Monday, December 26, 2011

Our World & World Bird Wednesday - A company of Crakes


I sincerely hope you all survived Christmas and the various
assorted cholesterol pies, I also hope no paramedics had their
feasts interrupted due to over-eathin heart attacks . . . ho, ho,
ho, t'is the season for much folly, fa la la, fa la la, la, la, la . . .

On my way to pick up some cherries from our local orchardist,
I passed his dam opposite to the golf course and was treated to
a massed nursery of young Spotless Crake, Porzana tabuensis.
It seems my ID has been called into question, thank you
Stewart M and on further research, it could just as easily be a
Black-Tailed Native Hen, Tribonyx ventralis, either way, its a
newby to me.


There were hundreds of them and, although I pulled up behind
some light tree and grass cover, by the time I crept out to get a
decent shot, most of them had taken to the air and disappeared
into the rough of the golf course.


These last two shots are rather heavily cropped but were at least
enough to identify them. Another lifer chalked up.


A little further from home, just a few Pelicans at the little Wetland
just outside Murray Bridge.



Stay safe, be (reasonably) good and, with all the goodies around
that we all make at this season, a little of what you fancy does
you good.

44 comments:

  1. the crakes are almost chicken-like in stance. very cool!

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  2. Nice candid shots of crakes & pelicans.

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  3. Hope you had a safe Christmas. Now time to plan for New Years Eve.

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  4. Hi Arija :)
    mi piace molot la foto n°4.
    bUONA SERATA :))
    Myriam

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  5. Happy Happy Christmas to you!
    So strange to see a summer landscape, when winter sits outside my window here!

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  6. Great captures of the Crakes and Pelicans!! I do hope you had a great Christmas. I was very good this year, with no family here, I had a frozen, fat free dinner and all I had to do was stick it in the oven! No decorations, so nothing to clean up! Wow! Better than I thought it would be!! Things with the kids Dad are about the same, he's hanging on by a string and they've all made their last journey to visit him. Wishing you a very Happy New Year, Arija!

    Much love to you,
    Sylvia

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  7. They do look a little like small chickens. Interesting bird Arija. Good for you to find a new one.
    I like Pelicans too, and would love to get pictures of them.
    It's quiet here now, and we all survived Christmas. Hope yours was special.
    B.

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  8. very cool shots of the birds. hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

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  9. I love seeing the birds in your world.

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  10. Oh Arija..I need to come and hang out in your yard until winter is over... we could have a good time..hugs...

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  11. Beautiful shots of birds. They are having a great time.

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  12. I agree with Theresa, the Crakes certainly have the look and stance like chickens, very cool that you got to view them and the images are quite good...you had a gift. I really like the closing words on this post...so right!! Have a sweet day, precious friend to so many...we sure enjoy your heart shares~ Hugs to you~

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  13. What cool-looking birds. Lovely shots.

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  14. Congrats on the Lifer and the photos to go along :-)
    Would love to see the Pelicans!

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  15. we survived :) nice fotos. i specially like the last one! have a great week :)

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  16. I've seen these birds around Arija but have never known their name.
    Beautiful weather for Christmas with a swim in the afternoon - just perfect!!

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  17. Hi there - glad you got through Christmas intact - now for New Year!

    We will don’t really go that far around Christmas - maybe a few days at Point Lonsdale (West of Geelong)

    I have a sneaky feeling that your crakes may be Black-Tailed Native Hens. I bill should be black to be the Crake. I don’t know this stuff off the top of my head - but I spent a while a few years ago trying to get pictures of the Hens and failed!

    Hope you have a good and blogful 2012!

    Cheers - Stewart M

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  18. Hi Arija, I hope you had a Happy Christmas. Congrats oin your new lifer, it is cool to see so many of them on your first time too. Great shots. I wish you and your family all the best in 2012. Happy New Years!

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  19. Sorry! Not able to do conclusive from the pictures - or from my ability for that matter! I told my wife I had a moral dilemma to solve - and I came down on the side of "call it as you see it!" As far as I know the colour of the beak makes it an open and shut case. All the texts I have here (I have a few) say the beak should be black for it to be the crake. And the birds also just look like the ones I knew as the Native hens - I'm so far from being an authority on this as to be un-funny, but I'm pretty sure I've got this right. But you should ask around as well!

    Cheers (and sorry!) SM

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  20. Wonderful photos, Arija! I try and take bird photos (and there are certainly lots at the Parklands), but I still need to practice more...
    I'll put some up soon.

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  21. It is almost impossible to sneak up on a bird, isn’t it? I love how birds have the luxury of scattering up into the air so beautifully when they hear someone coming … although it makes for a difficult shot. :)

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  22. Interesting! Crakes are new to me. Great photos of them.

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  23. Nice shots, one day I need to try to get some good bird photos. We're not spending New Years in Vegas, my shots were some of the last leftovers from our spring trip out there.

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  24. Wow! I've only heard of crakes, never seen them. They look like a cross between pigeons and chickens! Loved your photos...and your words! This is the season for us to gorge! The weather makes sure that our appetites never remain satiated! All the best for the New Year!!

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  25. that´s a great bird. Congrats to the lifer. But isn´t it sad how they always get scared? I think they should know we are not dangerous. Right?

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  26. Great sequence!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  27. Wonderful birds to see.. I am so jealous of the wildlife you see..

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  28. Those Crakes remind me of our Moorhens; but much bigger.
    Have a good New year. :-)

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  29. Dearest Arija:
    Wishing you all the simple pleasures of this joyful time of year!
    I did have a lovely time spent with daughter and her family.Yes husband and I and kitties shall be leaving for Arizona 1st week in January.
    love and light to you across the miles..Anna

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  30. Nice shots! Congratulations on the sighting!

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  31. Whatever their name is they are cool birds and it is always wonderful to see so many at once. Love the pelicans too.

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  32. Great photos of the Native Hens and of course I think Pelicans are always fun to watch and photograph. I hope your holidays have been fun!

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  33. I love the pelicans. These are wonderful photos.

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  34. oh nice pics; great to chalk up something new too.

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  35. Beautiful photos.

    Happy New Year!

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  36. I love them all:)
    Happy New Year to you!

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  37. Love those hens. The pelican shot is great.

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  38. A lifer to end the year is a good deal! Your entering 2012 with your new camera revved up, I predict a great year for you Sister!
    Happy New Year!

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  39. You did great getting those shots!Thank-you for making me laugh today,happy new year to you & yours,phyllis

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  40. Great sighting of a very cool bird Arija! They remind me of our Common Moorhen, now known as the Common Gallinule.

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  41. Thought I had written here, but just wanna say is gorgeous :0)

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