A feeding frenzy

A short sojourn to Brisbane for a family wedding (actually I had great fun as mother of the groom!) but as always we are pleased to be home.   As we drove down our driveway a cloud of white lifted off the front wetland so I was soon heading off with the binoculars to see what was happening.   I think the word has got out that there is a concentrated food source at Wild Wings and Swampy Things ….it is great fun just watching the different species together, their interactions as well as their various manners of feeding.

I had several attempts at capturing Great and Intermediate Egret in the same photo at the same angle for a comparison of head shape and neck length.  My aim is to improve my identification skills so that I don’t necessarily have to rely on a close look at the gape in order to tell the two species apart.

The main perching tree near this particular feeding location is a Leichardt (Nauclea orientalis) which has often featured in this blog.  While it is a popular preening position, as well as the nearest tall tree if there is a disturbance, no species was willing to share a perch with the Whistling Kite which has been making at least one daily visit.