lirralirra

Magical moment – can you imagine being low down on the bank of a small lake, its surface covered in duckweed, watching as an Australasian Darter disappears under the water. Each time it dived I had no idea where it would briefly resurface, sometimes without food, sometimes swallowing it quickly and just this once tossing its catch into the air to ensure it went down head first. I love the way the minuscule duckweed leaves are clinging to the darter’s feathers.

I have never been so aware of the muscles in a bird’s neck. It looked so strong as it rose up from the water. And the look in its eye shows intense concentration.

The entire section of the lake was covered in duckweed, which I thought would make a less distracting and more unique background than the blotchy, dark shrubs on the far side of the lake. I wanted the stretch of the darter’s upper body and the curl of the poor little fish to stand out dramatically (I have been told that the fish is a native Common Galaxias (Galaxias maculatus)).

My apologies that there is only one shot this week but life has been rather hectic and the backup battery has beeped disconcertingly so I should hit ‘publish’ quickly in case I lose power.

Happy birding, Kim

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