Adjectives are bouncing around in my mind to describe this little chick; hideous, comical, cute, ugly, gorgeous … maybe they all apply!
Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) – chick
1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 800
We were standing beside the creek at Lillydale Lake watching for a second glimpse of Rakali the Water Rat (or was it a platypus) when this little chick boldly strode into view. It was the opening weekend of Victoria’s duck shooting season and this funny little chick was so delightful to watch, just what we needed to see.
There is a hint of blue starting to appear on its chest but its colouring is remarkably subtle compared to how it will look as an adult, when it no longer needs to be so carefully camouflaged. Its wings are especially comical, its hard to believe how soon they will be large enough and strong enough to enable this bird to take flight.
Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) – chick
1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 800
It made us laugh even more when it lifted its huge foot to scratch its head. Their feet are surprisingly dextrous as they often use them to hold food while eating. They eat reeds along with frogs and other small creatures.
Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)
1/800, f/5.6, ISO 400
The adult birds have a far more dramatic look with their red bills, frontal-shields, eyes, legs and feet along with the rich blue-purple colouring of their underparts set off by their black heads and backs. They have white feathers beneath their tails that they flick up and down as they forage.
My youngest daughter is usually at the lakes and wetlands on the opening weekend of the duck shooting season where she works tirelessly as one of the rescuers searching for wounded birds that have been shot and abandoned. She is part of a dedicated CADS team, all of whom have my greatest admiration. This year she was unable to attend so instead she helped her young nieces prepare this sign which we then took for a walk around Lillydale Lake. It was great to watch the waterbirds going about their business in safety and to meet so many people who find the ‘sport’ deplorable.
Happy birding
Kim
NB There is still time for the Andrews’ Government to curtail the 2019 season. If you have a spare moment please call or email your local MP, or write to a newspaper, or support the Coalition Against Duck Shooting – or all of the above along with anything else you can think of.
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