I’m pretty amazed by what I saw, and was lucky enough to photograph, earlier this week.
Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor)
1/500, f5.6, ISO 1600
Canon 5DIV, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT
Over the past few years I’ve spent quite a bit of time at the Swan Lake bird hides on Phillip Island, Victoria. It’s a beaut spot and something magical often seems to appear. Along with the birds I’ve seen echidnas, Swamp Wallabies and countless Copperhead snakes. I’ve watched cygnets riding on their parent’s back, I’ve seen raptors, waterbirds and bush birds but never before have I seen a Little Penguin making itself at home in the fresh water.
The lake is currently full and I was peering down through the hide window to check the water level when I saw a wet, dark back just as it dived. “Well, I don’t know what that was”, I said aloud. Three thoughts sprang to mind, two of which were immediately dismissed – it clearly hadn’t been a coot and there are no platypus on the island. My other thought was a water-rat, or rakali. We scanned the lake in the direction the mystery critter had been heading and were incredibly lucky to see it pop back up about 40 metres from the hide. After exclaiming ‘It’s a penguin’, I swung my camera and lens towards it and by some miracle managed to focus on it just before it dived. We saw it again, briefly, a tiny speck on the far side of the lake. About an hour later it reappeared and dawdled for a few moments directly beneath the hide window.
Although it was moving rapidly it seemed odd that it was foraging in a fresh water lake. From my time with the Hooded Plover I know one of the island rangers so I gave him a call to check his thoughts on the sighting. He said it’s unusual to see a Little Penguin in the lake but not unheard of and that he’d let the penguin team know and they’d decide whether it needed to be checked. He also mentioned that the surf was high so maybe the penguin had decided to fish for galaxias in a calmer environment. Isn’t nature wonderful.
Happy birding
Kim
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I have been fortunate to have seen five of the world’s species of penguins. It is always wonderful to see them on land where the whole bird is on view, but in the water, their natural element it is even more rewarding. Before seeing this post, had you asked me whether penguins frequented fresh water I would have said no, but you obviously proved otherwise!
I would have said ‘no’ as well David! I’m still feeling pretty amazed by it, especially after reading Jacob’s comment below. Sounds great to have seen so many of the world’s penguin species 🙂
Nature is indeed wonderful.
I hope that Little Penguin survives – and thrives.
I hope it was just having a relaxing day in the ‘pool’ 🙂
I first found your photography and site via my work with Little Penguins – I have never seen them in fresh water, but I have seen/heard of them quite far up estuaries. Really interesting. I wonder what they were eating!
Wow Jacob, if you’ve never seen them in fresh water it seems even more amazing. Do you think they’d eat galaxias?