Black Swan – Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER doesn't mean I'm LOST

Saturday Evening Post: Growing Together

May 18, 2024Posted in Black-shouldered Kite, Saturday Evening PostTagged Black Swan, Black-shouldered Kite, Saturday Evening Post5 Comments

On a fine sunny morning, we made a trip out to see how the Happy Couple from my last post were progressing.

They were both on a roost tree and preening in the sunshine.
It was a great opportunity to see some slight differences in their colouring.
The male (?) seems to now have lost his former brown tan colours. Both of them still have a shade of brown for the eye colouring.

We’ve been guessing about how old they might be, but at best they were from the January clutches, so we are looking at birds around 5-6 months old at best.
She (?) still carries some tinges of juvenile colour in her wing feathers, and that can be seen in the diptych below.
They both seem to hunt together, and there is occasionally a bit of an aerial battle with talons up, and lots of hoarse calling. But they both return to perch and seem to be at ease wth one another.

Until. And this is where anthropomorphology takes over for a little.
He caught a mouse, and was seemingly intent on bringing it to enjoy his meal.
She on the other hand, made a decision that the mouse was in fact for her and a heated chase began across the paddock.

Two conclusions were possible. She might be far enough advanced to want him to begin to feed her for a possible clutch, (even if its not going to happen, she might have the idea, that he should be feeding) He, for his part is still a young bird and the gene pool has yet to release the necessary action needed for him to understand that for the relationship, he needs to provide for her while she sits eggs.

Either way. He had no intention of giving up the mouse and in the end ducked into a very thick tree where she decided not to follow. He didn’t come out again with the mouse, so no doubt polished it off at his leisure.

No doubt there are other Black-shouldered Kite explanations that could account for all this. In the meantime we’ll sit and enjoy their antics.

One of many passes she made to get him to release the mouse. For his part he just stopped in mid-air and she shot past.

Little Visits: A Morning in the Western Treatment Plant

December 6, 2022December 6, 2022Posted in "Western Treatment Plant", Australian Hobby, Black Swan, Brolga, Cape Barren Goose, Western Treatment Plant, Willie WagtailTagged Australian Hobby, Black Swan, Brolga, Cape Barren Goose, Pied Oystercatcher, Western Treatment Plant, Willie Wagtail7 Comments

Due to an odd arrangement of circumstances, that would take several blog pages to cover and even more to wend the pieces together, we had decided on a trip to the Western Treatment Plant. (WTP)
What, of couse, was not in the “How to do it” manual was control of the weather.

Grandson “+D4” was staying over and t’was the only day avaible. For those interested “+D4” comes as an ‘Addition’ to the “3D’s” fabled for their “Dawdling” while on car-convoy on such trips to the WTP.

We picked up the usual Coffee-to-Go from our local and hit the highway. (Mr An Onymous, has a theory that in future times, sociologists and archeologists will conclude that ‘hit the road’ had some quasi-spiritualistic meaning and that the poor deluded ancients would go out and hit the road with their hand expecting some mystical experience—but— I digress)

The overcast, rain and high winds did not digress. Nor did they ease off. I may have mentioned before, that I can deal with the poor light and the rain at the WTP, but not the wind. It just makes getting out of IamGrey and standing in the open a truly harrowing experience and one that even the best of birds seems avoid at all costs. For those that might venture there, the track in the “Special Section” that was out along the beach area and barely passable with 2WD is now eroded to the point of being 4WD only.

So we had a fairly quiet trip about the plant. Good news is the roads are in very good condition and the closure has allowed several areas to be graded and topped and the drive experience improved no end.

We had hoped that White-winged Black Terns might have returned by now, but if so we didn’t get a sighting. The weather changes seem to have altered the plans of many returning migrants so far this season.

So as the blog is more now about the photos of the day, and less about the babble, here tis.
Enjoy

This is part of the coastal road at the Plant. Normally it is accessible by 2WD, but now 4WD and low tide are the recommendation. Erosion is quite evident. We retreated.

A small selection of Pied Oystercatchers hunkering down on a sandspit out of the wind.

This beautiful Goose has been on its own for at least 12 months, but has remained faithful to the area. I’m sure it doesn’t recognise me, but each time we go past its territory, I stop and we exchange a few head-bobs and it goes back to feeding.

I’m pretty certain it has lost its mate, the pair used to be quite the regulars in the area and nested over several seasons. For its own reasons it hasn’t ventured away to find a new mate.

Female White-fronted Chat. They seem to take extraordinary care about returning to the nest with food, and will spend many minutes checking everything out before deposting the food.

One of a pair of Brolga that were working in the T-Section

He is returning to see how things are going with his nesting mate. I’m sure that is a Swan smile

I saw the nest from the other side of the pond and we drove round for a clearer view. This clever lass was taking no chances and had built her nest in the very middle of quite a deep pond and it seems to have paid off with a lovely set of matching cygnets.

By early afternoon, the wind, the cold and the rain has gotten the best of the best of us, and we made one forlorn loop around the Western Lagoon area. Surprisingly we spotted a pair of Brolga with two quite large well developed juveniles in tow. Well worth the extra few minutes and the tired and exhausted among us were quick to respond to the opportunity. The birds seemed quite relaxed and in no hurry to go anywhere, but big long legs quickly carried them across the ponds.

Quite well developed. I’m not sure if they are fledged, but that normally takes around 3-4 months. Which just shows how silly Uncle Google can be, as I’ve seen figures of 2-3 weeks, which are impossible. They stay with the parents for nearly 12 months until the next breeding cycle.
Here is an intersting factsheet on Brolga on Farms.

For bonus points we called in to see the Hobbys on the way home. This one is now just about a ‘brancher’ and no doubt days from flight. The nest is festooned in discared down.

All tucked up secure. Three little Wagtails about a week old.

Little Visits: Busi-ness

August 9, 2022August 9, 2022Posted in Black Swan, Western Treatment Plant, WTPTagged Black Swan, Western Treatment Plant, WTP7 Comments

We had a few minutes to spare on the return home past the Western Treatment Plant and decided to look in on the “T Section” area. Not many birds in there at present, except for colonies of nesting swans.

We found this pair in the business of Busy-ness

First step in the process is house building

This involves much swimiming in a circle and heads and necks over bodies

It seems that blowing bubbles was the start of something big.

She reared up so fast and I was unable to get back further so clipped the top of her beak

Interludes: Making Your Own Fun

August 31, 2021Posted in Black Swan, InterludesTagged Black Swan, Interludes4 Comments

This is one of those moments that my “Interlude Project” was made for.

One of a pair with cygnets in our local Water Retaining Basin.
It had moved to the far end of the pond for a spot of bathing, cleaning and coot chasing.
Satisfied with its results, it was time to return to the chores of looking after the young.

A quick flight down the pondage and a waterski for the thrill and life could go on.

I know that it’s frowned on to anthropomorphise about them enjoying the moment, but I really believe that they get a kick out of the ability to skim the water and make a bit entrance.
And if they don’t, well at least it keeps me smiling.

Enjoy

All flaps down, brushing off speed and readying the landing gear.

Levelling out and a landing spot picked out

Any one can ski on two, it’s much more fun on one

“Mum’s Back” The young came out all excited to see the parent return.

A Little Visit: Stop Picking on Me!

May 12, 2021Posted in Black Swan, Little Pied CormorantTagged Black Swan, Little PIed Cormorant, Little Visits8 Comments

At the Point Cook Coastal Park, there is pair of Black Swans that are always together, and almost always distinguishable from others in the area because of their behaviour together.

I was casually watching them, as they don’t do much really, just swan about together.
When on a sudden one of them arched up from the middle and sort of jumped up out of the water. Curious, but it quickly settled down again.
A few seconds later it did the same thing, and then a Little Pied Cormorant popped up out of the water along side it. The swan took a swing at the cormorant and it quickly submerged.

Then, the swan arched up again, and I figured out the cormorant must have been hitting or poking it underneath.
This time it was a bit too much for the swan, and it gave chase to the cormorant. And again it submerged and the swan gave another start, and the process repeated.

Perhaps the cormorant was gaining some underwater advantage from the bulk of the swan, or perhaps their movement stirred up the waters and the creatures.

Eventually tiring of it all the cormorant swam off, while the pair of swans went back to ‘swanning about’.

Enjoy

Little Journeys: Strollin’

November 24, 2020November 24, 2020Posted in Australian Magpie, Black Swan, Buff-banded Rail, Little Growling, Little RavenTagged Australian Magpie, Black Swan, Buff-banded Rail, Little Growling, Little Raven5 Comments

One thing our lockdown for the CovidCrisis has highlighted for us, is the chance to enjoy a walk around some of our local areas. Normally we’d be out and about in regular birding locations.

And of course, being local, there is not likely to be much in the way of highly sought out birds in the area.

Or
So we thought.

Not much more than a stroll from home is a new housing estate. It has been built on what, of course, was old farming land. And in our area, that would have been vegetable farming. A small, seasonal creek runs through the area, and because it is of environmental significance because of among other things, the habitat of Growling Grass Frogs (Litoria raniformis) a fairly wide verge has been created, and partly sculptured with a well formed footpath and open grass.

The rest of the creek proper, thanks to the developers, the local council and Melbourne Water, has been turned into runoff water retarding basins. As the creek was originally a set of water holes rather than a flowing creek, they have used the natural lay of the land to develop the area.

The past few days we’ve had a good amount of rain. In our gauge alone showed over an inch and a half (about 39mm). The new development with its sealed roads, footpaths, lawns and of course house roofs has indeed provided plenty of run off. As we walked today there was plenty of evidence of at least a metre or more water having recently been through the reed beds. But thanks to clever Melb Water development, the water level has subsided quite quickly.

About half an hour walk from home is an aptly named coffee shop, The Little Growling, and it makes a good spot to turn around and return. With a freshly brewed coffee to go, thanks very much.

As we walked out of our village at the start of our stroll, I heard the call of a Rosella, I’ve been hearing it occasionally over the past few weeks, and had even spotted it on a fence-line a couple of times. This time it was in one of the street trees, and to my surprise, a Crimson juvenile was with it, so there was much calling. (Whether they nested locally or not is still open to supposition). I am beginning to have my doubts about the Eastern id, perhaps it is a hybrid?

Not a bird we’d normally see locally, so it was not only a pleasant surprise, but quite enchanting.

Enjoy.

Eastern Rosella, or a hybrid with buff cheeks.

The last of our local Black Swans. The rest of the family seems to have moved on. Perhaps this one is reluctant to leave a good feeding location

Magpie Drama. For reasons I’ve never been sure of the adults seem to single out one of the young and peck away at it. No one seems to be hurt and the young one will pickup and move on as if nothing happened.

Maned Duck Drama. This male has a family of 5 trying to move across open ground. About 20 ravens thought there might be a quick snack or two for an enterprising attempt.
In the end, EE and I moved down the paddock and put the ravens to wing. Not that it would last for long, but sufficient to get the little ones safely to water.

The little family made it safely to the water, and were able to paddle away.

Australian Reed Warblers are either feeding young or building new nests.

Now that is something you don’t see in the average housing estate. Fortunately it was in no hurry to stop and chat

Like all housing estates, there are plenty of opportunists.

And this is why they call her EE.
“Buff-banded Rail,” she cried. True to form, it was. A most unusual find in a housing estate. We have been known to drive around the Treatment Plant for hours and never see one.

Postcards: Swaning About (as you do)

January 15, 2019January 15, 2019Posted in Black Swan, Jawbone Conservation ParkTagged Black Swan, Jawbone Conservation Park, Snapshots5 Comments

My WordPress friend, Ashley, over at Aussiebirder has written a post on “Mindfulness” while bird watching. Resonates quite well I thought with my meanderings on having a love for the bird and the craft.Sometimes we are in such a hurry, or obsessed, to find the next bird, that we overlook the around.

EE, Mr An Onymous and I had gone down to the Jawbone Conservation Reserve to look for, among other things, Great Crested Grebe. And as the day progressed we found both the birds that are down there. Jawbone also has quite a resident collection of Black Swans. One of the main reasons—not being a Swan, how would I know— seems to be that the arm of the sheltered Jawbone pond(s) offers a quiet resting place, perhaps out of the wind.

So while we looked for the best places to photograph said Grebe, the Swans kept us amused by their fluting calls, their preening antics and their airborne mastery and of course their barefoot waterskiing championships.

When I opened up the files in Lightroom (hah!, had to get the plug in, that’s plug in, not plugin), I was just a wee bit excited to find how many interesting moments of these birds that I’d managed during the morning and I wasn’t even trying. I feel a photobook coming on.

Here are some to set the scene and get you into the ‘moment’.

Enjoy

Casually dipping the wing into the water

Splash down and time to fold the wings up

Home Improvements

February 25, 2018March 9, 2018Posted in Black Swan, Uncategorized, Western Treatment PlantTagged Black Swan, Western Treatment Plant2 Comments

One of the more visited areas at the Western Treatment Plant is the “T-Section”. Among its notable areas is the aptly named, “Crake Pool”, it’s not unusual on any given trip down there, to find at least one, sometimes more, vehicles pulled up in the open areas near the pool, hoping to catch a glimpse of the many crakes that inhabit the area.

Just a little further along the road and a small pile of rocks in the middle of the pond usually has a share of waterbirds, or waders loafing in the sunshine.

So you might well imagine our suprise the other day to see a pair of enterprising Black Swan had taken over the rocks, and built what can only be thought of as Swan Hilton, securely among the rocks.

Continue reading “Home Improvements” →

Black Swan at WTP

April 12, 2012April 16, 2012Posted in Black Swan, Brown Falcon, Buff-banded RailTagged Black Swan, Buff-banded RailLeave a comment

There is a banding program with the Black Swans run by www.myswan.org.au and today we had the chance to get up close and personal to J19. Now this is not going to be a tirade on the fors and againsts of banding, but they are doing some interesting work in collecting data about the swan’s movements and mating and breeding.

So we decided to adopt J19. Turns out it is a female, about 4 years old, or at least if I figure out the numbers that is when she was banded. She was banded at Albert Park Lake and has been there for about three years. She seems to have first been sighted at WTP in January 2012. At the moment, because of the huge population of juvenile birds, there is much pairing going on I suspect.

She is up in 145A Lagoon Area at WTP, and we will keep a check on her movements if at all possible. I will open up a blog page just to keep updates. See blog Here J19 info

Here she is.

Black Swan J19 — J19 in her best dressed banded number

Also found a co-operative Brown Falcon. It stayed on the post as I inched the car closer and closer. Just managed to slip away a split second before I could get back on the camera. Love the backwards glance.

Just as we were leaving with the sun setting as I was closing the exit gate on Paradise Road, Dorothy spotted a Buff Banded Rail hunting in the mud-flats. Dieter who was with us thought it was quick enough to be a road-runner.

The sun was well set by the time we were on the road home, but the Rail did provide a few minutes entertainment.