Ok

By continuing your visit to this site, you accept the use of cookies. These ensure the smooth running of our services. Learn more.

Jun 26, 2011

They lose all sense of fear....II

You certainly would not expect to find a waterhen nesting right next to a path that's used daily:

white crested waterhen,amaurornis phoenicurus,rails,crake

Much less, above ground, in a bush.  We have always found them on the ground, next to water:

white crested waterhen,amaurornis phoenicurus,rails,crake

 The black circle marks the spot where she's peering at us. Click on pic for larger view

Close up of the wary mother:

white crested waterhen,amaurornis phoenicurus,rails,crake

Click on pic for larger view

white crested waterhen,amaurornis phoenicurus,rails,crake

Clutch of six eggs

This can only happen when the mother feels more comfortable nesting near humans than in her natural environment which unfortunately, lately, has more monitor lizards and snakes than usual because of the growing eel population.  We are studying how to rebalance the micro-ecology there.