magpie goose

Coming in to land .

The Magpie Goose has a couple of unique features, a knob on the forehead (varying in size) and a hooked bill. They also have only partially webbed feet. They are therefore a monotypic species and the only member of it's genus. There were a few around this lake, a couple on this island and some...

Towards the top end of 'Jacana' Lake, Ken spotted a pair of Magpie Geese in the long undergrowth on the other side. Not the prettiest of geese maybe, but they are an ancient family, having diverged from dinosaurs before they became extinct. Amazing.

Just dropping in to wish everyone all the best for the New Year .

Australia really has a LOT of black-and-white birds :eek!: Here's a pair of Magpie geese - probably a female in front and male in back, as males have larger cranial knobs than do females. And a Comb-crested Jacana walking between them, perhaps to protect the female's reputation ;) Magpie Goose...

Several days after this picture was taken I saw couple of hundreds of these birds heading north in a triangular formation. Pity, as we are not going to see them for a while...

Don't know if it's a sign of a colder winter coming this year but most birds that move North seem to be getting ready much earlier . Hans has reported the same thing in his area.

Huge numbers came over and circled but didn't land because of too much water in the lagoon after heavy rains recently.

How they stay on these slender branches I don't know !

Lots of these Geese flying in today offering plenty of opportunities with the camera.

Shown here having a drink in a local lagoon.

Shot of a basically B/W subject with a strong light from the wrong direction. To try and get some detail in the dark area with out blowing the whites used ISO 400 at F 7.1 , 1/1600 with a +0.7 bias. Experiment more Delia and good luck. Ken

Not the prettiest of geese. This one I think is a juvenile?

Looking more like a Vulture than a Goose.!!