It’s the time of year when I can’t stop thinking about Victoria’s wetland birds so I’ll share some favourite photographs of favourite ducklings.
These very newly hatched Maned Ducklings (formerly Australian Wood Ducks) were part of a group of 29 just the other side of Mildura. Amazingly cute, amazingly fast and absolutely amazing parent birds keeping them safely in line.
They were pecking at just about anything, I think they were still learning what was edible.
The little one above pecked at the stick a couple of times. I was rapt to get such a detailed image of such a frenetic and minuscule fluffy dot of a duckling.
This little cutie is a Chestnut Teal duckling paddling to catch up with its siblings.
It was super cute to see this little duckling hitching a ride on its dad’s back.
These aren’t brilliant photographs, by a million miles, but they give a glimpse of what we’re sometimes lucky enough to spot among the reeds.
Such a fuzzy little lovely hiding among the reeds! This duckling was with just one parent, who was on high alert. We realised why when five more ducklings scuttled out of the waterside grasses.
I shared a few photographs of this duckling last year, including one where it raised itself up as if it was shaking its wings, which haven’t grown yet.
I’m writing this week’s post really quickly as my site is due to be updated. My apologies for not including the usual details beneath each image.
“MEET US DON’T EAT US!” seems like the ideal slogan for the Victorian Government to use to support nature-based tourism instead of calling a cruel, archaic and unnecessary duck shooting season.
The strength of the movement against duck shooting is getting stronger each year. As the number of native waterbirds have declined so have the number of shooters. Birders, environmentalists and regional Victorians have lobbied successfully for lower bag limits, shorter seasons, later starting times and the closure of sites with endangered species. If you haven’t yet, please send a note to lily.dambrosio@parliament.vic.gov.au kindly urging her not to call a season this year.
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