Over the past few days I’ve been photographing Australian Wood Ducks/Maned Ducks and I am stoked with the images I managed to capture of a male, a female and a couple of ducklings.
1/1250, f/5.0, ISO 800
Canon R5, Canon RF 600 f/4 L IS USM
This week’s first photograph is a female as she rested beside a suburban pond. She has softer colouring than the male, warm browns with two white stripes on her face. I love the way she has tucked her head into her feathers and is peeking out at the world. These ducks mate for life and stay together all year.
1/1250, f/4.5, ISO 800
Canon R5, Canon RF 600 f/4 L IS USM
So it’s no surprise that this male Australian Wood Duck/Maned Duck was snuggled beside her for a rest. The ‘mane’ of the male is the dark row of feathers at the back of his head. He has a darker brown head than the female and lacks the white facial stripes. I really like the delicate fringing on the feathers around his face.
I felt like both of these ducks were peeking out at the world wondering about the recommendation from the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Recreational Hunting of Native Birds in Victoria which was due this week. I was feeling an unsettling mixture of apprehension and hope.
1/1000, f/4.5, ISO 400
Canon R5, Canon RF 600 f/4 L IS USM
Sometimes getting down low can really help to isolate birds from the background. By limiting the depth of field (f/4.5) I could focus just on the duckling and the grasses that are on the same focal plane. This means that the grasses in the foreground and background are out of focus, highlighting the duckling and what it is eating. This duckling was one of half a dozen that were darting around as they foraged. These ducks eat mainly grasses and clover along with occasional insects.
1/1250, f/4.5, ISO 800
Canon R5, Canon RF 600 f/4 L IS USM
One of the ducklings had been racing around so much that it needed a rest. I love the look of its fluffed tail, its white chest and those soft brown spots on its flanks. The blurred background in this photograph is a sunburst of dried reeds on the far side of the pond.
On Thursday morning the Inquiry announced its recommendation for a permanent ban to recreational duck shooting in Victoria! It was a wonderful moment and I thank every single person who has been part of the journey towards this outcome. The recommendation still needs to be approved by the government and, sadly, the building unions are putting up a fight. I urge everyone who cares to send a kind, supportive email to the addresses below to urge them to accept the findings and implement a permanent ban.
It would be lovely to think that this duckling and others like it, will never have to look over their shoulders at shooters, only at bird watchers marvelling at their cuteness.
1/1000, f/4.5, ISO 400
Canon R5, Canon RF 600 f/4 L IS USM
This duckling did a little preening and then lifted its tiny wing and stretched its massive leg and foot. The texture of its limb is remarkably reptilian.
Thanks to the recommendation of the Parliamentary Inquiry we are now just one step away from a total ban which would save 100,000s of native birds, annually, from being killed and horrifically injured by shotguns. A huge amount of work was undertaken by the members of the Select Committee and the secretariat to cope with the record number of submissions: over 10,000 were received. Submissions can be read by visiting this page: Parliamentary Inquiry – Duck Shooting Submissions
The government has six months to decide whether or not to accept the recommendations of the panel. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, the building unions are threatening to strike if a ban is put in place, so it would be fabulous if you could write just one more note to your Labor MPs (Upper and Lower house) and, importantly, to the following decision-makers kindly imploring them to accept the findings of the Inquiry: sonya.kilkenny@parliament.vic.gov.au Ingrid.Stitt@parliament.vic.gov.au daniel.andrews@parliament.vic.gov.au gayle.tierney@parliament.vic.gov.au
It is exciting to be this close to a permanent ban, and harrowing that we are not quite there yet.
Happy birding and I hope you see some ducklings during the week, Kim
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Unfortunately, duck hunting is still continuing this year 🙁
Yes, shamefully, inexcusably, horrifically permitted to continue despite a record number of submissions detailing why it should end.
It makes me cry angry tears to think that the government is still letting peaceful birds get blasted to bits just for fun 😭😠
It’s unbelievable isn’t it. I totally understand how you feel about it, thank you for caring. There is a huge team of rescuers getting ready to go out and protect the birds as much as they can, and the new rules have upset the shooters (which is good!)
The only thing we should shoot ducks with is a camera, like you do!
I agree with you 100%!
Hi Kim,
You can see the full story on the internet, read by a woman called Beth Perry on Vimeo – you’ll see just how beautiful the pictures are, and I’m sure you’ll love the story, too. The book was first published in 1977. ABE books have various prices for this book – from a reasonable $10 to a ridiculous $90!
It’s because its out of print, i suppose – but I’m sure you will be able to find a copy on their site, in good condition at a fair price – hope it arrives in time for your friend’s birthday! Brian Wildsmith was such a joyful, sensitive artist – I do adore his work. Perhaps I should send a copy to Dan Andrews to sway his decision in the ducks’ favour!
Thanks for that info about the video. I’d only been able to find the first few pages until then. I’ve found one place where it looks like they might be taking orders for the new version… actually my bookshop is open today, I’ll give them a buzz… nope, they open at 10, half an hour to go. Funny thought re Dan Andrews! It would have been good if his dad had read that book instead of, I believe, going duck shooting.
Superb photos, Kim – your talent shines through, as usual! I do love the wintry, soothing colours of these ducks – let’s hope they steer clear of the foxes that seem to be lurking all through our suburbs these days. I have a soft spot for the blue billed duck (what a dazzling blue those bills are!) and my absolute fave is the Pacific Black duck – very common, I know, but I love the way that duck looks so plain and dowdy, then all of a sudden they stretch their wings and it always thrills me to see that flash of iridescent teal hidden beneath the brown. That duck is no frump! Heartiest congrats about the potential ban on the horror of duck hunting – I think all your subscribers should get together and have a big party when Dan Andrews decides to agree with the Select Committee – let’s keep out fingers – (and wings!) crossed that he won’t be intimidated by those bullying bogans who enjoy killing innocent creatures. Have you ever read the kids’ picture book – ‘The hunter and his dog’ by Brian Wildsmith? It’s a brilliant story about a hunter who trains his dog to hunt ducks, but the dog is too kind-hearted to fetch the wounded birds the hunter shoots. Instead, the dog carries the birds gently in his mouth, and hides them on a little island in the river, where he nurses them back to health. The pictures are superb in this story – you can get it from ABE books secondhand, as it’s been out of print for a while now. But a new reprint is being released on November this year – which is good news. The hunter in this story is dressed as a clown – which tells you what the author thought of hunters!
Oh Deirdre, thank you so much for letting me know about that book! There is a birthday coming up soon that it will be perfect for. It’s gorgeous to think how much you like the humble blackie. That flash of colour is fabulous I agree, I love it when I manage to capture the light at just the right angle. I’m so excited about the book! I shall make a phone call in the morning and see how quickly I can get a copy, Kim
Every time I see a duck and its ducklings in NSW I am blessed and, most important of all, celebrate the fact these beautiful, gentle, caring and loving ducks are safe and will enjoy watching their children grow up and see out their lives in peace and harmony.
Hopefully the cruel and senseless slaughter of ducks and wild birds in Victoria will be banned forever.
Those unions protesting on behalf of a handful of shooters show by their demands they do not value, respect and understand our unique, precious birds; definitely lack empathy and compassion and have no understanding or knowledge whatsoever of the benefits to long term employment, small businesses and rural and regional communities struggling to survive floods, droughts, lockdowns. Tourists, grey nomads and families make an economic and social contribution to these towns and keep communities alive – shooters do not!!!!
The Animal Justice Party has also set up the link below which goes directly to your MPs and they know that with over 10,000 submissions received in the inquiry that this issue is of great importance to voters and politicians always look at numbers!!!!
https://vic.animaljusticeparty.org/stop_shooting_ducks
Kim I know you will be planning a great celebration if this ban is imposed and let’s hope it is forever.
“Each species is a Masterpiece, a Creation assembled with extreme care and genius.” E O Wilson
It really is a ‘senseless slaughter’ Barbara and I very much hope that the decision-makers won’t be intimidated by the unions. It is bizarre that they have become involved.There are fewer than 0.02% of Victorians registered to shoot ducks and the largest demographic within that number are retired males; so very few actual union members would be duck shooters. Added to that the unions have been spreading lies about the range of outdoor activities that will be lost to their members when this inquiry is only about shooting native birds (and there are plenty of genuine issues they could be attending to). In fact if duck shooting is banned then areas would open up to everyone else that are currently barred during duck seasons. They say it’s for their members’ mental health, which worries me as who wants someone with mental health issues to have a gun? It ignores the mental health of the rescuers, vets etc who are traumatised each year by the rafts of dead and dying birds peppered with pellets from shotguns, 100,000s of them with horrific injuries. I hope enough people write a short email to encourage the government, kindly, to uphold the recommendations… it’s a long hard road for all of us who care.
A collection of beautiful photos. Apart from the multitude of reasons not to kill these gorgeous creatures, it is disturbing to think that some people can look at them and not be touched by their beauty. Decades of opposition to duck shooting, an inquiry culminating with the desired recommendation, but now we wait with trepidation to see if the government will act accordingly.
Thanks Margot! There really are a multitude of reasons not to kill them, and quite disturbing that some people equate killing them with their own mental health. A quick note to the emails provided would be fabulous if you have time, just asking them to act on the Inquiry’s recommendation.
Gorgeous, gorgeous photos of these beauties.
What in hell does duck shooting have to do with the building unions? And why should their opinion have any more weight than that of the tens of thousands who want this obscenity banned?
I’m glad you like the photographs EC, they made me smile. I totally agree with you about the unions. As fewer than 0.2% of Victorians are duck shooters, and the largest demographic of them have retired, it seems that very few union members would actually be duck shooters. But the unions have spread misinformation about the ban, saying that it will stop people from being able to participate in other outdoor activities, which is untrue. In fact game reserves and other wetlands would be open to everyone all year instead of the restrictions and fines currently in place if a non duck shooter is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Thanks for all your support with this over the years, Kim
Such beautiful birds that deserve full protection. Thank you for all you’ve done to advocate on their behalf. We are so close to a ban now!
They really are beautiful, so gentle and gorgeous to watch. I love it when my images are used for conservation purposes, which reminds me that I’d meant to include a meme from Geelong in this week’s post, sigh