After spending far longer at the Woolshed Creek Fossil Site than planned I did not have much time to spend at Jerrabomberra Wetlands as I originally conceived. I had to get home but I knew even if I only had 30 minutes Jerrabomberra Wetlands is a place where you will see something even in that time. I love the wetlands, Canberra is so lucky to have such a special place so accessible. I was not disappointed. I saw my very first Red-browed Finch, which I think was making a nest and also a cheeky Grey Fantail who wanted to do the loop-the-loops around my head. Yes, not really wetland birds but that is the joy of Jerrabomberra Wetlands, it is more than just the wetlands. I hope you enjoy the photographs.
Just being a bit artistic with some Grey Teals
And another attempted artistic shot
After walking through the entry point on Dairy Road, it was easy to spot the white of these two Australian Pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus) against the water of Kelly’s Swamp, the main body of water in the wetlands. When I first arrived they were both still in the sleeping pose, with their bills resting back on their bodies. The Australian species is the largest pelican in the world, it also has the largest bill of any bird. It was only when I walked back past them on my way out that I noticed one of them was awake and preening itself. These are truly beautiful birds with their simplistic colours and iconic bill. Even if people know hardly anything about birds they can identify a pelican. There is a great documentary on YouTube about the Australian Pelican called “Pelicans - Outback Nomads.” Just over an hour long and worth a watch to see how Australian Pelicans cope with staying on the coast compared to those who mysteriously know flood waters from half a continent away are filling up an inland sea. Truly remarkable.
One of the Australian Pelicans preening itself
The bird which really caught my attention on this day was this gorgeous Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis), which truly is an apt name. This bird was flying in the reeds on the shore near a hide. I was worried I would not obtain a decent photograph of it. The bottom photo was taken first as it kept disappearing into that bush, where I suspect it has a nest. The photo immediately below, as well as the one at the top of this blog post, were taken on my way out of the wetlands. I am sure they show the finch was building its nest. (Ironically, I saw my second Red-brow Finch later the same day on Red Hill carrying out the same behaviour and I saw it come out of a nest. Blogpost to follow.) I was really happy to obtain these photographs as it is such a beautifully coloured bird.
A Red-browed Finch possibly looking for more nesting material
The Red-browed Finch flying into the shrub where I suspect there is a nest
This juvenile Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa) was flying in the same area as the Red-browed Finch, although flying into the trees as well. Even for a fantail its flight was high energy. It was wheeling all over the place, doing circuits between the trees and shrubs as well as flying loops out and back to trees. I had no idea what it was doing when it flew at me, before flying in a circular pattern around my head. I do not think it was trying to warn me off, as it only did it once, and I stayed in one place. I believe it was just practicing its flying and I happened to be a good obstacle to fly around. Its two white stripes on the wing mark it out as a Grey Fantail, with the rufous colouring because it is still a juvenile, The splotchy nature of the colouring marks the change occurring in the bird’s plumage.
The cheeky juvenile Grey Fantail who happily buzzed me
I was able to shoot photos of an Australian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus australis) in the reeds opposite one of the hides I was in. Initially it started in the trees near the hide before moving to the reeds while I was in the hide. It continued calling from those reeds while it moved about.
This Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) was half out of the reeds trying to do something with a stalk of a reed, possibly trying to eat it.
A Purple Swamphen possibly eating a reed stalk
Driving along Dairy Road I pulled over to photograph some House Sparrows (Passer domesticus). These are another introduced bird, closely related to finches, in Australia but their numbers appear to be in decline, although the grasslands south of the Jerrabomberra Wetlands seemed to be a good location for them. Their Latin name Passer is the basis for the name of the order Passriformes, the order containing the largest number of bird species in the world.
A female House Sparrow perched on a wire, the bill shows the close relationship to finches