With an abundance of birds that are fairly used to people, Jawbone Flora and Fauna Reserve along the Williamstown coastline is a good place to practice bird photography.
Australian Magpie, Jawbone Flora and Fauna Reserve, Williamstown, Vic
New Holland Honeyeater
II
Hoary-headed Grebe
Crested Pigeons feeling the early morning cold
Blue-billed Duck
After my last visit to the lake to observe and photograph the Spotless Crake and the Grebes I went back a few days later and while watching the Grebe with the chick we noticed another little head… a second chick.
Previously we had seen the Grebe with one chick:
Hoary Headed Grebe with a passenger
And then we saw the Grebe with two little passengers…
Hoary Headed Grebe and chicks
Hoary Headed Grebe and chicks – one at the front being fed a morsel while in the back seat the second chick tries to climb on board.
Hoary Headed Grebe and chicks – mum leaves the chicks on the surface and dives to the bottom for food
Hoary Headed Grebe chicks
Two tiny Grebe chicks barely heavy enough to break the water tension,
Hoary Headed Grebe and chicks – back with dinner.
While we were watching the Spotless Crake, I took a few shots of the Hoary Headed Grebe that had passed by just below the platform we were standing on. Usually Grebes don’t get too close to humans and will automatically dive under water if they feel threatened in anyway. Just looking at them directly can make them disappear. This one stayed nearby and did not dive at all, it just dibbled a bit under the surface. The young eagle-eyes of one of my fellow birders noticed a splash of orange/red on the grebe’s back and said that it might be injured. Meanwhile I just kept shooting…..
Hoary Headed Grebe
Hoary Headed Grebe with a little splash of colour in the centre of its back.
and then out popped a hitch-hiker….
Hoary Headed Grebe with very young chick
Hoary Headed Grebe – the grebe is a small bird and its chick is tiny…
Hoary Headed Grebe – feeding very small bits of weed
Hoary Headed Grebe – get along mummy….
Birds will continue to breed through Spring/Summer/Autumn if there is a stable food source and minimum threats. Â The local birders have not seen Grebes breed at the Lake before and it is a good sign.
Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria
Tagged Australian Birds, Bird Photography, Elsternwick Lake, Hoary Headed Grebe, Nature Photography, Photography, Victoria
A fairly uncommon bird was seen at the local lake a few weeks ago and when I received the call from the local birder network, I quickly grabbed my gear and headed over to try my luck.
The Spotless Crake is a tiny wader that skulks in the reeds along muddy edges. I have not seen one locally and not many anywhere else. This little bird was quite adventurous and not timid at all. It occasionally bolted back into its little tunnels along the bank but soon came out again.
Spotless Crake – passing a tennis ball which gives an idea of its size.
Spotless Crake II
 Several other birds were nearby that did not seem to bother the Crake very much. The only bird that had a go and made the Crake jump a bit was an aggro Willie Wagtail and as soon as it moved on the Grebe popped back out again.
Little Pied Cormorant – in the dead tree above the Crake
Little Pied Cormorant – near the Crake.
Spotless Crake and Grebe
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