The musk duck is one of Lake Wendouree’s iconic birds, so any change in its numbers is of interest.
During the middle of winter, it seemed that there were more musk ducks than usual at the lake.
I had noticed this myself and had heard a similar report from another observer.
To ascertain whether the population had indeed risen unexpectedly, and to what extent, a count was undertaken earlier this week. To my surprise, I found not the expected 30 or 35, but just 16, which is not a high total at all.
The count was a careful one, undertaken during a circuit by foot, using binoculars and concentrating on musk ducks. If there was indeed a mid-winter increase in numbers, those birds have gone now.
More likely is that some of the musk ducks had moved to different parts of the lake for a while, giving the appearance of extra birds where they had been scarce.
There were 29 musk ducks counted 14 months ago, and 16 in March this year.
The current total is the same as it was six months ago – a lower number than usual for Lake Wendouree.
Despite their short wings, and despite the fact that few of us have ever seen them fly, musk ducks can indeed fly quite well.
They all left the lake when it dried several years ago, and returned when it filled, demonstrating that they can fly quite capably.
Few of those musk ducks would have flown any distance before.
This means their wings would be unexercised and untested, making both their exodus and their return all the more remarkable.
Today’s photo shows two musk ducks, most likely a mother (on the right), with her juvenile male youngster. He is starting to develop the lobe under his bill.
Two male musk ducks were making their odd display during the recent count.
Ducklings can be expected any time during spring and summer. Two or three is the usual brood.
A dusting of pollen from pine trees is once again appearing, as it always does in early spring. A few days before I noticed the dust settling on cars and other surfaces, I also heard numerous bees buzzing at Mount Beckworth.
Their buzzing was quite audible, causing me to turn aside to investigate.
The attraction was a flowering pine, with the bees carrying loads of cream-coloured pollen.
Pines are not usually considered bee-attracting plants.
While they produce next to no honey, their pollen is obviously valuable to bees at this time of the year.