Oh my goodness! It’s not every day I photograph a new species so close to home, especially such a tiny, elusive, secretive, exquisite little crake.
1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 800
Canon R5, Canon RF 600mm f/4 L IS USM
Imagine you’re at the lily ponds when your friend (hi Carol) points about 20m across the water and says, ‘What’s that?’ And try as you might you can’t see what she’s pointing at. ‘It’s disappeared again,’ she says. ‘Now it’s back, just wait for the lily pad to move in the wind’. But which lily pad! Eventually I saw it and it was my turn to start with the directions for Carol. It was hilarious that it was so tricky to see even when one of us would say that it was running to the right, or some such comment.
I managed to find it through the lens just once, for 0.3 of a second, during which I took four photographs. This was the first, and the best, though I’d have been stoked with the others if I hadn’t been lucky enough to capture this shot. I like the detail of its minuscule nails, the gentle curves of the leaves, and the tiny bubbles it stirred up as it moved across the lily pads.
Baillon’s Crake are listed as threatened in Victoria (Fauna and Flora Guarantee Act). They are the smallest Australian crake, about the same size as a sparrow, and their colouring makes them extremely tricky to see as they scurry around, frequently ducking for cover. I think this crake is a male as it lacks the rufous eye stripe of the female. They are beautiful little birds with their soft grey underparts and face, with rufous upperparts with some black and white streaks, a bright red iris and greenish bill – absolutely divine and such a wonderful surprise.
Happy birding, Kim
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This horrific duck shooting approved, supported and promoted by Jacinta Allan and Steve Dimopoulos was a result of threats from the Unions and, as in headlines in every paper, those Unions have been controlling this government and its weak and corrupt politicians for a long time.
10,000 submissions and the labor-led committee demanding this bloodthirsty slaughter of gentle, native water birds be banned were ignored and so another three months of killing for the sake of killing to support the Unions, gun lobby and the Shooters Party.
This needless, senseless, barbaric activity to appease 9000 shooters in a population of 7 million people shows this government does not listen to its constituents and definitely does not respect, value, understand or care about our precious wildlife and environment. Their rhetoric and spin about caring for wildlife is disgusting and all lies.
Chris Minns in NSW was bringing in secretly and quietly a Hunt to Kill Bill (native animals) which was going to hand over gun control and access to State parks and forests to the Gun Lobby and Shooters Party. The Bill was just about to be passed with the support of the Coalition, lead by Kellie Sloane, when the Bondi massacre occurred. The Bill has quietly been ‘shelved’ but you can be sure it will not go away as the Nationals and many other politicians oppose strengthening of gun laws and the Gun Lobby is working behind closed doors to get it back on the agenda and control of guns in their hands. This is just like the Game Authority which, as you know, totally supports killing of native water birds and works to stop and punish anyone who dares rescue birds dying of horrific injuries during these killfests.
Unfortunately the Liberal Party and many of its politicians support duck shooting and, of course, the Nationals believe everyone should have as many guns as they like and so this horror will continue even if a change in government.
Your work is so important as we need everyone to connect with nature and all its marvellous creations and educate the next generation to understand that every living being is part of maintaining the balance in nature. The fight continues because these beautiful feathered friends do not have a voice or a vote. It is definitely up to us.
I know this post is political so will understand you not posting it as it is a message to you as I know you totally are involved in fighting to protect birds and their habitats and to ban duck hunting.
Power to the people and peace to the world.
Stay safe.
The duck season for this year sickens me more than ever. Awful, inexcusable, devastating. Thank you for caring so much Barbara, and voicing your concerns about the horrors, Kim
“Birds are nature’s living jewels.” Desiquotes
This gorgeous, tiny little bird with its ‘soft, grey underpants’ is indeed a ‘living jewel’ and like most jewels exquisite, beautiful and precious!
A magical surprise and a photo and memory to treasure, especially Baillon’s Crake is another threatened species.
All these beautiful photos bring a smile to your day and inspire us to keep fighting to save, rescue, protect and conserve our wildlife whether they have feathers, fur, wings or tails – all precious, all unique, all irreplaceable and all are vital to keep nature in balance.
I like that quote Barbara! I should have mentioned that its conservation status is threatened in Victoria. And I totally agree about rescuing, protecting and conserving wildlife, which is why I’m devastated by this year’s duck shooting season, it beggars belief.
Excellent capture for such a tiny fleeting little creature. How thrilling.
Thrilling is the perfect word Jane, I was so stoked I think I was smiling in my sleep. And from your comment it seems like you’ve had the pleasure of glimpsing them too.
Superb find and superb photo Kim 🙂
Many thanks Fiona! I can still hardly believe it 🙂
I love them! We call them Jakana. I used to take my dog to swim in the lake when í spotted this tiny cute bird.
I’m more familiar with another species being called jacana, which reminds me of all the local names for birds like Magpie-larks! They’re gorgeous whatever we call them 🙂