Red Hill Nature Reserve is an easy walk from my house, so even if I am a little slow getting out of the door, I still have enough time to make a walk worthwhile. That is what happened this Saturday morning. I was a little late getting out the door because I was not certain about the weather but decided to head out as the slight rain looked like it was clearing. I am glad I went for a walk as the weather was not bad and I still saw some wonderful birds. The Australian Wood Ducks were back in force, apparently staking out trees. Although, there is competition with other hollow breeders like Crimson Rosellas. The walk was not a long one but the birds were beautiful. I hope you like the photographs.
A fallen branch that has been incorporated into an ant mound
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/60 SEC])
Australian Wood Ducks (Chenonetta jubata) breed in tree hollows; they are therefore common in trees. Because of their tree-bound life they have highly developed claws on their webbed-feet. Being common birds around Canberra’s artificial water bodies, most people who see them in the water or on the lake shores probably do not realise these birds have a need for tree hollows. These ducks are commonly found in trees at this time of year with the females making regular calling noises. As the photograph below shows, despite the competition for breeding hollows possible pairs of ducks will perch in the same trees. I am not sure how they resolve the competition over nesting hollows but at this stage of the year, relationships between pairs appear amicable.
Australian Wood Ducks, females are bottom left and top right, there is also a very disinterested Crested Pigeon in the middle
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
A female Australian Wood Duck
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
A male Australian King-parrot landed in a lovely location to allow the sun to strike him while he was surrounded by an otherwise shaded location. The males have beautiful red breasts and heads which researchers say prove their health to females. Red is a hard colour for birds to produce, with research indicating that parrots create the red differently to all other birds. Parrots use psittacofulvins, possibly producing the chemicals themselves rather than gaining it from their diet.
A male Australian King-parrot with its stunning red plumage
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/160 SEC])
Five Gang-gang Cockatoos (Callocephalon fimbriatum) swept in from the east, while I was walking back to home. They stayed high in the trees and I was only able to obtain a half reasonable photograph of this male.
A male Gang-gang cockatoo high in a tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/160 SEC])
There were two Crimson Rosellas (Platycercus elegans) inspecting hollows in a tree; a tree which also had Australian Wood Ducks. The rosellas were looking at different hollows. One hollow was on a branch while the other was in the main trunk of the tree. The ducks did not appear to mind, with both species avoiding the other. The photographs below show the different hollows.
A Crimson Rosella on top of a possible hollow it had inspected
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/50 SEC])
Another Crimson Rosella inspecting a hollow
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/50 SEC])
As always there were Eastern Grey Kangaroos (Macropus giganteus), including these two, possibly two juveniles. The front one is obviously a joey. The joey kept me transfixed with its eyes while the other kangaroo was happy to continue eating. The joey barely moved, while I was watching it; it seemed as interested in me as I was in it.
A joey Eastern Grey Kangaroo with probably another juvenile behind it
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 234mm, f/8.0 and 1/100 SEC])