The intriguing Musk Duck - Swan Lake, Phillip Island

Musk duck sit low in the water "platypus like". The presence of the leathery flap under the bill indicates that this is a male

As Pizzey says "A very strange duck". This one was swimming and diving quite close to our vantage point at Swan Lake's northern bird hide. The flow of "water off the duck's back" was quite impressive.

That tail flick again in case you missed it....!

This female bird was giving itself a belly rub (the back half of the bird is twisted belly-up)

Little black cormorant - love that eye colour!

Black swan

As usual there was good numbers of Eurasian coot

We surprised a Royal spoonbill who left the water to perch somewhat precariously on the ti-tree.

A very curious Brown thornbill was actually too close to the camera!

In the bird hide Welcome swallow chicks were excited by a camera flash until a "grown-up" came to settle things down 

Bird on!

Another Phillip Island cormorant, Swan Lake

There are five species of Cormorant in Australia and all can be readily seen at Phillip Island. Yesterday's post focussed on the Black-faced cormorant and featured a photo of an old jetty which was being used by three cormorant species. The detour to the jetty was actually a drop-in visit on our way to Swan Lake. No sooner had we reached the first of Swan Lake's two bird hides when a fourth cormorant species was noted.

Little black cormorant, Swan Lake, Phillip Island

Other highlights included seeing a good number of duck species. After many years of not seeing Freckled duck there continues to be a group readily seen from the northern bird hide.

Freckled duck, Chestnut teal with Black swan, Swan Lake, Phillip Island

Australian wood-duck, Chestnut teal & what I suspect are a two female Hardheads

What a hotchpotch of species on what must be prime real estate!

Two Yellow-billed spoonbills and a Royal spoonbill (at left)

Yellow-billed spoonbill demonstrating some breeding plumage

A distant but unmistakable silhouette of a Musk duck in profile

For mid summer it's a pleasure to see a good amount of water in the lake and so many different species (34) readily viewed from the well-placed hides.

Bird on!

A Bronze-cuckoo shines

Shining Bronze-cuckoo - a lifer for me!

Daughter and self visited Swan Lake at Phillip Island only to find that gumboots would be required if we were to proceed! 

We re-traced our steps to the car park when an obliging bronze-cuckoo appeared and perched above us (didn't actually call at this stage). Being a bit of a bronze-cuckoo nuff nuff I assumed that it would be the Horsfield's variety Chalcites basalis that I tend to see more often. The bird neatly displayed several angles demonstrating identifying features that distinguished it as a Shining bronze-cuckoo Chalcites lucidus. Lifer!!

I have since studied the call (very distinctive) and of course now I'm spotting them everywhere!

There was an even more obliging Grey fantail:

Grey fantail at Swan Lake, Phillip Island, Victoria

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!

Phillip Island raptors

'Enjoyed several encounters with raptors at Phillip Island at the weekend. I was driving along a gravel backroad and went past this car-stopper. The Brown falcon hung around briefly while I cricked my neck trying to photograph it out the car window having stopped 20 metres further on.

Brown falcon, Phillip Island

Sprung!

Ready for take-off! Brown falcon, Pyramid Rock Rd, Phillip Island, 7th April 2013

I'm glad I stopped! I was also looking foward to checking out photos taken of a fast moving but silhouetted falcon seen at Swan Lake .....

Peregrine falcon (immature), Swan Lake, Phillip Island

Bird on!

Freckled ducks at Swan Lake, Phillip Island

A small group of Freckled duck have settled into Phillip Island's Swan Lake since October 2012. I had noticed that they had started appearing on Eremaea lists in recent months and was thrilled to find them still present close to the northern-most bide hide at the weekend. Although not being terribly cooperative for the camera I was pleased to find them readily identifiable - a "lifer"!

Freckled duck, Phillip Island, 7th April 2013

I read that they are irruptive in distribution which is confirmed by the Eremaea lists for Victoria. None were reported at all for the entire state in 2010. This year has seen them in greater numbers than any previous year and we are only up to April!

Freckled Duck sightings in Victoria (Eremaea birds)

The Freckled duck were "roosting" along the edge of the drying lake mixing it with the usual good numbers of Eurasian coot, a few Black-fronted dotterel and the odd Little black cormorant.

There was lots to see on the day with several birds presenting nicely for photography from the hides. Seen below are Black-fronted dotterel, Black swan, White-faced heron, Pacific gull, Hoary-headed grebe, Eurasian coot, Australian white ibis and Little pied cormorant.

It was also a good opportunity to add to my fine photographic collection of Musk duck tail flicks...

Musk duck motoring along. I love how unusual these ducks are in appearance and behaviour.

Cape Barren Goose

"Swan Lake" or "Goose Puddle"?

The walk from the car park to the wetlands also affords good birding of bushland birds. Here we have New Holland honeyeater, some shy Red-browed finch, Eastern Yellow Robin and what I think is a young Golden whistler.

 Bird on!