Category Archives: Pond Life

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!

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

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Hard Rains ……

Posted on 11 January, 2022 by | 2 comments

Well not really – we’ve had glorious steady rain and much cooler temperatures have been a welcome relief to us after the recent extreme heat and humidity. So far the violent storms and torrential rain have missed us and my newly planted fruit trees have had a chance to settle in. When we plant trees we always give them a good watering but it doesn’t match the benefit of a decent rainfall. Allen thought this morning was a good opportunity to plant out a few more rainforest trees that he’s grown. His timing was perfect for the trees but as the rain got heavier I was very pleased he hadn’t needed an assistant!

Tarennia dallechiana flowers just visible through the rain. These beautifully perfumed flowers are one of the many rainforest species to make late summer afternoons such a sensory experience.

About a week ago Betty finally made a reappearance in our wetlands! She quietly slid into the water as Allen watched from the bird hide. She had been lying on a bank in the shade, blending so well into her environment that he didn’t see her until she moved. On subsequent days we saw her in the water, sometimes with part of her back exposed to absorb the sun’s heat. As the days have been so hot recently it wasn’t long before she quietly submerged, leaving a trail of bubbles for us to follow.

Only necessary to expose a small portion of the back when it was so hot as the raised scales have a plentiful blood supply transporting heat into the body of the crocodile.
Barely a ripple on the water as she swims quietly through the water lilies.

There has been some speculation regarding potential crocodile nest construction in our swamps. Although it would be confirmation of a successful wetland restoration project I must admit to some nervousness at the prospect. Continuing this theme one might consider why Betty has not nested when she appears to be a mature female. Might she, in fact, be Bob and not Betty?

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Posted in Pond Life, Reptiles

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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.

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

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Swampy Extremes

Posted on 27 December, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Many areas of Queensland suffer from a lack of rain combined with extremely high temperatures that I would find difficult to cope with.  After a dry winter and most of spring we experienced some very hot, humid days late in November. Our hot dry weather didn’t last very long and now it is becoming hard to imagine. Today the entire area pictured below is under water…….

Nov. 27 Looking towards driveway. Bamboo railing on edge of culvert is just visible.

The extended dry period enabled us to carry out some maintenance in our ephemeral wetlands, particularly in areas we are not able to access every year. Allen used our little tractor with a rear blade to clear *Para grass that was starting to choke up channels between our front ponds. While we would prefer not to disturb the soil, the run-off from the main road needs to go through the front of our property to ultimately drain into Barratt Creek. Our long term aim is to reduce this grass growth by shading the channels with trees able to cope with partial inundation. It will mean less maintenance for us and gradually a more natural habitat will develop.

A shallow puddle made muddy by the water birds feasting on any remaining fish and crustaceans.

While Allen was on the tractor I was walking around with my weeder tool and a bag, pulling out young *Hymenachne plants that had germinated in areas where Magpie geese had been resting. While not a physically demanding job it is easy to miss a piece especially when it is hiding in Persicaria, pictured above.

Looking down the driveway this afternoon – we could just see the bamboo from the culvert railing but it appeared to be floating free.

Floods are part of wet season life here. When the children were young I spent a lot of time running about in the rain and mud with them and when we had a flood we often went paddling around in the dinghy to explore the landscape from a different perspective.
Now I enjoy having time to read as well as completing some inside jobs that have been deferred in favour of time in the garden.

View from the bird hide towards Barratt Creek

When there was a lull in the rain showers this afternoon I walked to the bird hide to take these photos. There was a background noise of water roaring in the creek, several Shining flycatchers calling with a Cicadabird and Orioles as a back-up chorus. Closer to the Spring-fed ponds I could hear a Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher calling and hoped that its chosen mound was out of flood waters.

Water level not yet at the bird hide floor boards and we’re hoping it doesn’t get any higher.

*Both Hymenachne and Para grass are pasture grasses that have been introduced to Australia to provide fodder in low lying, wet areas. They are both very invasive species and ‘death’ to wetlands as they smother all the native grasses and sedges and choke the waterways.

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Posted in Bird Observations, Pond Life

Early Rains as predicted ….

Posted on 19 October, 2017 by | Leave a comment

Allen measured 220 mm in the gauge this morning (that included about 15 mm from the day before) and with steady rain continuing  all day our ponds are nearly full …. in October!!
Spotted Whistling ducks back on the ponds yesterday – 19 of them, right in front of the bird hide some feeding in the shallows, some preening and enjoying the warmth of the sun after a couple of wet days.  We think that some of these ducks began their lives here as they appeared to be ‘at home’ and were not at all disturbed by our movement.

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Busy searching through the mud which had been completely dry two days ago.

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Enjoying the sun after a good feed

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Relaxed and resting – how marvellous to be able to sleep on top of a post!

The Great-billed Heron, who has been making the most of our mudflats may be disappointed at the sudden inundation but hopefully he/she will continue the regular visitation.

Great-Billed Heron

Great-billed Heron quietly moving around the edges of the pond 

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Posted in Bird Observations, Daintree wetlands, Pond Life

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Rain and Shine

Posted on 27 February, 2017 by | 1 comment

Several days of heavy rainfall during the wet season, when the ground is already saturated, can result in some areas becoming inundated.  Birds take advantage of any breaks in the rain to feed on insects moving up and away from the rising water.

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Leichardts in their temporary lake earlier this month – it’s very peaceful sitting in the canoe watching and listening to the wildlife.    

However, it is not always like that during the summer months and recently we have enjoyed early mornings in which the air is clearer and cooler after overnight rain.  It’s good to rise early so there is time to get a few things done outside before it becomes too uncomfortable in the steamy heat and before the storm clouds roll in during the afternoon.

Now that most of our rainforest regeneration is well established with canopy closure, our focus is on maintaining access paths.  It is not hard work to clear some of the branches hanging too low and the disturbance of vegetation often encourages insectivorous birds.  Lovely Fairy-wrens, in particular, often come in close to take advantage of any insects that may have been dislodged.

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This beautiful River Cherry (Syzygium tierneyanum) was situated in an overgrown area of grass with a ‘drain’ running through it prior to 2004

We have a lovely path between us and our neighbour, who also forms part of Wild Wings & Swampy Things Nature Refuge.  Leaving our driveway, it winds around one of our ponds and over Effie Creek on a footbridge before a gentle slope rises to our boundary.   Azure Kingfishers can often be heard along Effie Creek which copes with the run-off from the main road.  The water is filtered as it runs through our front pond system and finally enters Barratt Creek.

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No hand-rail on this bridge due to the danger of material becoming caught in a big flood and tearing out the entire structure.  

 

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Posted in Daintree wetlands, Pond Life

Life on the Ponds

Posted on 8 January, 2017 by | Leave a comment

Beautiful tropical summer weather; mostly dry mornings with periods of sun, followed by showers in the afternoon/evening so our ponds are gradually filling.   Its perfect weather for dragonflies and hanging around in the swamp with a camera.

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Water Prince (Hydrobasileus brevistylus)  Female – she was hovering and occasionally dipping her abdomen towards the leaf.

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Lesser Green Emperor (Anax guttatus) Flying up and down the ponds, very occasionally hovering before taking off again in a different direction. Possibly a male?

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Front view – Lesser Green Emperor 

Making the most of some lighter weather this turtle was resting on some pond ‘infrastructure’ that is exposed at low water levels.  When the wetlands were new the fish needed places to hide so we arranged a few old tyres  – its probably rather a good turtle resting place with a gentle slope and a decent grip on its surface.

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Saw-shelled fresh water turtle

There are many of these delicate little Darkmouth dragonflies on the vegetation in the shallows.  Once located they make relatively easy photographic subjects as they, like many in the Libellulidae family, will usually perch in between short flights, often returning to the same twig.  Digital photography is a wonderful assistance in identifying dragonflies as some of the differences are quite subtle and certainly not obvious to an untrained eye.

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Darkmouth (Brachydiplax duivenbodei)

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Posted in Daintree wetlands, Dragonflies, Fresh-water Turtle, Insect Life, Pond Life

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Feeding Frenzy

Posted on 28 December, 2016 by | 1 comment

Rainfall is imminent in the next few days;   “90% chance of showers and possible thunderstorms with areas of rain” but by Jan 2nd the forecast is just “Rain. Possible storm”.   It seems like water levels in the wetlands are about to rise but while there are still lots of muddy edges and shallow ponds full of fish and crustaceans there are busy birds with full bellies.

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Great Egret trying to get a firm grip on a River Prawn.  Macrobrachium sp.

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Now in a firm hold but still quite a challenge to swallow

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Azure Kingfisher with one of many fish caught in a morning session.

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Azure Kingfisher often flies to this horizontal perch as it’s convenient to use for bashing  prey prior to consumption.

Pale-vented Bushhen

Pale-vented Bush Hen – while we did see it catch fish occasionally it was mainly hunting on or around the vegetation.  This is possibly a dragonfly nymph.

Birds all have their own particular hunting methods and it is quite amusing to watch a Great Egret with its ‘wait quietly and pounce’ method becoming annoyed at a Little Egret which tends to be rather hyperactive, stirring the water up with its feet to see what is disturbed.  This Little Egret is in breeding colours and plumage, gloriously white even though it is spending its days in the muddy shallows.

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Little Egret in the process of swallowing a fish.

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Posted in Bird Observations, Pond Life

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Wild Wings …..

Posted on 8 March, 2016 by | 1 comment

Little Kingfisher – Ceyx pusillus is one of a special group of tropical Australian iconic bird species.  Our wetlands’ designs included areas we hoped would create habitats appealing to this beautiful jewel of a bird and I can now say with confidence that we have indeed achieved our aim!

Little Kingfisher

Little Kingfisher

Cottonwood – Hibiscus tiliaceous which thrives in wet situations and tends to spread (a habit not favoured by some) now helps to provide shade and shelter around the wetland overflow .  Both Azure and Little Kingfishers use an overhanging Cottonwood branch to watch the fish in the clear water flowing over the spillway before diving in for a feed.

These secretive, tiny birds with the oversized bills prefer dark well vegetated waterways which make challenging photographic conditions.   Allen has been patiently returning to the bird hide, time after time, hoping that he could catch it on one its brief forays into the open.  Finally this morning he had some success and although the light was poor due to overcast conditions the blue of this amazing, diminutive bird shines brilliantly.

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Posted in Bird Observations, Pond Life, Uncategorized, Wetland plants

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Cool pool rewards.

Posted on 17 December, 2013 by | 1 comment

Since we converted our salt-water chlorinated swimming pool to a fresh-water swimming pond 6 years ago it has gradually become a more inviting habitat for many local creatures as well as being a delightful place to cool off during the summer months.

Fresh-water swimming pond with fish and plants.

Fresh-water swimming pond with fish and plants.

I walked into the pool garden this afternoon and was amazed to find a male Macleay’s Spectre hanging, in a typical pose, on the strap-like leaf of a Louisiana Iris that is growing in a pot on the steps.  This extraordinary Phasmid is widespread in parts of New South Wales and S.E. Queensland and it also inhabits North Queensland rainforests ‘though as you can imagine they are not easily found. After taking a few photos I invited it on to my finger so I could move it onto a shrub in the garden as it looked so vulnerable on the edge of the pool.  After waiting more than 20 years to find a Macleay’s Spectre on the property I didn’t want it to indulge in unnecessarily risky behaviour.

Macleay's Spectre (Extatosoma tiaratum tiaratum)

Macleay’s Spectre (Extatosoma tiaratum tiaratum)

In order to take a better photo of the head I had to gently encourage the insect to the top-side of the branch where it ‘froze’ in position no doubt trusting that its amazing camouflage would protect it from attack. After the photo session I watched as it made its way further into the protection of the twigs and leaves.

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Macleay’s Spectre head detail

Another delight in the pool garden this afternoon was the discovery of this exquisite nest which I am fairly certain has been built and used by a pair of Graceful Honeyeater although  as the nest is now abandoned I can not be sure of the owner/builders.

Hanging nest in Callistemon.

Hanging nest in Callistemon.

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Posted in Insect Life, Pond Life, Reducing our Footprint, Stick-insects

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