Re: another successful breeding year at Yerrabi

["Marnix Zwankhuizen" <>]

And now there is a male Musk Duck at nearby Gungahlin Pond. It could be one of the 2 males you saw or another bird.

Cheers
Marnix

On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 12:57 PM, roger curnow <> wrote:

Hi All,

 

Yesterday Marnix posted the following:

This evening a female Musk Duck was present with 2 youngsters hurriedly paddling down the centre of the pond.
At one point one youngster tried unsuccessfully to jump on mum's back.
They looked like they were too old for piggyback riding.

This morning I saw "mum" carrying not just one but also two youngsters.

Did not get any decent pics but you can just about make them out in these.

 

Near the north end I found the male near the footbridge displaying? (splashing and whistling) among dense reeds.
Another female Musk Duck was present at the far north end of the pond.

 

I know nothing re the sexual proclivities of musk ducks, but I wonder if there might not be two adult males

since I saw one at the north end of the pond, and one en familie at the south end.

They (or he) can of course swim much faster than I can walk.

 

Also present was a family of 6 coots less than a week old.

And an egret that I would like to be a Little Egret though no doubt when I look at the photo carefully it will be a Cattle Egret

 

        roger curnow