a joy to see.

Thanks Pelle and Kim.

Little_Things, there are more narrow stretches of the river. The area I've shown is one of the larger bays. Scary when you think that ALL of the rivers in Australia would fit into the Mississippi many, many times over.

Thanks Kiska. I get such a buzz from taking the photos and sharing them with people who would otherwise not see them. Conversely, I absolutely love seeing places, birds and other wonders from other parts of the world.

This shot I took late this afternoon of an Australian Raven. These birds are super smart.

And super handsome!

Ok, what you need to do is get a REALLY LONG garden hose, drag it over to the river, and let it run during the dry season. That way you can keep the action going year round! HAHAHA I wish.....

Well I just love the black swans. And the pink eared ducks are SO COOL. I want some. Their beaks are huge!

They are really beautiful birdes, Pelle. Their feather shine with a glossy magenta blackness. Lots of people despise these birds because they cause havoc at rubbish bins. Mind you, if the bins weren't overflowing in the first place, they wouldn't be a problem. They do take baby nestlings and fledglings, which also adds to people's dislike of them. IMO, the Rainbow Lorikeets are far more predatory in their own way by comandeering nesting hollows.

rntx22, brilliant idea. I'll order a kilometre of garden hose this afternoon. The beaks on the Pink Eared Ducks are huge and have that strange shape to suit their needs for their specialized feeding

The Australian Raven certainly does look like our Jackdaw, and they are of the same genus! Jackdaw = Corvus monedula, AR = Corvus coronoides. No wonder they are smart, and they have the same white eye.

Loving all the pics!

Nankeen Night Heron from a few days ago.

My goodness Margaret...I just found this thread and am so glad I did! What a treasure of beautiful pics of your birds! My mouth is hanging open they are all so great..I can't even pic a favorite. How lucky you are...thanks for sharing, they are fantastic!!

Incredible pictures and the first I've seen of them too.

Thanks, Rose and ducbucin. Here's the same Nankeen Night Heron from this afternoon at the swamp. This bird was the most amazingly cooperative subject. I coudn't believe my good fortune.

Here are the same cygnets that I posted on this thread on September 30th. They've grown so much.

Here's four of the five. The fifth one was ahead with ma.

I took this photo of a Rainbow Bee Eater yesterday at the place where I observe the Ospreys in their nest. They arrive in the south west from the north of the state in early October and breed in burrows in firm,sandy embankments. When they start heading back north in late March or early April, it is a welcome sign that summer is drawing to a close.

My quest this summer is to get some really good shots of these incredibly beautiful birds. When seen in flight, the colour under their wings is the most gorgeous coral colour.

Here's another of the Nankeen Night Heron at the swamp from the day before yesterday.

Another one.