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Project Noah Nature School
Anseranas semipalmata
This is a Magpie Goose rookery and some of these birds can be seen in the foreground. The reference links provide some good info on this species. Photo #4 shows over a dozen more birds that are just out of view in the first photo, of which there are 5 birds. These water birds seem to nest on ground vegetation, primarily on the grassy mounds. The other birds residing at this exact location that I saw today are Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis moluccus) http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/273... which nest on the stick mounds, Purple Swamphens (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus) http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/239... and Dusky Moorhens (Gallinula tenebrosa) http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/240... All species cohabitate quite happily. There are also a few other bird species here, but they aren't quite so visible.
The Magpie Goose is found in a variety of open wetland areas such as floodplains and swamps, and are widespread throughout coastal northern and eastern Australia. These birds were spotted at the Metroplex wetlands in Murarrie, Brisbane QLD. These photos show only a small fraction of the larger wetlands area.
These are the best photos I could manage with my little camera, and nothing short of a telephoto lense could get me any closer. Or perhaps a little row boat? Breeding season is from February to June, so I'm keenly awaiting some little fuzzballs.
Spotted on Feb 26, 2014
Submitted on Feb 27, 2014
3 Comments
A small patch of it perhaps. For the animals that live there, I'm sure it is :-)
Also heaps of Pacific Black Ducks and there's a large Eastern Great Egret colony on the other side of the swamp. I often see Brahminy Kites here too and that freaks everyone out.
Nice series. I can see a common moorhen on picture number 5.