I have made a few return trips to the Jawbone reserve lately. While quite exposed to the cold south-westerly winter weather, it is a place that allows fairly easy access to many birds. Typically I can find up to 50 species. A long but easy walk along the lagoons and scrub land, and the lagoons are narrow so at times a photographer can sneak up quite close. The secret is to not make eye contact and look like you are doing something else – they always seem to know when you are trying to get close and focus on them. The birds here are used to people running, walking and biking along the paths and edges of the lagoons even closer than we were and they were totally ignored…
Pink-eared Ducks, Jawbone flora and fauna reserve, WIlliamstown, Vic
Pink-eared Duck amongst Grey Teals
Pink-eared Ducks spooked by a White-bellied Sea-Eagle drifting along the coast
Male Blue-billed Duck, Jawbone flora and fauna reserve, WIlliamstown, Vic
II
Birder in the mud – sometimes you have to get cold, wet and muddy for the shot
Black-fronted Dotterel watching birders lying in the mud.
The Gap Year and Beyond 
Some great captures there Malt! Lovely flight shots of the Pink ears. It is always a delight to find a Blue Bill, if you can get close enough for a photo. I guess my curiosity would ask, is the Pink ear on the right of the two sleeping on the rock, a female or a juvenile? Looks like a great place to visit one day. Have a great weekend!
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Yeah, Jawbone is a very good site. I am not sure about the light pink ear. I would guess a female if one assumes a pair bond considering how close they were to each other. I see thousands of Pink -ears at the treatment plant but I never get close enough to get photos to do any study on the colour intensity of the ear markings. Another reason why Jawbone Nature Reserve is so good.
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Winter now, eh? What is your winter like?
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2 months in , 1 month to go, but it has not been too bad, still been out most weekends. We dont receive the really cold weather you guys get in North America. You can still go bushwalking, play golf, enjoy most outdoor pursuits. There is supposed to be much rain and wild weather from the Sound but it has been quite dry this year. My water tanks are still empty and I am using mains water to keep the gardens going.
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