The habits of birds

If you visit places with regularity, as I tend to do, you start to observe the patterns and rhythms of nature.

I’ve been watching Sacred Kingfishers along the river over recent weeks, as they’ve been staking out their nesting territories.

My visits are at the end of the day and as dusk approaches I’ve been observing Nankeen Night-herons leave their day-time perches, spreading out along the river in preparation for a night of hunting. The bird pictured here is an adult, with long, white breeding plumes trailing from its crown.

A small group of night-herons roosts by day in one of the larger River Red-gums, mainly adults with at least one juvenile. I’ve yet to find a nest along the river but suspect they do breed locally in small numbers.