It is now 25 days since I wrote about the female Australian Wood Duck being taken, and the male duck raising eight ducklings. In that first post I mention we had sighted the ducklings about a week before. So, give or take a few days, the ducklings are now a month old. We still have … Continue reading Duckling Update: Growing Adult Plumage
Tag: ducks
Ducklings: Still Eight, and Growing Fast
Since the loss of the female Australian Wood Duck, we’ve been hoping the male can successfully rear eight ducklings on his own. Ten days later, the eight ducklings are still alive and seem to be growing fast. The family of ducks seem to live just over our boundary fence, and come in to graze or … Continue reading Ducklings: Still Eight, and Growing Fast
Duckling Worries
Last year, the Australian Wood Duck pair first brought their brood of ducklings to our dam on 14 September, so I have been watching and waiting for ducklings since mid-September this year. Finally, this week they appeared. We first sighted nine ducklings being led by two parents at dusk about a week ago. They were on … Continue reading Duckling Worries
Disputed Habitat: Pacific Black Duck vs Australian Wood Duck
This morning I awoke to a wonderful surprise, a Pacific Black Duck with approximately eight ducklings (it was difficult to count them from a distance). I’d not noticed a nest, so I don’t know if they were breeding on our property or a neighboring one. With such young fluffy ducklings, they had obviously walked … Continue reading Disputed Habitat: Pacific Black Duck vs Australian Wood Duck
Australian Wood Ducks
It has been quite a busy week. In those moments where I just want a break, I have been very thankful for the return of the Australian Wood Ducks which are back after spending the Summer elsewhere. For some reason, they seem much more relaxed near the house, which is fantastic. It has given … Continue reading Australian Wood Ducks
And then there were nine…with apologies to Agatha Christie!
Last year, the pair of Australian Wood Ducks successfully raised eleven ducklings to maturity, and we were hoping they would be able to do the same for the twelve ducklings in this year’s brood. The ducks frequently walk from wherever they nest to the grass verge in front of the dam to forage, and this … Continue reading And then there were nine…with apologies to Agatha Christie!
Sparring Pacific Black Ducks
On Friday night we attended our first Field Naturalist meeting in Ballarat. By asking myself the simple question, ‘What do we have on our land?’ I have discovered the pleasure of finding a bird or a plant, and classifying it. The Field Naturalists seemed a logical progression, but for various reasons Friday was the first … Continue reading Sparring Pacific Black Ducks
New Brood: Twelve Little Australian Wood Ducks
Spring truly is here. Our pair of Australian Wood Ducks brought their twelve young ducklings down to the dam for a swim. This was our first glimpse of the new brood. I’m sure in the months to come, we’ll get many more photo opportunities, so I’ll just start with this one photo.
One Magpie v. More than Twenty Ducks
This is a sight I have often seen, but never before with camera in hand! Finally, I have captured it to share with you. A pair of magpies lives in a tree near the house, spending much of the day on the lawn leading down to the dam. One of these magpies is particularly territorial, … Continue reading One Magpie v. More than Twenty Ducks
Pacific Black Duck
Mid afternoon we noticed a different species of duck in the dam. It turned out to be a Pacific Black Duck – actually brown in colour. This species is pretty common around most of Australia, but as far as we know it is the first time it has visited us. We were pleased to see … Continue reading Pacific Black Duck
Australian Wood Ducks 2 – Duckling Update
The family of Australian Wood Ducks spend much of their day on and around our dam, even though they built their nest under some scrubby bushes just over the fence into the neighbouring property. All eleven ducklings have survived and have their adult plumage. Although they are still adjusting to their wings, they can also … Continue reading Australian Wood Ducks 2 – Duckling Update
Australian Wood Ducks
Each day, a wild family of Australian Wood Ducks spends time on and around our dam, before going back to their home on a neighbouring property. We’ve watched as the 11 ducklings have grown from balls of fluff to small ducks taking on adult plumage. The ducks seem to live on a tiny, muddy pond … Continue reading Australian Wood Ducks
A taste of Spring
While the weather here is cold enough to keep the wood fire burning, it doesn’t seem to have stopped the birds from getting into the swing of Spring. When I walked around our boundary fence yesterday, I could hear baby magpies, and was swooped by adult magpies. From the safety of the house, I could … Continue reading A taste of Spring
A Wishlist
Waiting for the property settlement gives me time to dream and plan -there’s seven weeks to go…. I’ve never lived anywhere but in a suburban house before, so thinking about what I could do on 15 acres of land is both exciting and daunting. For some people this probably seems a very small land holding, … Continue reading A Wishlist
Fifteen Acres 