As it Happened: In the Early Morning Light

Posted in Brolga, WTPTagged , ,

+D4 had turned up for a couple of days, and we decided a trip to the Western Treatment Plant would be possible given the weather looked like it was going to be pleasant for most of the day.

Despite the need to get up early in the cold, we took an early morning run down the freeway and arrived not too long after sunup.

Breaking from usual tradition we started at the “Western Lagoons”. The clever plan was to look for, see, and photograph Black Falcon. Great idea, but not very well implemented as the Falcon didn’t seem to get out of bed early.

There is a spot about halfway along the Lagoons where the ponds are much higher than the abutting farm fields, and a water channel seperates the road on the bund of the ponds with the lower paddocks.

As we travelled along the pond road, EE took great delight in pointing out there were Brolga ahead, and sure enough, of course, you dear reader would not have doubted, she was right.

They were gathering together in the lower paddock, and eventually we saw eight of them. We sat on the upper road for around an hour or so, as it was easy to look down toward them, they were comfortable with the distance we were away, and the channel also gave them protection from close approaches.
So unpreterbed, they walked back and forth, preened, feed and did a few dances and introductions.

The one thing I noted, as I sat there was because of the richness of the early morning light, was how their feathers have a most attractive sheen.

So in no particular order here are a few from the morning’s visit. ro

Assembly.
Every so often one would stop and give a call. In the still early morning air, the calls were quite powerful
The grasses and shallow water seemed to suit their feeding habits
From where I sat on the high grasses, everyso often my long lens was just too long.
Several were fascinated by clumps of grasses and merryment enused as they tossed it about and jumped around
It seemed to be a game that only one played at a time
Perhaps they were practicing for a grass throwing event at the Olympics.
It wasn’t always immediately obvious which of them were a couple, but some times two would seperate away for a quiet stroll together
The calling seemed to make the rest of the group away that they wanted a few private moments
Getting to know you
There is the overall scene. I had to borrow +D4’s zoom for the shot

12 thoughts on “As it Happened: In the Early Morning Light”

  2. Great pics as always David. How wonderful to get so many ao close in the morning light, it does enhance the detail. It is is interesting how birds like to play just as we do, even if it is with a clump of dried grass. If they were of the Parrot family they would be showing off to their ladies or peers, possibly they are doing likewise

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    1. Hello Ashley, we have been a bit fortunate of late that while some birds are resident, I am inclined to believe that some new birds have flown in from elsewhere
      The problem for the breeding pairs is the foxes in the area. Never ever really under control and they play havoc with so many birds.

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  3. Well, you might not have captured Black Falcons on this trip, but the Brolga turned out to be a beautiful second best…! Beautiful photography David (as we have come to expect from you!), and you’ve used the early morning Light perfectly…!!!

    Thank you for sharing something of this trip to the Western Lagoons with us; it is a pleasure to view and to read…!

    Chdeers,

    Lance

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    1. Hi Eleanor, I think they were very comfortable in their side of the channel. And it gave a bit of an advantage as we were able to look down a little and get some good views.
      I’m certain that a few extra birds have come in to increase the population. Wonder if they are a the brolga from the abandoned Serendip aviary.

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    1. Hi Don, good to hear from you. Yes, my one great disappointment with Flickr is how hard it is to ‘tell a story’.
      I guess its the photo-journalist in me that likes to shuffle pics about and weave a story around the lives of the birds we work with.
      I don’t chase birds for that one elusive species, but rather try to enjoy the moments with the birds around us.
      Jon Young in his book, What the Robin Knows, calls it “building threads”.

      I think we are fortunate that there seems to be a growing population of Brolga in the area.

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  7. What a delightful report, David! This must have been a real thrill to be able to watch the brolgas from such a great viewpoint and to photograph them doing their own thing.

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