A wetland visitor

With dams getting very low, there is now plenty of soft silty mud exposed on the edges for wetland birds to forage for small invertebrate prey. We have just acquired a lone Dusky Moorhen that regularly patrols the perimeter of our largest dam. With its very large feet, walking in the soft mud is no problem – click on photo at left. This bird is immature and is yet to develop the distinctive red frontal shield of adult birds.
 
 
Our bird is relatively unconcerned with human presence, but still keeps a safe distance. If unduly disturbed, it prefers to duck into the cover of stands of Swamp Paperbark and River Bottlebrush on the banks, rather than take to the water.
 
It does however swim at times, and dives among the Floating Pondweed – see below.