JadeCraven.Org

My Nature Blog

australian magpie

Belmont Common: Cygnets are grown up

by Leave a Comment

I was always planning to go to Belmont Common today. However, when mum phoned up asking if I wanted to go to the pet shop, I saw the opportunity for a lift there. I had forgotten what life is like with my 6 year old nephew. No amounts of promises that he’ll behave will stop him from acting up sometimes. Intentionally.

Despite his best efforts to scare everything away, I was able to make the observations that I wanted to.

There are plenty of babies around. I saw this butcherbird chick.

!IMG_0580

I could hear multiple honeyeater fledglings. I saw a mudlark next that a friend had recently photographed. As they predicted, another bird species was stealing nest materials rather then using the now abandoned nest.

!IMG_0585

There was a lot of activity in the area near the golf course. A LOT of swamphens. One heron and an ibis. Of course, someone ‘accidentally’ scared them away.

!IMG_0591

I saw this magpie that looked a little worse for wear. Will research it later. Is it ill or just had a dirt bath?

!IMG_0594

One of the main reasons I wanted to go there was to suss out whether the cygnets where still there. They were, and they were mostly grown up. I wonder what happens when they grow up – when do they decide to leave? Do they stick together as a family? Where do swans hang out – and how do they know to hang out in a certain space?

Dad said it was possible they’d go to Swan Bay 😉

I also believe I saw a number of Latham Snipes. I think that’s what they were. Someone was running up and down the hill at the back and flushed several before I could try to get a photo. I’d estimate there was at least 6.

~

I know that the tone of this post is somewhat depressive – one of the challenges of living a normal life while suffering from a mental illness. I think it’s important to keep up the observations regardless of my mood as I can forget key details over time.

Birding along the Stan Lewis Walk

by Leave a Comment

Yesterday, I went for a walk along the Barwon River. I’d been trying to do more birding but had been finding it very difficult to go birding, get work done and get everything else done. I think it’s more of a sign that I’m struggling with anxiety then anything else. Regardless, when it cooled down to below 25 degrees yesterday afternoon I was outta there.

!IMG_0186

My main goal was to see a crested shrike tit, a bird that has been eluding me for some time. I have a contact on facebook that is always getting interested photos around the Queens Park area so decided to get more familiar with the area myself – despite my discomfort.

I was a short distance from home when I saw a mud lark in water that was near a drain. I remember thinking “That would be a good area for other birds to hide.” And then I saw this rail!

I was so shocked. The connection to my lens was faulty so it was hard to get a photo in time. And, then I saw that there was two of them! I’ve seen one before at Werribee zoo (it was a wild one that had made it’s home there.) But this…. do you know how long I’ve been looking for bloody crakes and rails at belmont common? I was fairly certain this was a buff banded rail, and I was right. It was such a lovely surprise. They weren’t there on the way back, though.

Baby Wattlebirds

!IMG_0213

A recent fascination of mine has been getting photos of baby birds in their nest. This is partially thanks to the same Facebook friend, and because Glenn loves the challenge. I prefer to look at them from a distance whereas Glenn loves getting photos. So, when I saw this, I had to get photos for Glenn. I actually phoned him up and he urged me to stay there and get more photos instead of walking further along to Buckley Falls.

!IMG_0223

The behaviour was interesting. Both parents would take turns in feeding them. They would only be at the nest ever so briefly to feed them, which made photography rather difficult.

The lens, which is temperamental, had trouble focusing quickly enough. I didn’t know the right settings. I didn’t have the tripod. I did the best I could in such circumstances. Normally I’d just encourage Glenn to get the photo. On Monday it is his birthday and we are going away to Melbourne for a photography nerd-out at the zoo. It’s unlikely he’d have time to get the shots for a while unless he wanted to come over mid week and spend $50 on taxi fares. I’ll see if we can find a way. Nonetheless, it was up to me to get the shot.

!IMG_0220

I think I got a couple of good ones. They certainly aren’t great and I’m not proud of them but they were the best I could do. The path was a bit busy and I was trying to keep my distance from the birds. I think we have a good month left to capture interesting bird breeding behaviour. We’ve had a good run considering neither of us drive and we aren’t really part of a community.

!IMG_0224

Other observations:

!IMG_0230

I had to get this photo for Glenn. Another obsession is birds feeding. I didn’t know if this was collecting a worm for a baby, but I didn’t want to go into it’s space.

!IMG_0235

I did notice four rabbits along the river which made me sad. I don’t think we are every going to win the fight when it comes to conserving native wildlife. I primarily took this photo to show my nephew, have no idea why the eye looks so weird.

~

I’ll be writing a couple of other updates over the weekend from birding trips during the last month. I’m struggling with anxiety so the tone will be a bit flat. Still, have made some interesting observations and have ventured further then normal.