A month flying between the river and the swamp.

Heron on a mission.

One more. Love that feather trailing from its head.

You're probably all familiar with ducks "duck diving". This one particular little Mountain Shelduck took it to a new level. It was so funny.

Phabulous Photos! LOL Beautiful birds. I just love springtime!

Heavily cropped for detail. Laughter is something that is normally shared, but I found myself LOL and there was no-one else around (I hope).

Thanks, Floridian. I don't know if it's because I'm out looking or if this spring has been a super-abundant one, but I've never seen so many birds. It's been fantastic.

Two White Ibis and a Stilt. The Stilts come all the way from Siberia, I believe.

Another parent Eurasian Coot with cute baby. I was a bit concerned about the Nankeen Night Heron with this bub and its sibling as it was very close to them, but the Heron didn't go anywhere near them and the parents weren't perturbed by its presence, so I was able to relax.

Awesome pics Margaret! So many beautiful birds!

Thanks Pelle. It's a lot of fun.

Here's a shot of a baby Swamphen (Porphyrio Porphyrio). It was really difficult to get a picture of it as it was down an embankment with lots of shrubbery between it and where I was standing. The interaction between this gorgeous little one and its ? mother was so heartwarming.

More wonderful pics from Margaret!! Love them all and those Cygnets have sure grown fast! Thanks for posting them...lucky you!

Just fantastic Margaret! All of them!

Thanks you, Wallaby and Rose. It was really warm today (90degrees F) and this Osprey was feeling it, sitting on the egg/s. I took the lower path to the nest today. Closer, but looking up at, rather than down on, as from my usual viewing site.

Hey, Resin, I was thinking they were around rather longer than just a seasonal stop over. Do these ones have a common name?

Wonderful, Margaret.

wonderful thread margaret. Stunning shots. I would love to jump across the ditch and shadow you in action.
The dam I some times go to is closed from flooding, a lot of unstable trees.you can go across the top of the dam,But my photo would feel like they where more than a mile away, and they are already long shots. I am hoping to get to the lagoons soon, I have had to many bugs this year , and still feel a bit b-----d
you are getting so many great shot , it's great to keep up with the pink ducks.
This is more than I useully can think to write the vits must be doing good.
regards boot

Thanks, boots. Do you get Pink Eared Ducks where you are? I've never seen as many at our local swamp as I have this year. And oh boy, are they feisty little birds, squabbling and chasing each other all over the place. The sound they make is so distinctive to me now and yet in the thirty odd years we've lived here, I've never heard them before.

Thanks again for the information Resin.

This is a shot from about three weeks ago of a (male) Shoveller. I've got better shots somewhere hidden in the deep, dark recesses of my computer. Will probably locate them in five years time.

What a little cutie...Well, actually, they have a bill that only their mother could love...but, after all, I am a duckmother. LOL

That's an Australian Shoveler there, rather darker (in particular, no white breast) than Northern Shoveler in Europe, N America & Asia.

No Pink-eared Ducks in NZ, it's an OZ endemic.

Resin

With the number of them at the swamp at the moment, it's an Oz epidemic Resin. Thank you for the ID.

Thanks, Kim. They are whopping great bills. The bills on the Pink Eared Ducks is the really odd one. Shovel shaped with the corners turned right down. Here' one I've heavily cropped to show detail. It's so cute when you see the babies. These tiny little balls of fluff with these huge, odd shaped bills.

Wow! They do have an oddly shaped bill. Makes them very unique, which makes me love them even more :o)

Thank you so much for sharing these photos. I hope to get down your way, one of these days, but until then, I can feel like I am there.

Kim

As Resin says no pinks here, but we do have a nz Shoveler. I have a faraway pic that I am hoping to better, but they are shy. one day !!

Lots of action at the swamp today. I took these shots a few hours ago of a parent Swamphen and baby. Those huge feet have marvellous dexterity.

Another

they look like ours, supper shot for fast hens! that chick cute.

There were two Nankeen Night Herons together, but not close enough that I could get them in the same pic. This shot shows the white, modified feather that comes from its head.

don't think we have them cut short herons lol lovely long feather though.

Good luck with capturing a photo of the NZ Shoveler, boots.

My prize of the day was to get a semi decent shot of the elusive little Clamorous Reed Warbler.

Kookaburra.

I've had to crop like crazy to show these utterly gorgeous, tiny little Australasian Grebe chicks.

I didn't see the details of this until I got home. Look above the Coot chick in the foreground and you'll see its sibling just about to surface. A bit freaky.

You are certainly on a prize run , warbler are never still. the grebe's are superb and the coots must be playing catch,
neat captures marg

Thanks boots. BTW LOL on the cut short herons.

Stilts. Wonder how they got their name....

it must be there lovely long legs

You live in a birds and birder's paradise Margaret!

Love those long legs, lol, they must wade in deep water.

Great capture of the Swamphen feeding it's baby!

I'm really impressed too with the camouflage background the kookaburra chose!

Very nice markings on the Pink Eared duck, that beak is wierd, I wonder why the downturned edges. Has to be something to do with it's foraging.

Wow that's an amazing shot of the coot chick just about to surface, what a wonderful capture!

Wow Marg your shots are fabulous! I love each and every one of them!

What a wonderful day you had Margaret...such awesome shots! I love those Stilts and the Kookaburra but all are great!

holy cow - what exotic and beautiful birds you have there =) And such curious names! Very enjoyable pictures, thank you for posting.

Thanks for your encouraging comments, everyone (as if I need encouragement LOL).

ihug, they certainly are different to the birds from the US and UK and of course, I think the ones I see posted from there are all very exotic and incredibly beautiful.

Here's another shot of one of the baby Grebes, with parent just emerging from a dive.