Tag: Black Kite

Along the Track: Morning Rounds

Posted in Black Kite, Brolga, Brown Falcon, Fantail Cuckoo, Hoary-headed Grebe, Musk DuckTagged , , , , 11 Comments

It’s possible on a day at the Western Treatment Plant to clock up over 100 kilometres of driving. The entire plant is over 10,000 hectares — a little smaller than Philip Island.

Some recent changes to the access areas means that those who formely had limited access may now, from the 31st of July 2023, enter what was previously the “Special Access” area and required a different key. Now, One Key, (as they say in Tolkien) rules them all.

I think it’s fair to say that these days there are three sorts of people who visit the plant.

1. The true birdo. Dedicated to seeing as many species as possible in the shortest time, and of course to find that elusive ‘visitor’ to add to the total. These folk have been the mainstay if not the major visitors for many years. Travelling every road and side road is part and parcel of the visit.

2. Now it seems that photographers are becoming the dominant “species”. Again, desiring to see and photograph as many birds in the day and be able to have them all posted to Instadump or Spacebook before anyone else. Speed of travel is their essential hallmark, and sometimes it seems to me, to resemble a Rally-cross event (I used to photograph such events a long time ago so understand the techniques)

3. The art photographer. Not yet a huge group, but growing I feel. They have a need to find a bird and provide the ‘best possible’ image of said bird that shows not only the best of the bird, but their ’empathy’ for the species. Also prepared to stand around and pontificate about the latest mirrrorless kit and lens that is a ‘game changer’.
Clambering over grass, through salt-bush, crawling along the beach and the mudflats, is de rigueur for that expressive moment. Often I’ve noted of late, dressed in camo and ghillie-suits, looking more like an SAS Sniper. Willing to stop in the middle of a bund road to walk, crawl, or sneak to a spot to get that shot. Meanwhile the roadway is blocked to all other passersby.
( I know, I think I used to do this!- sans the ghillie)

A fourth visitor group, just to show I can count beyond three: is more the traveller about the plant, seeing birds and generally enjoying an outing.
These days, I have to admit to fitting somewhere between 3 and 4.

We no longer do the ‘full tour’ We have a few ponds and areas that we’ll go to, sit for awhile, and then move on. Most days, it’s an early morning start, and by lunch time, it’s time to go on up the road to The Highway Lounge, and one of Gerry’s well made hot brews.

With the sun streaming in through the window at breakfast time, the other morning, it didn’t take long to abandon other projects for the day, and head on down to the WTP.

Here are a few from the day. Click on an image to move to a Gallery experience

Black Kite,
Black Kite
Fan-tailed Cuckoo. We seem to have quite a number of these birds wintering over. This one seemed happy to sit in he sunshine and call
Brown Falcon: Another bird fluffed up soaking up the sunshine
This little Hoary-headed Grebe seemed as happy out of the water as in. Most unusual to see one walking about
Clean, clean clean. A Musk Duck busy with ablutions
Come Dance with me. A Brolga that also seemed delighted with the warmth of the sunshine
Come dance with me
Black Kite Games birds play. This was one of several that were swooping down, picking up grass and twigs and just doing it for fun
Part of a four Brolga squadron, adjusting for landing. Sedge is the collective noun it seems
Come dance with me. This one was picking up twigs from a bush and performing its ballet
We stopped on the roadway as we left to watch a Kestrel at work. It landed on the road in front of me, and I had to move back to get the focus

Enjoy

Little Visits: A Raptor Moment… or Two

Posted in Black Kite, Black-shouldered Kite, Brown Falcon, Nankeen Kestrel, Western Treatment Plant, WTPTagged , , , , 10 Comments

We started out heading to monitor several Black-shouldered Kites nestings, but as the early morning sunhine beckoned when we made it to the freeway we decided a coffee at Gerry’s at the Highway Lounge and then on the WTP for a looksee for robins.

Coffee despatched, we didn’t have any success with the Robins however.

For those that have visited the WTP we headed on up toward Ryan’s Swamp.

A good move it turned out to be as there were a number of raptors working along the roadway.

Our first sighting for the day, a Black Kite among the old trees
A female Nankeen Kestrel was ‘hawking’ up the remains of breakfast. A little furball lump of undigestible rubbish.
We spotted this Brown Falcon ‘walking’ along the road, no doubt it had scored a meal, as it flew to the tree and the next 45 minutes or so we stood with it, as it slowly digested the meal. There is something special about being able to observe this bird, unstressed, and watch its various character traits.
Handsome in the early morning light with dark storm clouds building behind
A number of Black Kites were also in the same area. It looks like full on dogfight, but these big birds seem to love to play about together
Another Black from the same area, and it appears to have nesting in mind.
Meanwhile the others continued the games
Yet another Falcon swept in to see what was going on.
It didn’t take us too long to find a pair of Black-shouldered Kites at work on nesting. Unlike most Black-shouldered these were nesting in the top of a dead tree in the open. Here the male has just arrived to relieve the female for awhile.
Nesting hasn’t blunted her hunting skills
Don’t mess with Mamma. She is unhappy about the Black Kite attention on the treeline
More Kestrel hunting. I missed the catch of this one.
A pair of Brown Falcons, they are not ready to mate, but are doing their best to keep the pair-bond alive and bright. He has just swept in from a few aerial stunts to impress her. She is crouched ready to accept his advances. We again spent 15 minutes or more watching their various antics, and after a lot of calls and cackles, they both flew to different perch area to repeat the performance
Hey, I think you look pretty special. Well I can’t speak Brown Falconese, so who knows what he said.

Enjoy