jason_graham 的鑑定

Cold, overcast, around 14 degrees Celsius

A photo sequence of the female Blue-billed Duck, BBD, of a resident male/female pair living on the lake - see a separate entry for photos of the male BBD.

At the viewing area in the north-west and the male BBD came paddling fast from the hidden north-east about 8m out trailed by 2m by the female BBD working hard to keep up. He steamed past, a few water flicks into the air with his bill as he paddled by, turning out south-west another 2m and stopping level with the right side of the overflow works into Blind Creek. The female BBD stopped level with the male about 2.5m east and the pair started bathing, the female facing east, stopping to scratch under her left chin with her large left foot, the male watching the camera briefly before a vigorous thrash bathing. The female BBD rose up flap her wings showing long wing feathers growing out at the trailing edges of the wings, stubs a few cm's long, beginning to unfurl the brown feathers from the tips like budding flowers. She settled down to bathe and preen and I turned to the male who was wallowing low, shaking his wings below the water as he twisted left and right facing south-west to north-west. A Coot paddled in, diving for Eel Grass a metre away which seemed to spook the wallowing male and he surged away another 2 metres west before returning to his thrash bathing, slowly moving away to the south-west. He paused, facing south, looking back towards the female BBD still bathing and preening, turning back to face her before returning to his vigorous, wallowing thrash bathing, tail feathers fanned wide at 30 degrees behind. He spun back to watch me. Stopped. Turned to the female BBD then back to me, then continued to thrash bathe, rotating to the east, chest puffed out, tail fanned wide and at the water level, head hunched down - looking like a combination mating display and thrash bathe. He wallowed low as he turned south and back east, flick turn west and rising up to flap his wings which are back to being full after a heavy moult, with the exception of maybe a few long feathers on his left wing. He settled down and paddled a few metres south-west, stopping for more bathing and preening. The female BBD was still bathing and preening, slowly working south. The pair eventually worked in front of the overhanging Swamp Gum on the western bank, still bathing and preening. Getting very dark with gathering heavy cloud, time to leave.

12.3.11 Of concern - Eucalyptus tereticornis +/- E. siderophloia and Corymbia intermedia open forest to woodland. Corymbia tessellaris, Lophostemon suaveolens and Melaleuca quinquenervia frequently occur and often form a low tree layer. Other species present in scattered patches or low densities include Angophora leiocarpa, E. exserta, E. grandis, E. latisinensis, E. tindaliae, E. racemosa and Melaleuca sieberi. Corymbia trachyphloia and/or C. citriodora subsp. variegata may dominate on areas of Pleistocene alluvia. Eucalyptus seeana may be present south of Landsborough and Livistona decora may occur in scattered patches or low densities in the Glenbar SF and Wongi SF areas. Occurs on Quaternary alluvial plains and drainage lines along coastal lowlands. Rainfall usually exceeds 1000mm/y. Contains Palustrine. (BVG1M: 16c).