29/5/2008 - Magpie Geese and more on a wet, miserable day.
Only earlier today, I mentioned that I had discovered some Magpie Geese in a paddock and that I was hoping to get over there and get a closer look. Well that was what I did today, in between showers and rain.
The Magpie Goose has a black neck and head, with a characteristic knob on the crown (larger in males), which increases in size with age. The underparts are white, with contrasting black edges on the underwing. The bill, legs and feet are orange. The Magpie Goose differs from most waterfowl in having strongly clawed toes that are webbed only on their basal halves (i.e. only partly webbed). Females are slightly smaller than males.
The Magpie Goose is widespread throughout coastal northern and eastern Australia. It is seen in floodplains and wet grasslands. Large, noisy flocks of up to a few thousand birds congregate to feed on aquatic vegetation. During the breeding season, Magpie Geese build nests in secluded places, usually close to wetlands. The nest is almost single-handedly constructed by the male. It usually consists of a simple unlined cup placed either in a floating platform of trampled reeds or built in tree-tops. Pairs of geese mate for life, but a male may have two females. Two females may occasionally use the same nest to lay the large, oval, off-white coloured eggs. All adults share incubation and care for the young. … … … Notice the feet in the next shot. … … … … … … … … … I love this next shot where they are putting their brakes on. … … … … … … While photographing the geese, some of the cows seemed a little bewildered by my visit. I soon discovered these cows were not girls but gorgeous bulls with the most beautiful curls and eyelashes. … … … … … … These guys were simply adorable and as you can see were very happy to pose for me. … Just up the road a little, I stopped at another spot where I often see a Great Egret.
This is no Egret but there were so many Swamp Hens, that I had to at least take one photo. A female Darter (Anhinga) … … … … … This little bird I am thinking is a Fuscous Honeyeater … And you may be wondering what happened to the Great Egret, well it was there but not very co-operative when it came to having a photo shoot. But I did see these Cattle Egret and it made up for it. … … … … … My last shot is of the flower of an Australian Native shrub called a 'Bottlebrush'.
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