I don’t often think of brash, gangly, duckling-munching swamphens as serene but I think this one fits the bill.
Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus) – previously known as Purple Swamphen
1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 1600
I took the image on a small lake in country Victoria. The early morning light made the water look like some kind of delicate silk. I like the little pressure wave in front of the swamphen and the trailing wake behind it, and was surprised by the clarity of the reflection considering the water wasn’t perfectly calm.
Australasian Swamphens generally forage at the edges of lakes and wetlands, usually eating reeds and rushes but also small critters such as frogs and the occasional duckling. They have long legs and huge orange-red feet that make them look quite clumsy on land and which dangle hilariously when they take off. While foraging, swamphens flick their tails up and down, which shows flashes of their white undertail feathers and makes them easy to see as the sun is rising.
It’s been a busy week so I thought a touch of serenity might be appropriate, I hope you agree.
Happy birding
Kim
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