A is for waterfowl

 

small duck like bird on the water
Okay, A is for Australasian grebe. It took a bit to get one close enough to get a decent image. This was at Casey Pond. 

This small flock of hoary-headed grebes is more typical of the photos in our album:

group of three small duck like birds but with lighter coloring

Apparently, the grebes have no north american relations, being more closely related to boobies than to ducks. 

Speaking of ducks -there are several different types around:

brown duck with light blue eye
Scott has similar eye color to the hardhead duck. Not saying more than that....


duck with purple patch on side
duck with green patch under wing

We saw these pacific black ducks on our trip back from Canberra. Love the color patches and unique bill colors.
 
3 ducks sitting on a fence, the first duck has dark feathers on his neck

The maned wood ducks are all over the place (only boys have the "manes". 


It looks like some of. these chicks are going to look just like dad when they grow up!

Our container has cleared customs and is arriving tomorrow. Our plan is to meet them at the storage unit, go shopping once we have our cooler and tent stuff and then head up toward our houseboat. Our rental is for Oct 3-7 so we should be just fine. Hoping to stop and see Charlie and Alfie from our first sit along the way! 

Bonus - the weather was not as good yesterday so the whales were in close - both bigger whales and moms/babes! 
humpback whale upright out of water, holding out fin


two whale dorsal fins out of the water


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