I have several photographs of Australia’s rarest duck, the Freckled Duck, but not many like this one… which is still alive.
1/400, f/5.6, ISO 3200
Canon 5DIII, Canon 200-400L IS USM EXT
Aren’t they gorgeous! There is something ridiculously friendly-looking about Freckled Ducks. Maybe it’s their quizzical expression, or the fact that I’ve always especially liked freckles. Whatever it is this endangered species is shot and killed every year during the Victorian duck shooting season.
But, even though the season closed in June, the valiant fight to end this cruel and archaic ‘recreation’ continues and the news is looking good. According to Laurie Levy: The Coalition Against Duck Shooting commenced legal action for an injunction to ban duck shooting under the federal environmental law… This didn’t manage to stop this year’s season despite the Victorian Government’s failure to obtain prior Commonwealth approval under the EPBC Act. CADS obtained legal advice from an experienced Federal Court barrister that the Victorian Government has indeed failed to obtain approval from the Commonwealth Environment Minister for duck shooting under the EPBC Act. According to this advice, ‘CADS has established a legal pathway’ to ban duck shooting under the EPBC Act, so unless it is banned first, we intend to return to court for the full hearing for an injunction next year, ahead of any 2023 season.
In a world where we all need as much good news as we can get, this would be fantastic. Laurie Levy’s full article can be found here: CADS Federal Court Challenge
Speaking of good news, my old Golden Retriever, went for a very happy little walk today and just now initiated a wrestling match with her much younger daughter!
Happy birding, Kim
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Never seen a real freckled duck, alive or dead, so you’re lucky to get a
photo of them at all. Seeing these photos made me smile. 🙂
I’m glad you liked these photographs DLK, hopefully you’ll get to see some living Freckled Ducks soon.
Whenever I am dropping by now and then I get fascinated. You are a gifted photographer.
But that you know yourself, eh? 😉
That’s a beaut comment Sean, and lovely that you drop by. Sometimes I manage to get a shot that really moves me, like the recent swan shots. Nature is truly beautiful!
WONDERFUL news. On both counts.
And I hope you get more opportunities to photograph these freckled charmers.
It’ll be so good when I have more photographs of living Freckleds than I do of ones that have been shot!
I love freckled ducks and always nice to see them alive looking so beautiful 💜
You’ve helped them so much, thank you. It’s definitely WAY better to see them alive!
Lovely picture, and good news all round! Something to lift us through troubling times.
Thank you Margot Laurie’s perseverance is incredibly inspiring isn’t it. It will be such a relief when the ‘sport’ is permanently banned.
Love this picture Kim, just beautiful. Also great news about your puppy dog! Big hugs, keep warm, Alison.
Thanks heaps Alison, I’m huddled over the heater at the moment trying to keep warm!