Seven Week Anniversary

September 28^th marks our seven-week anniversary here at Lake Pamamaroo. I have to say, it doesn’t feel like seven weeks.

To mark the occasion, I’d like to share some of my favourite bird shots from this area. There aren’t a great number of bird species here at the moment, I’m sure the past drought has something to do with that, but now that the lakes are full, and still rising, I am sure that the birds will soon return in droves. Oh, and feel free to correct me if I have identified any of the birds incorrectly.

One of my favourite birds is the spoonbill. Now matter how many times I see them; I still have that OMG! moment. So, let’s start off with them. There is a single Royal Spoonbill and a single Yellow Bill Spoonbill patrolling our little part of the lake. Let’s hope that they’ll have some friends soon.

Next, we have the Whistling Kites. There are three nests out on the lake within easy kayak distance. The nest nearest to our camp has two young, and I’m pleased to report that over the weeks, both have left the nest. The smallest is still hanging around, but its sibling is ranging further and further away from home. The second nest had one juvenile, and the third nest also held at least one Juvenile.

I have to show you different images of the Blue-Bonnets. They are just the cutest things. Like the Kites, the young Blue-Bonnet was fully fledged, and flying, but still getting fed by it’s parents. Baby-Blue was quick to go home when tucker time was over, but I don’t think he’ll be able to fit in much longer. I see a group of three flying around from time to time and hope that they are mine and are doing well.

I think that these next birds must be amongst the top fisher-birds (is that even a word?) I spent a lot of time watching them and they have quite a distinctive style of fishing. They glide through the air, from time to time cocking the head to one side, looking for their prey. Though how they can see anything in this lake, whose water is full of suspended clay, is anyone’s guess, but they do. When they do, they seem to drop a wing and go into a brief spiral fall, before hitting the water. Most times they come out with a fish. And if they don’t, they try to steal the fish from whoever has one.

Of course, we can’t forget the common Pelican, or as Peter calls them, the B52’s. It never ceases to amaze me how such a big bird can be so graceful, and glide so close to the surface of the water, for such a long time, and with such ease.

From one extreme to another, meet the Wrens. Living somewhere around our camp is a family of Variegated Wrens, and a family of White-Winged Wrens. I have never seen the latter before, and let me tell you, this little fellow has been a challenge.  It took me three weeks to get my first shot of him, no kidding, and it wasn’t even that good. But, over the weeks both families have gotten used to us, and the White-winged wren, Bobby (I’m not sure why, he just looks like a Bobby) has given me more opportunity to shoot him. I’ll tell you what though, those blue feathers of his are a camera’s nightmare, especially when the sun hits him. Still, I just love him!

This next series is a mixture of birds I’ve taken. It’s not that they don’t warrant their own section, it’s just that I only have one or two shots of each.

And what a way to end this bird post, with the biggest of them all. Picture this, I was sitting in Chunky Bum, playing a stupid game on my phone, when I looked out of the kitchen window, and there was old man Emu with six chicks. I managed to sneak out of the door and snap a few shots, in the first one you can see the van’s awning. As they moved away, I snuck behind Chunky Bum, I got some clearer shots of the chicks as they moved on. Old man Emu got a bit cautious and came over towards me, but I ducked behind a bush, and he soon lost interest in me.

See you out there somewhere

On tow and on the go!