Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Sunday 2 April 2017

Sunday Selections # 321

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.
 
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life.  The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.  Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.
 
Like River I usually run with a theme.  This week?  More from the Tommy Tourist Trail.  After watching the balloon launch, and wandering through the nearby rose gardens we headed home along the lake which is, while perhaps not the quickest, our preferred route.


We were trailing a few of the balloons.





At this point we were so close to Weston Park (our usual kangaroo fix venue) we decided to drop in.





There were plenty of kangaroos, reclining in the early sun.  And there were birds too.  As you know birds are one of my obsessions.  Himself's sister is also bird obsessed.






We spent quite a while watching this pair of red-rumped parrots (who had tucked their red rumps out of sight).  The female is a pale shadow of her mate, but I suspect she is able to hide better too.

 A pair of swans were the next stop.  They were totally oblivious to our presence.  This first one was grooming and intermittently trying (unsuccessfully) to remove its green ribbon (as an aside, what place does a green ribbon signify?).







I am amazed at how supple they are.  This swan 'folded' down to almost nothing, closed its eyes and went to sleep.  So we headed off, leaving the roos and the birds in peace.

I am going to finish with birds, but on a sadder note.  My avian fixation means I follow the blogs of a number of supremely talented bird photographers.  Kim from lirralirra has devoted a few posts lately to the 'season of shame', duck hunting season in Victoria.  I will be upfront here.  I do not understand hunting for pleasure and do not and cannot see it as recreation or sport.  It makes my heart hurt.

So far three states in Australia have banned recreational duck shooting on cruelty groundsHowever each year during an open season in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, some species of duck can be shot.

There are limits to how many birds each hunter can kill, and some species are protected.  Both of these regulations are apparently routinely ignored.  Ducks (and other water birds) are also injured, many dying slowly and painfully.

Please stop by Kim's blog here.  It contains birds (and a hunter I can accept), beauty and an update on the Season of Shame. 

If you wish, and if you can, I would really like it if you add your voice to those calling for recreational duck hunting to be stopped.

I have listed (taken from an earlier blog of Kim's) some of the places/ways you can help below.  Thank you.
  • Write or re-write to Premier Dan Andrews – daniel.andrews@parliament.vic.gov.au
  • Write or re-write to Minister Jaala Pulford – jaala.pulford@parliament.vic.gov.au
  • Write or re-write to Minister Lily D’ambrosio – lily.d’ambrosio@parliament.vic.gov.au
  • Write, re-write to, or phone your local member of parliament, regardless of which side of politics they support
  • Comment on social media, especially on bird-watching and environmental pages – let’s support each other and make it okay to speak out, ignore the trolls
  • Donate to the Coalition Against Duck Shooting, Animals Australia and/or similar organisations
  • Support the group Regional Victorians Opposed to Duck Shooting by voting ‘yes’ in the poll
  • Help to raise awareness by sharing this post, and others like it, on social media and with family and friends
  • When at lakes, wetlands and reserves report sighting of listed species as this can close the area to shooters
  • When at lakes, wetlands and reserves be watchful for injured birds that need assistance

137 comments:

  1. Hi EC - lovely photos .. and the green - well they belong to greening life.com ...

    As to, in this day and age, hunting birds seems cruel let alone unbelievable .. I understand it is a way of life in some parts of Europe - but personally think it shouldn't be allowed in any way ..

    Cheers Hilary

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    1. Hilary Melton-Butcher: I agree with you about recreational hunting. Pleasure and death just don't go together as far as I am concerned.

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  2. that's a heck of a lot of kangaroos

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  3. How lovely to see balloons floating in the air. The roos are so cute. I'm not from a hunting family, so I've never understood the need to kill anything, (other than a spider or a roach...eek!), but I've lived in Pennsylvania and now Alabama, both states where everyone seems to hunt all kinds of wildlife. Sigh.

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    1. We are: Clamco: As a child when money was tight my father used to hunt rabbit. Hunting for food I can understand. Hunting for pleasure and/or trophies? Not.

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  4. EC you have a great nature in your fantastic country

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  5. Bloody hunting! So many hunters have no idea of what creature they're shooting.As kids, we knew to stay away from the lake in duck season, because there was a good chance of some city hunter hitting a human target.
    But I love (of course!) the b'loons.

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    1. dinahmow: Hunters who don't know/don't care do my head in. And yay for balloons.

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  6. Love all animals. Hate hunting. I need those little parrots. Swans I would love. I am the meany at my little lake when kids start throwing sticks and rocks at the ducks and try to catch the babies. Mean old lady of the lake.

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    1. donna baker: Yay for mean old lady at the lake. I hope she is very, very mean.

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  7. I am also from Alabama and though I have never fired a gun and hunting is out of my realm, my Husband's family is populated with hunters. I understand my farmer brother in law's stance. Deer herds compete with his cattle on grazing pastures for food. Their natural predators are no longer around and without some population balance the herds become underfed and unhealthy. The same is true for wild pigs. When pork belly prices take a nose dive many hog farmers can no longer justify the cost of raising them for market, so they let them loose in the wild. In about 1 year the once domesticated pigs have littered 3 times having appx. 9 piglets per littler, so in a calendar year you have about 20 feral pigs with no enemies. They are bold and aggressive with sharp tusks. My BIL and SIL cannot go out into their pastures unarmed, because of the wild pigs. I am not a hunter and don't understand recreational hunting but I do understand the necessity of it.

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    1. Anne in the kitchen: The hunting you describe is a far cry from the recreational killing that takes place during duck season. Wild pigs are a problem in some parts of Australia too. However, going out and shooting things for shootings sake is anathema to me.

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  8. I'm against hunting, too. I don't understand how people gain pleasure from hunting; but then there are many things, too many things, I don't understand about humans and their behaviour.

    Did you see the footage showing some folk saving a kangaroo from the floods up this way, EC...such a wonderful, heartfelt effort...and a successful one.

    I hope the week ahead treats you kindly...cuddles to Jazz. :)

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    1. Lee: I missed the footage about saving the kangaroo - but am very glad. So many birds and animals will also have lost their homes in the flooding.
      I hope your and your furry overlords have a great week.

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  9. I've heard about those blacks swans you've got in Australia. They look great.

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    1. Blue Grumpster: I am a fan of our black swans - despite the fact that they are often bullies. And have serrated beaks which they use. White swans always seem so exotic to me.

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  10. How fun to follow the balloons and the photos of them reflected in the water are so pretty. Kangaroos and birds= awesome! I am a birder too and love my daily visits with the ones in my yard. Thanks for sharing your photos. :)

    Hunting for sport/fun hurts my heart too. I do not understand killing animals for fun. I am not sure if the links you shared are only for people in your area of the world- but I will look into them and see how I can help from the US. :)
    ~Jess

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    1. DMS ~ Jess: Thank you. The more voices we get calling for the slaughter to stop the better.
      It was a delightful extra bonus to come across the balloons on our way home. On a day which was already bright.

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  11. I too cannot understand the desire that so many duck hunters (almost always male) get out of shooting a bird out of the sky. I will read some of those links, if I can handle it. Those swans are simply beautiful. Thank you for sharing your excursions with me. :-)

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    1. DJan: You are right, they do seem to be mostly male. Whatever the gender, I would like it to stop. Yesterday.

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  12. People have been putting pressure on the Victorian government over duck hunting for years and now of course we have the NSW greyhound racing backflip.
    I'm sure that in these cases the wishes of the majority are not represented and i wish that governments would lead instead of kowtowing to special interest groups.

    Enjoy your Sunday!

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    1. kylie: As a small first step, at least there has been some acknowledgement that too many birds are taken and that insufficient care has been exercised in identifying just which birds it is ok (which it isn't) to shoot.
      I hope your Sunday is lovely. Shortly I am going into the garden.

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  13. Lovely pics as always. My son is also bird obsessed, goes out whenever he can to 'get' a particular bird or add to his lists. And I completely agree that recreational hunting is basically for people who like to kill things for fun. Real hunters hunt for food. Further, hunting isn't a sport imo because a sport involves two parties who have agreed to participate. But don't get me going. Let's talk about how pretty the birds are down your way.

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    1. mshatch: I agree with you on all counts - including how pretty our birds are.

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  14. I cannot understand recreational hunting either, EC. I hear you!

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    1. Marie Smith: Thank you. I am glad that so many people are singing the same song.

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  15. I've never seen a black swan before! Beautiful!!!

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    1. Bookie: They are. They are our native swans, and thrive here.

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  16. I like the way the balloons are reflected in the water. The parrots seem small. They don't seem worried about the lady with the camera. The ribbon is some kind of identification? Here swans have numbered rings put around their necks, which doesn't seem to bother them.

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    1. Andrew: Red-rumped parrots are small. And ignored us completely. The 'ribbon' is a piece of water weed, which I thought looked like ribbon. As far as I know our swans have no tags.

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  17. Black swans are new to me as well. They are beautiful, as are the parrots. If I lived in your part of the world, it would be easy to become avian fixated. I too am at a loss to understand hunting, unless one lives in a remote area devoid of markets and needs to eat...Even then, there may be better alternatives...Happy Sunday.

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    1. e: I have so many obsessions. Birds is one which came to me relatively late in life, but it is fully fledged.

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  18. If had such an elegant neck, I'd be delighted. We humans are so shorted in the neck department. Imagine how delightful it would be to tidy up your own back with a quick nibble of the beak. Ahhh. I can feel it now.

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    1. cleemckenzie: We are shorted in so many departments. I would like to be as supple as many animals, relax as well, not to mention the eyesight, hearing, sense of smell issues. Some grace and speed wouldn't go astray either.

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  19. I agree why a person would want to shoot a duck or any other animal for pleasure is something I do not understand.
    Merle............

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  20. We seem to have very few white swans, but black ones are common. I love their effortless elegance. When I was a showjumping judge, the green ribbon was for effort :)

    I too hate recreational hunting of any kind. I have to admit I cried recently at a photo in the paper of a man proudly standing beside an enormous marlin.
    I was saddened when my daughter married someone who loves hunting, but at least they eat every deer and wild pig he shoots, and both animals are pests in this country. He doesn't go duck-shooting at all.

    Enjoy your garden time. I plan to have some today, too.

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    1. Alexia: I like the green for effort idea - though neither of these swans appeared to be exerting themselves.
      Eating the catch is a decided improvement. I gather that many of the ducks killed are just discarded. Which makes me ballistic with rage, and makes my eyes leak.

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  21. Thank you for letting me tag along. Love the sights.
    I was a hunter. But only with a camera (no gun).

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    1. Martin Kloess: I am happy to have you join us. I suspect I have better aim with a camera than I would with a gun. And my photos have never killed anything.

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  22. A stunning array of pics as always.
    Me got a new blog. Swing by if you're bored ... :)

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    1. Just Wendy: I found your new blog. And am in awe at your new adventure.

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  23. Ugh. I'm hopeless. Here's the link. http://theriddleofthesands.blogspot.co.nz/

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    1. Just Wendy: Thank you. Your profile does take us to it.

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  24. I don't understand hunting either. The days are long gone when people hunted for food to survive and hides for clothing. Any kind of trophy killing is abhorrent.

    On a more pleasant note, your photos are spectacular as always. The weather looked gorgeous that day and so many sights to see in one block of time!

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    1. River Fairchild: Thank you. We were incredibly lucky. It was cool but not cold, the wind was minimal and there was sunshine. It was nearly 8am by the time we got home but it had been an action packed and beauty filled few hours.
      On the hunting front? Trophy killing is just obscene. And the 'recreational' variety not far behind it.

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  25. Lovely selection for Sunday.
    Have watched black swans here in a lake, they are ever so graceful and can fold themselves rather well - amazing is nature.

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    1. Margaret-whiteangel: Nature is a gift. A generous one.

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  26. :( I had no idea duck hunting was still allowed, and in three states! Mine included!
    I've seen swans fold up and go to sleep, you'd swear they are part accordion.

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    1. River: Duck hunting is an anachronism isn't it? I wish it was banned everywhere. I hope and trust in time (and not much time) it will be. Part accordion is the perfect description for the way that swan collapsed on itself. Thank you.

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  27. lovely photos again... I don't think I seen the red rumped parrot in real life.. I think they are not a coastal bird. I was puzzled about the green 'ribbon' then saw in the comments it is a reed... must be a good one for him to hang onto for nest building?

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    1. Anna: The red-rumped parrots are apparently less common on the coast. They are small birds, and shy so not easily seen. I think the swan had swum through the reeds, and did (eventually) manage to discard it.

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  28. Dear EC
    Lovely photos of beautiful views and wonderful wildlife.
    I am totally against hunting animals or birds, especially for so-called 'sport', but also exploitation for cosmetic testing etc. It is awful to see animals being abused and upsets me so much. If only human beings could live up to their 'civilised' title.
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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    1. Ellie Foster: I am frequently ashamed of our species. Too many of us are not civilised at all.

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  29. We were very little when my father was a duck hunter and an Adventist no less, who are mostly vegetarians. I think the last duck hunt was the day of the Columbus Day storm. We were at Malheur Wildlife refuge, most recently notorious due to the anti government highly armed militia take over of the refuge for months. He was duck hunting and the ducks would "fly in place" due to the extreme winds. We wouldn't eat the ducks. The lead shot pollutes waterways also. I think its ridiculous and morally bankrupt that people kill for fun. Anyhow, I don't know what the green ribbon is. Could you tell me? I love those black swans.

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    1. Strayer: Morally bankrupt is an excellent description. The green ribbon is a piece of water weed. An incredibly glossy piece of water weed which made me think of 'show ribbons'.

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  30. I could understand hunting to feed one's family, to keep them from starvation, say. But for pleasure? Hunt with a camera, I say. I love the grey swans. I had no idea swans came so dark! I've only ever seen white ones, so you've taught me something new, thanks! I also had no idea roos were collared, so there you go.

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    1. Carolyn McBride: Hunt with a camera indeed. With respect. The black swans are native to Australia, and we rarely see the white ones.
      The collars on the roos show that the females in question have been put on a contraceptive trial.

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  31. Hunting for pleasure is just cruel and barbaric. I hope you get as much support as you need to get it banned.

    Amazing lake pics today, the swans get my vote for catch of the day.

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    1. Nilanjana Bose: I really hope that yet another state bans recreational hunting. I was really pleased to see the swans (as ever) and equally pleased that they were totally unbothered by our presence.

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  32. Such beautiful photos. I love the balloons over the lake. Recreational hunting makes no sense unless your shooting paper targets.

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    1. Mason Canyon: You can shoot clay plates too. Living things? Hiss and spit.

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  33. Bless You dear heart!!! <3 <3

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    1. Cloudia: Thank you. And thank you for visiting Kim and leaving a comment.

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  34. I see no need to kill any living creature for sport...and...in this day of well stocked grocery stores I see no need to kill any living creature for food unless you are in some isolated area and are living off the land, in which case, hunt and trap responsibly.

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    1. only slightly confused: No need and no sense in killing for sport. And I agree, very few of us need to hunt for food.

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  35. The Parrot, Black Swan, Kangaroos, Balloon, pretty all of them EC.

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  36. EC, EC, EC, your post misted my eyes, thank you so much for sharing the fate of our waterbirds - I'm glad your swans are safe from shooters. And thank you Cloudia for commenting on lirralirra so I knew EC had published this deeply caring post

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    1. Kim: My pleasure. I hope we get many more protesting the barbarity. And I hope the politicians listen.

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  37. Thank you for your wonderful photos. They are always such a treat for me.
    Thank you too for speaking up against recreational hunting. So strange to get pleasure from killing something totally defenseless. Here, in New Mexico, some are trying to pass legislation to rule out coyote killing contests. The hunter who kills the most, wins. Some game huh? I'm at a loss about how to raise people's level of kindness, compassion and respect for animals.

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    1. Myrna R.: Coyote killing contests? Hiss and spit. I wish I knew how to spread kindness and compassion. For all species, races, religions, colours...

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  38. Love these photos. It's always nice to watch different life as yours. I love kangaroos, and black swans, we don't have them here, only white ones.

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    1. orvokki: Thank you. I very rarely see your white swans - and only in captivity.

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  39. no animal should be shot with anything but a camera in sport

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    1. Author R. Mac Wheeler: Agreed. And there needs to be some rules in place for photographing them too.

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  40. Love the photos of the hot air balloons and the chilling kangaroos.

    I do not understand the mentality of anyone hunting for fun.

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    1. LL Cool Joe: Welcome back. I hope your mother is doing better. And hunting for fun doesn't compute for me. Killing for fun? Obscene.

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  41. I don't understand hunting for fun, either. Though I was raised around hunters, who ate their food. But to kill for no other reason, I do not understand.

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    1. The Happy Whisk: Hunters who eat their food, and those who shoot to protect others I can accept. Fun? No, no and no.

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  42. Wow, amazing photos. Thank you!

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  43. Wonderful Photos! Thanks for sharing!

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  44. Beautiful photos EC., as for the duck hunting or any kind of hunting, it isn't for me and I don't understand hunting for sport. All life is precious.

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  45. I don't understand shooting any animal for sport. -barbaric.

    I really love the hot-air balloon shots. It's amazing that we can go up, up, up in the air in a giant balloon!

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    1. Bea: I am a balloon tragic. I love them. And loathe hunting for sport to equal levels.

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  46. Good for you. Hunting makes me sick. These photos are beautiful as usual. I need to come visit your neck of the woods.

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    1. Riot Kitty: Me too. And some day I hope you can get to this side of the world.

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  47. I cannot understand the mentality of hunting for sport.For food, yes. Sport - no. That being said, I have seen wild animals struck by cars who suffer immense pain before dying or being euthanized, and a well-aimed bullet does not cause that kind of suffering - nor the suffering of starvation caused by overpopulation or a bad winter. I don't have any answers. I wish I did.

    Love your photos as always. The parrots are brave little birds, aren't they?

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    1. jenny_o: A mercy killing isn't hunting and yes, sometimes it is necessary. Like you I don't have answers and wish I did. Killing for pleasure isn't an answer I can accept though.
      It was early and the park was largely empty, but yes, the red-rumped parrots were brave. And beautiful.

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  48. Loved your shots of theballoons adn one day i wil get up in one! You bird shots are supber and i love that Swan. Huntung for pleasure GRURRRRRRR!!!!

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  49. Always love your photos! Not only are you a fantastic photographer, but I get to see species we don't have here. Roos and red-rumped parrots. Exotic! Beautiful birds, too. Including the black swans. Now I'm humming from Swan Lake ♥

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    1. Carol Kilgore: Only humming? Not dancing? Note to self: Photos need to be more evocative...

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  50. I'm fairly ignorant about practical conservation. I can certainly agree with you on not wanting birds to die slowly and painfully. Where populations of certain animals are too high, is there a method you think is more humane in culling them? Not saying that's the case with these ducks, but I always want to expand my knowledge about this. I live on an eagle preserve and would be furious if someone took a shot at them.

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    1. John Wiswell: In the ducks' case numbers are lower than they have been in years. There was no quasi-environmental justification for the slaugher. Where numbers are too high I am always in favour of alternatives. Kangaroos in my city are currently on a contraceptive trial (the animals with collars in this and previous posts) are participants. I hope it works. Prevention and forethought are the key I think.

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  51. We share the planet equally as Gods creatures great and small. Only humans of course are special because we have a voice but who hears the cry of those can't talk? So many souls have fallen and gone to heaven - it definitely makes one think.

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    1. Spacer Guy: I don't think I agree with you here. I don't consider us special, and believe that a LOT of species have a voice. We just don't listen, understand their language... I do agree that the planet is (or should be) for sharing.

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    2. I know I have failed to share my beliefs on this subject accurately. I do believe all creatures on Earth have souls so when all comes to pass in the afterlife, the voices you speak of will be heard as much as our own. I have no doubt it will prove to be fascinating, heartbreaking and many other things.

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    3. Spacer Guy: Thank you so much for the clarification. I would like to see us pay more attention to the other voices in the here and now as well.

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  52. Wonderful photos. Love all those birds. Tweeted this.

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    1. Rasma Raisters: Thank you. I am a twitter ignoramus.

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  53. Hunting for pleasure? I cannot imaging what pleasure anyone gets from killing a creature with a gun.
    Nice shots of the balloons and the roos.

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    1. Shammickite: Death and pleasure have no correlation in my mind either.

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  54. I appreciate that your photos always lift my spirits, because that duck shooting madness is - well - maddening.

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    1. Rawknrobyn: The duck shooting (and any other recreational shooting) is an obscenity. Fortunately there is more to life for most of us.

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  55. I don't understand hunting either! (I don't eat meat.)

    Your photos are just lovely!

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    1. Lady Fi: Thank you. And I don't eat meat either, though my partner does.

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  56. Those swans really are super flexible. Like you I'n sad to hear about the duck hunting and hope that it stops. Since I don't live in Australia Im not sure if I can poke my nose into things happening so far away - but I would like to.

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    1. Kalpanaa M: Poke your nose in all you like. The more the merrier. I have often mourned that I don't have the suppleness of a cat, but can add jealousy of swans to the mix now.

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  57. Stunning photos, Sue.

    Love the swans & of course, the Roos rock my world.

    xxxx

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    1. My Inner Chick: Thank you. They rock ours too.

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  58. A lovely selection of photo's.
    Hunting for pleasure ... not for me!

    All the best Jan

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    1. Lowcarb team member ~ Jan: Thank you. So many of us are against hunting for pleasure. Some day it will stop.

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  59. You have a heart of gold! They are such a delight, our special gifts that should be honored and loved. I'm against hunting, always have been, I just don't get it, especially sweet faced deer! Okay stop me now, just saying, breaks my heart so much when I see these animals on Facebook after they've been killed. Not pretty. Thanks for bringing these delightful photos!

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    1. Karen S.: It makes me ache too. And I couldn't look at photos of the kills.

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  60. Oh what pretty balloons! Then birds....yes swans are so regal. Poor bird with green ribbon. We need to have hunting responsibility.....I couldn't hunt but know we need to with some animals.

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    1. Kim@stuffcould: If hunting is necessary (which I accept it sometimes is) it shouldn't be done for pleasure. There is no fun in death that I can accept. The bird with the green ribbon did manage to shake it off, and swam away perfectly happily.

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  61. Lovely pictures!

    A change has taken place in me once again.

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    1. Lon Anderson: Thank you. I will be over to check out your change shortly.

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  62. Not a fan of hunting either. Amazing how that swan could curl up and sleep like that. I wonder if they can dive under water at all to shake off things like that green ribbon.

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    1. Lynn: I was surprised that the swan was so totally relaxed in our presence. Surprised and flattered.
      I don't think I have ever seen a swan do more than duck its head under water. This one did eventually shake off the ribbon.

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  63. I was just reading about ducks on another blog...about eating them actually. Yikes! Weird.

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    1. Crystal Collier: Hunting for food (though I don't eat meat) is a very different question.

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  64. "I do not understand hunting for pleasure and do not and cannot see it as recreation or sport. It makes my heart hurt." - Mine too, and I find that any who do hunt for pleasure will find a way to justify their actions again and again, but they will always be the senseless killers out of the two of us. Great Photos and great links. X

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    1. All Consuming: There is no justification. None. Nada. Zip.

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  65. I completely agree with you on hunting. Unfortunately I live in a country where hunting is all too common, and in some parts it is done with unbelievable cruelty - with traps, chasing and shooting wolves from helicopters etc. Now they are going so far that bears can be killed in their dens. It exceeds my mind of understanding how anyone can see this as sport or any form of recreation. More and more I feel that humans are by far the worst species on earth and that the planet would do so much better without them.

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    1. Carola Bartz: Bears can be killed in their dens? Hiss and spit.
      Sadly I agree with you. I am frequently ashamed of our species and agree that the planet would do a lot better without us.

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  66. I have tried to imagine what pleasure there is in hunting for pleasure. A wall keeps popping up in my mind. I've tried being the writer, going into the mind of the hunter. I'm still not seeing it.

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    1. neena maiya (guyana gyal): I can't see it either. And what I can see (pleasure in pain and death) horrifies me.

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  67. How beautiful these pictures are

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    Replies
    1. Shilpa Chandrasekheran: Welcome and thank you.

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