Lake Ginninderra Jottings. Often about Black Swans!

Much the same story as for two days ago. A dull, chilly and windy afternoon. The Australian Wood Duck family still on the same pond and still 4 s-hg ducklings. Several other AWDs on this pond, mostly in pairs. At least a dozen. Also present, a few Dusky Moorhen and a Little Pied Cormorant resting ashore on allow shrub. A Grey Butcherbird calling nearby up the slope to the S. The unbanded cob (presumed) Black Swan ashore in the JKMP lagoon or basin. He was here along with other waterbirds being fed. The presumed pen was sitting tight in the cold windy conditions on the nest. One Australian Grebe seen close to the swan on its nest.   At least 30 Red-rumped Parrot feeding on the ground below the dense Casuarinas close to and on the path round the N side of the basin (not far from the bridge to the little island). They have been here often over that past 3-4 weeks. Remarkable in that they pay little attention walkers, bikes or dogs and remain steadfastly feeding  

 On my mid afternoon walk with Yori the, as yet unidentified, Black Swan was seen sitting tight on the nest. I presume this is the Pen, or female, but I have not yet had any chance to check for leg bands. The accompanying (presumed male, or Cob), was absent from anywhere nearby. This I have seen once before recently with no sign of 'him' in the JCMP or northwards up to the bridge on Ginninderra Drive. The swan's nest seemed even higher above the waterline but this might be because the water level has fallen a little on the lake after recent flooding. Eventually, I saw a Black Swan in the far distance, foraging along the eastern shore just beyond the Ginninderra Driveway bridge. Surely this is the Cob. The brood of Australian Wood Duck  at the largest pond (the one with a small island and often covered in Azolla ) is now down to 4 ducklings that look to me more like sh-  than s-sized ducklings. No Australasian Grebes were seen. Nothing else remarkable to report.  ...

 A late morning walk round the ponds in JKMP was interesting. I found Black Swan  Red CCL ashore on the lawns just below the toilet block and wondered why she was there. Soon I realised what was going on. The unmarked (presumed Cob) Black Swan of the pair nesting along the shoreline (see yesterday) came steaming in and up onto the beach in clearly an aggressive mood. He was after CCL who had spotted him coming and rushed to the water's edge below some dense low Casuarina (between the beach and a small jetty). Here she hid in the shadows and the Cob did not spot her. He went back into the water and flew a short distance S, presumably looking for her. She had been ashore and well up from the water when I arrived and I suspect the Cob had chased her to this area sometime recently. The Pen was sitting tightly on the nest, as usual. Cranky Cob on the beach looking for Pen red CCL Black Swan Red CCL (Pen), almost invisible below Casuarina.  She is hiding from the aggressive Cob...

This morning there was a Black Swan on the nest and another not far away (about 50 metres to the S) foraging about in the emergent vegetation. Black Swan on nest and partner nearby foraging. Three Australasian Grebes were feeding in the basin area; as usual there were several feral Domestic ducks about in there basin area of the park and a pair of Australian Wood Ducks with a brood of 4 s-size ducklings was present on the largest pond in JCMP. The drake was defending the brood vigorously. There were about 20 Wood Ducks on this pond – seemingly in pairs, but no other broods could be seen. Two drakes were occasionally fighting – often locked together diving and splashing about. Their altercations seemed to be unresolved as they would part but resume again in a few minutes. Also, one the top pond was a party of at leat 9 Dusky Moorhen that I have seen here yesterday.     In the afternoon I took a bike ride round Lake Ginninderra but found no more swans. It looks as though t...

 This afternoon I found the Pen Black Swan  CCL at the beach in JKMP and she was displacement nest-building on the shore. She appeared to be alone. I tried to adde a short video here but it failed to upload after several attempts to inserting it. More interesting was that on continuing my walk with Yori I found a pair of Black Swans at a nest raised high above the waterline at the south end of the stretch of vegetation, offshore and a little to the N of JCMP, opposite the BBQ area. In the water there was one swan, that was clearly not banded but was adult in plumage. It was busily nest-building – at least, it was dragging up vegetation clumps and passing them to its side before dropping them! There didn't seem to be much value in what it was up to but I presume it was displacement activity because alongside was the other Black Swan siting tightly on the new nest. I could not confirm that the swan on the nest was banded or not banded. I hope time will resolve this matter.