Eastern Australia - November 2008
Cranes & Crakes
Cranes were widely scattered in north Queensland though fortunately both species were seen pretty well by just stumbling upon them. The pair of Brolga's above were at Lake Mitchell from the causeway. Many cranes were found in well watered fields along the Chewko Road on the way to Granite Gorge coming from Atherton. There were at least two dozen cranes here in mixed flocks. The group below consists of two Sarus Cranes, top most bird and top left of the group of four, and three Brolga's. The Sarus stand out in being larger than the Brolga's and having large red hoods, cracking stuff when these guys flew over the car.
This shot of an Australian Spotted Crake at Five Bough Swamp was an opportunistic effort. I had been kneeling down looking at the images already taken on the camera's LCD when a racket from the pool right next to the path produced two crakes, this one chasing out with what seemed to be a Baillon's. This one lingered checking me out for about a minute allowing me time to rattle off a dozen shots or so. There were a good number of 'spotties' at Five Bough with the first hide producing the most in the early morning of the following day where several were walking out and and about in the open.