Category Archives: Daintree wetlands

Mudflat activity continued……

Posted on 25 November, 2023 by | 2 comments

Please be warned that this post is all about one of my favourite Daintree water birds which I first saw nesting on Barratt Creek in 1986. At that stage we were a long way from restoration work and any bird activity away from the narrow esplanade along Barratt Creek was minimal. At various times we would hear the throaty call of a Great-Billed Heron and when we eventually had a boat on the creek we often saw one perched or if we disturbed it we would watch its majestic form flying above the water as it flew ahead of us towards the main river.

Once we had established wetlands in the early 2000s I was thrilled to occasionally catch a glimpse of a Great-billed Heron or know from it’s call that it was not far away. Now some twenty years later sightings are more frequent although being in a suitable location with a camera at hand is another story! This particular bird we are presuming is a regular visitor as it seems to be less nervous. We also presume that it has been watching us more than we have seen it and has now decided that we are not such a threat. I hope so.

After flying up to perch in a nearby Leichhardt tree (good sturdy horizontal branches) as I approached our rather open ‘hide’ this Great-billed Heron started to relax and preen. I tried to remain as unobtrusive as possible and eventually it flew down to the mudflat right in front of the hide.

I loved watching the slow and careful footsteps as the bird approached the water, seemingly it was totally focused on any potential prey movement.

I was poised, ready to record some action…………

Then it turned around and walked slowly in the other direction before having another preen.

After all that potential excitement it was then back to the favourite game of ‘statues’ – a very typical pose.

2 Comments

Posted in Bird Observations, Daintree wetlands, Restoration Rewards

Tagged

At last the waters recede

Posted on 24 November, 2023 by | Leave a comment

After such regular rainfall through the ‘winter’ months I thought our main mudflats were, once again, to remain an underwater mystery. Luckily ‘the tap’ was turned off for a few weeks as the heat increased and much to the delight of several bird species, in addition to the resident humans, the mud was revealed in all it’s glory with lots of yummy insects.

At first glance it may appear a somewhat drab outlook, however there is a veritable feast awaiting avid foragers such as the Buff-banded Rail in the photo above. It shared the space quite amicably with a couple of Pale-vented Bush-hens and a Jacana which, although often seen on the water lilies, couldn’t resist the abundant caterpillars on the mudflat.

A visiting Oriental Cuckoo joined in the feast and occasionally a White-browed Crake would sneak out from the cover of the sedge to feed quite manically in the shallows.

It is lovely to have the opportunity to actually see some of the birds that reside here. When the water levels are high we often hear the calls but it is fun to watch the interactions between the species feeding together. The White-browed Crake, which does tend to be a timid species, runs for cover as soon as the Jacana approaches.

Our camera doesn’t really cope with the distance but it was such fun to see the Shining Flycatcher share the perch with the Azure Kingfishers for a few minutes.

I started uploading these photos a few days ago and since then we’ve had more than 80mm of steady rain which is a wonderful soaking and has cheered up the vegetation that was starting to look a bit thirsty. The downside is that the retrieval of the weeds that I left on the edge of the mud are no longer ‘on the edge’. Looks like it is going to be another very muddy experience!

Leave a comment

Posted in Bird Observations, Daintree wetlands, Pond Life, Restoration Rewards

Tagged , , , ,

Mucking about in the Swamp

Posted on 2 October, 2021 by | 2 comments

Paddling around in our little dinghy on the wetlands, pulling weeds from the water, may appear messy and unappealing to some but it really isn’t a dreaded chore for me. I just love those moments of quiet amongst the water lilies watching the dragonflies and apologizing to the Magpie geese for disturbing them. My safety is assured with Allen’s dedication to thorough and accurate crocodile observations which gives me the freedom for some ‘water play’ while he keeps watch, just in case.

Carefully pulling up the grass to ensure the root is with it – nothing so disappointing as a broken stem!

This year we both found our winter wetland maintenance work was surprisingly uplifting. Although we have had further outbreaks of the dreaded Hymenachne amplexicaulis, our big efforts at clearing extensive invasions last year have not had to be repeated. This year we’ve just had a few patches which have been manually removed. Unfortunately we couldn’t get it all before some plants had flowered and produced more seed as our timing for any wetland work depends on our confidence regarding the whereabouts of our regular crocodile visitor. After two months with neither sighting nor any sign of where she has been sunning herself we were fairly sure she had retreated to the creek, however we maintained our safety routine…… just in case.

Taking the time to pull out a single plant can save a lot of angst in a few months
There is nothing elegant about paddling a dinghy of muddy weeds but the waterlilies are lovely.

What continues to delight us both is watching our revegetation efforts mature and I especially enjoy the shady edges along the ponds as well as observing the variety of species that are becoming well established. Birds and fruit bats have assisted us in increasing the biodiversity of our planting, which confirms our philosophy of planting a framework of trees and leaving the rest to wind and wildlife.

Melaleuca Swamp in between two of our front ponds. August 2021
The same area as above from a different viewpoint. September 2004 – planting has just started.
2004 – at the start of our first wetland creation and the beginning of a
wonderful relationship.

2 Comments

Posted in Daintree wetlands, Restoration Rewards

Radjah Shelducks

Posted on 20 April, 2020 by | 2 comments

My morning walk was thwarted by a pair of Radjah Shelducks perched on the bamboo rail adjacent to our driveway culvert! My approach was making them so dreadfully anxious I just felt it was kinder to turn around. I did stop and chat, explaining that I intended no harm but although they momentarily settled during the ‘conversation’ when I moved towards them again they became frantic. I felt so sorry for them, the dilemma of not wishing to give away the location of the hidden ducklings but very worried that I was getting too close.

About 10 days ago Allen observed one duck perched on this rail on a couple of successive days. We wondered if the partner might be sitting on eggs but in spite of some searching could find no further clues. Several days later Allen flushed an adult Radjah Shelduck with about a dozen very young ducklings while wandering through trees along Effie Creek (a small ephemeral creek which comes from our neighbour Ellen’s place). Yesterday he saw two ducks on the rail and when he walked closer they flew down to the water and he noticed a third duck at the water’s edge where he thinks she/he was hiding the ducklings.

So as yet there are no photos of the ducklings and we have a mystery regarding the third duck. We suspect the breeding pair may be those that were successful here last year and that possibly the third duck may be a female from last year’s ducklings. Ready answers are not always available in these situations so we will be content with knowing that we have provided habitat while we watch and wait.

2 Comments

Posted in Bird Observations, Daintree wetlands, Restoration Rewards

Tagged

Late afternoon in the hide

Posted on 5 September, 2019 by | 1 comment

After my late afternoon watering routine today I strolled through the garden back to the house and suggested to Allen that we take a glass of wine and some nibbles to the bird hide. Magpie geese were calling to each other as they sorted out roosts for the approaching night. A male was standing with the three goslings at one end of the main pond then suddenly he took off leaving the goslings alone and looking very uncertain as to what they should do.

The gander landed in a Leichardt tree from where he watched the goslings as did at least two other ‘look-out geese’ in other trees. After their initial confusion the goslings rallied and started to move into a more sheltered position in the sedge. They were on their own for only about 2 minutes before more adult geese took off from further away. For a moment I thought they were all going to fly past the poor goslings but then one female peeled away and landed quite close to them. Oh the relief! The goslings rushed out from their partial hiding place and stood close to the adult female who then led them out into the water.

Female leading the goslings across the water in front of the hide
There is quite a size difference between the gosling on the left and the other two.

The goslings are growing very fast, they now have a few white breast feathers and in the photo above it is easy to see new tail feathers emerging. As Allen concentrated on the goslings, trying to see where they were being taken for the night I looked across the pond just in time to see the arrival of the Burdekin duck family. The light was just good enough for Allen to manage a photo or two of them.

Time for a quick drink no time for swimming at this time of day.

The ducklings are also growing very fast and we were delighted to see that there are still seven of them. After a quick drink the family moved up the bank and started to move along the bund wall with one parent in front and the other behind. Once out in the open the ducklings sped up, running with wing flap assistance until they were out of our sight with the parents close behind.

Once they were on the grassy top of the bund wall the ducklings moved as fast as they could to reach some shelter.

We don’t know where the ducklings or the goslings spend their nights and we never search for them in case we inadvertently alert a predator to their whereabouts.

For several years I have been pondering why ducks and geese moved off the property with newly hatched young. Was the habitat not mature enough? What was missing? These are questions that will probably remain unanswered but now I have another. With an apex predator now in residence, while enough water provides a safe haven for her, what has changed for the water birds? Could it be that the crocodile has ‘controlled’ our very healthy population of eels and turtles thus reducing the mortality of young ducks and geese? Whatever the reason it is immensely satisfying to know that we are providing habitat for these birds to breed successfully.

1 Comment

Posted in Bird Observations, Daintree wetlands, Pond Life, Reptiles, Restoration Rewards

Tagged , ,

Not Sitting Ducks

Posted on 28 August, 2019 by | Leave a comment

A beautiful, sunny day and a quiet afternoon with time for a walk but I didn’t get much further than the bird hide. Finally it was my turn to get a good look at the Burdekin Duck family! There had been no sign of them for nearly a week so I was thrilled to have a chance to observe them. They were just coming down to the water as I carefully made my way into the hide without alerting them.

7 ducklings with vigilant parents

After a splash in the water while staying very close to the bank the ducklings swam along a little channel behind Crake Island.

A quick swim with a few dives, a bit of a wash then they moved on.
Ducklings drying off after their swim

As I watched the duck family I could see a Magpie goose moving around on Crake Island then the ducks swam behind the island and the goose family walked into the sun with their 3 gangly goslings. The ducks appeared a short distance away on the same little island but only to dry off in the sun before they retreated out of sight.

With all this paddling about in the mud it is no wonder the water is a bit stirred up.

So where was Betty Barratt while all this splashing and preening was going on? She was in the next door pond hiding fairly effectively in a patch of Persicaria strigosa. This photo of her tail is taken from a safe distance just to illustrate her ability to warm in the sun while remaining less than obvious to a casual observer.

Leave a comment

Posted in Bird Observations, Daintree Plants, Daintree wetlands, Wetland plants

Tagged , ,

Winter Update

Posted on 21 July, 2019 by | 2 comments

The wet season has drizzled to a close through June and we are now experiencing some dry weather with mostly sunny days and quite cold nights. River mist is often a feature of these cold, clear mornings as we experienced yesterday at the start of a tour with Murray the Daintree Boatman. In spite of the cold it was a wonderful morning excursion and we were able to enjoy lengthy observations of a Great-billed Heron both on the main river and in Barratt Creek. It was peaceful on the water in the early morning, watching the bird with only occasional quiet talk and the whir of camera motor-drives breaking the silence.

Murray heading in to pick up his passengers
Fabulous reflections in the still water as we waited for the Heron to move into better light

Back at Wild Wings & Swampy Things ……..in early June a little flock of Spotted Whistling ducks arrived and stayed for a few weeks. We watched their movements with interest as they shared a pond with Betty Barratt, the crocodile who frequently enjoys our hospitality. The larger and apparently more senior Spotted Whistling Duck, which we took to be the male, kept a very close look-out after one of the flock went missing.

Spotted Whistling Ducks in the background – living dangerously.

Betty continues her quiet life in our ponds while they hold sufficient water for her to feel comfortable. She is becoming a little more adventurous this year with more frequent movements between ‘Graham’ and ‘Rupert’ (all our ponds have names) leaving a muddy track on the bund wall separating the two ponds.

Many of the ‘bush birds’ have been a little quiet in the last week, possibly due to cold and sometimes windy weather. A few Magpie geese have been hanging around recently and several days ago, having noticed some trampled sedge, I was able to observe an adult goose with at least four, possibly five goslings. My dusk sighting didn’t enable a good view so Allen and I went out the next morning to see what was happening. We walked to Graham’s hide first; no visible goose activity but Betty was sunning herself amongst the waterlilies looking distinctly satisfied.

Is that a self-satisfied gleam in her eye?

We walked down to the ’07 ponds (never properly named!) from where we could hear geese. There were several lookout birds honking from surrounding trees and nervous parents on the water with only two goslings. As Allen saw both a Sea Eagle and a Brahminy Kite having a go at the goslings later in the morning he was loath to blame Betty but the next morning only one gosling remained.

One gosling closely guarded

This morning the geese were sounding very unsettled, Betty was swimming around below the trees in which they perched and there was no gosling to be seen. There was, however, a Black Bittern skulking around on a small island in between the sedge plants (Rhynchospora corymbosa). It’s fun to have the opportunity to observe a BB without being seen although I didn’t see any dramatic action. Their ability to hold a pose for minutes on end with no apparent movement is extraordinary.

Female Black Bittern in typical pose on Crake Island in Graham’s Pond

And so life on the ponds continues, a visiting friend today suggested that a renaming of the property to Wild Wings & Bitey Things might be appropriate as we await our official Crocodile warning sign! My mind immediately thought of the Faulty Towers television series and the fun we could have with an easily altered sign.

2 Comments

Posted in Bird Observations, Daintree wetlands, Day excursions, Reptiles

Tagged , , , ,

Misty morning

Posted on 23 March, 2019 by | Leave a comment
Mist moving quite rapidly along Barratt Creek

After my previous early morning post I walked down to the bird hide at first light. In spite of my initial disappointment that the river level had not dropped I took time to enjoy a peaceful beginning to the day. There was a lull in the rain and the birds were wisely making the most of it, flitting from tree to tree hunting for breakfast.

Our forest of Leichardt trees – thriving in wet conditions, providing shelter and food.

So now the water level has started to drop, there are bursts of sunshine between the showers and we’ve just witnessed the joyful sight of the Ergon crew aboard a helicopter looking for the fault in the power line.

A bright red bird of a different species and one we are happy to see today.
Sunlight glistening on raindrops

Leave a comment

Posted in Daintree wetlands

“The Wet”

Posted on 23 March, 2019 by | 1 comment
Our leafy tunnel of a driveway disappearing under water

Once again this season high rainfall in the Daintree Valley catchment area has pushed the Daintree River and Barratt Creek just over a moderate flood level. As this event coincided with king tides and steady rain for several days the water has just quietly backed up into our wetlands. The ground is so saturated that even very low tides have made only a minimal difference to the water level.

Only a short walk from the house, the hide is a comfortable place for contemplation

Allen is immensely patient in the hide and all credit goes to him for the photos in this post.

Not a floating log
Betty Barratt swam past the hide on her way back to her usual pond. We have been keeping a close look out for her on the edge of the floodwaters so we were pleased to have a sighting.

From the hide it is possible to see little birds dart about between rain showers and yesterday we watched a female Shining Flycatcher with a youngster hiding under the big leaves of a Leichardt tree (Nauclea orientalis) as big rain drops fell around them.

Even during the rain these gorgeous Azure kingfishers will be out looking for a feed

Although the rainfall has been much less overnight there was a heavy downpour at about 3.30 am. Allen started our little generator at 4 am to cool down the fridge and freezer and so it seemed like a good time to get up. I am awaiting daylight before deciding on the day’s activities.

1 Comment

Posted in Bird Observations, Daintree wetlands, Reptiles

Floods, mud and more…..

Posted on 28 February, 2019 by | 1 comment

It has indeed been very wet this summer and it’s probably not over yet. We’ve had several floods including one major one which deposited a great deal of silt in our orchard as well as all areas below our house and garden surrounds. While watching the flood waters rise can be ‘exciting’ at times the aftermath is not, but we are exceedingly grateful that our house avoided inundation.

A layer of silt over the track to the orchard

A thick layer of mud stuck on a Mangosteen leaf -although these leaves are quite shiny the mud doesn’t wash off even when heavy rain follows the flood.
Malay Apple (Syzygium puberulum) – bursting out with it’s brilliantly coloured blooms a week after total inundation.

During the big flood, a saltwater crocodile moved into our front wetland system for a holiday. There are no pesky tour boats to disturb her here so she is able to enjoy the peace and quiet, apart from Allen occasionally mowing the bank of her pond . We first noticed her after a flood last year and she stayed for a few months only returning to the creek when our ponds became too shallow for her.
Betty Barratt appears to prefer Rupert’s pond which is the deepest and has easy access to the creek as well as convenient sunny banks on which to warm up. While it is a privilege to host an apex predator her presence does limit the delights of loitering around the edges of the ponds.

Just looking……
Basking quietly in the sun

1 Comment

Posted in Daintree wetlands, Reptiles

Tagged ,