While out and about yesterday afternoon I popped in to have a look for the Australian Coots and other waterfowl families at the Whitby Lake.
My walk took me down to the more sheltered part of the lake where I spotted an adult Pukeko and two young grazing up on the grassy slope while another adult was preening in clear water.
Pukeko or Swamphen. Porphyrio melanotus
The Pukeko was naturally very cautious so I needed to use the zoom on the camera at almost full stretch and so lost sharpness but I love the glorious colours on these birds.
And look at those pristine white undergarments!
Peeping noises alerted me to this young one who was not far from the adult in the water.
I became aware of peeping noises behind me and turned to find this younger bird scuttling on those very long, gangly legs, as fast as it could to rejoin the family group.
Legging it across the stream on enormous wader’s feet and off to safety.
Advertisements
I love pukekos! They always make me smile with those long gangly legs, and as you said, their colouring is beautiful. I have a water race which runs alongside my garden and often hear and see them enjoying a splash or cooling off in the summer heat – when we have summer heat, that is – not too much of that so far this summer! 🙂
Hmmm summer ? Drizzle and grey clouds here again today. Pukekos seem much more visible nowadays. Their knees always seem backwards to me.
Love your new header image! The Pukeko tale had me thinking of a funny happening I had once. A pukeko came into the garden, and we happened to come out of the house just as it got in a corner between the fence and the house. The pukeko, not having anywhere to go, hunkered down with its head under its body, and stuck its white bum in the air, obviously thinking we’d think it was a stone or something! So funny!
Thanks. That Tui had me in his sights as I stood taking photos by the Bottle Brush Tree.
I love your Pukeko story. Their white tail is not that helpful for camouflage!