Wild geese protecting young, birds of Phillip Island

Well its nearing the end of the Victorian winter and it's time for Phillip Island's Cape Barren Geese families to start learning about life. While photographing this young family at Phillip Island's Fishers Wetland I noticed that the parent bird was keeping an eye on something in the sky ....

What's that in the sky? Cape Barren Geese, Phillip Island

The family had been feeding in a relaxed manner spread up to 4-5 metres apart (see iPhone shot above). Over a few seconds things tightened up quite a lot and that's when the adult bird could be seen checking the sky and posturing. I fired off a few more shots while the bird adopted this unusual posture (I am guessing signalling to the young who initially kept feeding and didn't seem at all fussed) ....

.... and I looked up to see what the fuss was about. On this occasion it was a Wedgie but there were also regular fly-overs from Swamp harrier and Whistling kite to keep the locals on their toes.

Wedge-tailed eagle, Fishers Wetland, Phillip Island

Now the parent bird had gathered the young goslings together and appeared to have most of them in a clump - the goslings had stopped feeding.

Checking to see that the threat has moved on

Hmmm ... but that guy's still there!

"Yeah .... He's still there Mum/Dad!"

I am pleased to report that the birds were much less concerned about my presence and wandered off to continue feeding in a relaxed manner. As with all large geese, Cape Barrens can put on quite an aggressive display if they are trying to get a message across - I reckon that they knew they had my measure! 

There were several new families (with between 3-5 chicks) at the wetland and many watchful birds.

Sentries on duty, Cape Barren Geese, Fishers Wetland, Phillip Island

Have you got a pass? 

Cape Barren Geese, Fishers Wetland, Phillip Island, 16 Aug 2014

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!

Kelp Gulls & Little Penguins, The Nobbies, Phillip Island

While Australia's endemic Pacific gull is the most common large gull seen around Southern Victoria I read that the Kelp gull Larus dominicanus has been moving in on its territory since the 1940s. Kelp gulls breed on many Southern Hemisphere coasts. In Australia they compete with Pacific gull as they share similar habitat, diet and behaviours (including dropping molluscs from a height to smash them).

It was a long time before I started to recognise that not all the large gulls I was seeing were Pacific gulls. I have since become aware that a particular rock stack at The Nobbies on Phillip Island is a popular site for Kelp gull which actually breed there.

Here are some shots taken on a recent dull Saturday.

Kelp gull, The Nobbies, Phillip Island

Kelp Gull, Legs and bill colour much more insipid than Pacific Gull

I wonder who is studying these guys?

Phillip Island is well-known locally for its Little penguin colony. Man-made nesting boxes seem popular at The Nobbies (both for the penguins and interested humans who watch from boardwalks). I think this must be a moulting phase for many penguins as the kids counted some 32 penguins on our visit.

Little penguin, The Nobbies, Phillip Island

"The Nobbies". On the horizon at far left is Seal Rocks …. 

…home to a colony of Australian Fur seals (you can just make the seals out in the above photo)

A Cape Barren Goose begrudgingly left the road as we drove back (iPhone shot from the car window)

Bird on!

Bird Week Day 1 - Young Cape Barren Geese families

It's Bird Week in Australia! This year Birdlife Australia is running with the theme "Meet Your Neighbours!" to encourage Australians to become more familiar with those feathered friends that are our constant companions. Further we are invited to vote for Australia's Favourite Bird. I am going in to bat for one of the candidates Thinornis rubricollis!

But onto today's theme! Suddenly nesting Cape Barren Geese are no longer noticeable at Phillip Island. On any given day however young families of varying ages can be spotted. While some striped goslings can still be seen enjoying one of their first baths ...

... others are taking on bigger challenges.

This young family has been easily followed since the nesting stage (old images - nest and chicks). When watched closely the birds were not really swimming but partly wading in the shallow waters of Fishers Wetland.

At The Nobbies some families already had a more teenage feel!

Come along! There's some good feed down here!

Territory was keenly contested possibly related to the growing size and number of mouths to feed.

"And stay out!"

Looks to be a successful season!

Bird on!

Winter breeders active at the Island

It was charming to see several families of Cape Barren Geese parading at several Phillip Island locations the other day. Each family consisted of parent birds and three chicks.

When I last saw this particular bird a month ago it was nesting (image). She also had a brief go at me (image)!

A second Cape Barren goose family at Fishers Wetland

Phillip Island Cemetery (there were at least 20 swamp wallaby) 

Masked lapwing are also ground-nesters. The "nest" reference is made loosely as they appear to lay their eggs just about anywhere! This pair of chicks were seen at Silverleaves, Phillip Island.

Masked lapwing, Phillip Island, 4 August 2013 

Both Cape Barren Geese and Masked lapwing are no strangers to defending against threats. This was evident at the weekend:

Distant view of a trio of Masked Lapwing providing feedback to a Swamp harrier

Cape Barren Goose, Fishers Wetland, Phillip Island

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Cape Barren Geese, Phillip Island

Cape Barren Geese Cereopsis novaehollandiae, Fishers Wetland, Phillip Island

I find Cape Barren Geese to be really interesting birds. Winter sees them in pairs at Phillip Island with evidence of nesting.

5 things I have learnt about Cape Barren Geese!

1. They are able to drink brackish water enabling survival on small offshore islands
2. There have responded well to various measures to ensure their survival after a phase of being considered endangered. They remain one of the rarest geese in the world but in their stronghold they are increasingly common.
3. They may disperse to the mainland in summer but return to offshore islands (particularly in the Bass Strait) to breed
4. There is a second population centred on the Recherche group of islands in Western Australia
5. Their name harks from the Bass Strait island where European sightings were first documented - Cape Barren Island. Due to difficulties providing services to this remote location government policy in the 1950s saw Aboriginal inhabitants subject to the forceful removal of their children - now referred to as the stolen generations.

Cape Barren Geese rarely swim so this bird caught my eye. As it happens the water was so shallow it was actually wading!

This was taken as a setting-the-scene shot with the camera phone. Standing on a park bench to take the shot was enough for this female to decide she had had enough of me! Later on I saw that she was nesting (below). The nest is in the grasses at the water's edge just above her left wing in the shot above.

I have read that the male bird builds the nest and the female incubates the eggs.

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Bird on!