A pair of Australasian Shovelers taken at a local wetland. Apparently these are both males with one going into eclipse plumage, or possibly coming out of eclipse. They are reasonably common I think but this is a first for me. They were at the otherside of the wetland so I couldn't get the detail I was after so will have to go back. I didn't realise they were so pretty and you can't go past those spectacular bills.

These birds are filter feeders and use special grooves along the edges of the bill to filter insects, crustaceans and a variety of plants from the water.

I enjoyed the afternoon watching them feed in the later afternoon light.

Tags:   Jacana Wetlands birds Australasian Shoveler Duck Filter feeder Wetland Victoria water bird Nikon D500 Tamron 150-600 water

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A closer look at the Pink-eared duck that I recently posed in flight. I was thrilled to find a pair in my local little wetland that is proving to be a hotspot for such a variety of birds.

It's nick-name is Zebra duck and the strips and that shovel-shaped beak and pink around the ear mean there is no mistaking it for anything else.

I am giving my son driving lessons (Yikes!) so I also make sure we pass this spot so I can have a peek. He has to negotiate some narrow streets and funny turns to get there (that is my excuse for driving past the spot!). I lost the cover to my battery on the camera while there so we went back to look for it. No luck. I didn't bring my camera and we just stayed and watched the birds as I pointed out all the different species that were there. A little thing. right on my suburban doorstep but gives me so much pleasure. My son appeared to be impressed :)

Tags:   Aitkin Lake Craigieburn birds ducks Pink-eared duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus Nikon D500 Tamron 150-600 Australian Bird wetland wetland bird duck water Water-bird

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This is one of Australia's rarest ducks. In a way it has become the face of the anti-duck hunting campaign as this was the main species massacred in one wetland where over 75 were shot and killed in the opening weekend of the duck hunting season last year.

The outrage of this event sparked a review of the Game Management Authority's effectiveness to regulate duck hunting and saw the closure of a number of wetlands to hunters. I haven't heard the results of this hunting season as yet.

I was rewarded with my first sighting of this species after a quick dash to Swan Lake on Phillip Island last week where five Freckled ducks were hanging around the edge of the lake near the bird hide .

Tags:   April 2018 Freckled duck Phillip Island Swan Lake birds Endangered Endangered duck water bird Stictonetta naevosa waterfowl duck Australian Bird Nikon D500 Tamron 150-600

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These ducks are for Ray.
www.flickr.com/photos/127387461@N03/

Ray loves ducks and takes beautiful images of them on Lake Ontario.

Today while I was the Western Treatment Plant, I was determined to take a good duck image for Ray. One of my favourite ducks are these Pink-eared ducks. You have to look pretty closely to see the pink though but they have these magnificent stripes and an odd shaped beak, like a shovel which has evolved to feed in a specialised manner: water is sucked through the bill-tip, then expelled through grooves along the side of the bill, filtering out tiny invertebrates in the process (bird-life Australia).

I'm not sure I achieved a good duck image after the many that I took but thought Ray might like this one :)

Tags:   WTP birds duck 'Pink-eared duck water Western Treatment Plant Bird Flight flying duck 'Australian Nikon D500 Tamron 150-600

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Grey Teal ducks taking a stroll along the edges of the Jacana Wetland in the late afternoon sun. These are one of our smaller species of ducks with the male slightly larger than the female.

They often feed by "dabbling" (filter surface water or mud through the bill), which I had great fun watching them do with their tails upended.

Perhaps not spectacular in their colours, they are still quite beautiful ducks.

Tags:   Jacana Wetlands birds Anas gracilis Grey Teal duck Australian Bird water fowl water bird lake water Nikon D500 Tamron 150-600 Wetland

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