DID YOU READ ABOUT THE TWO SOCIAL PADDLERS THAT HAD TO BE RESCUED IN ALBANY

THEY WERE LUCKY...

Ikaros Hand Smoke Flare - Orange

Don't paddle in the ocean without one

For day use only to raise alarm and pinpoint your position. Use only when potential rescuers are in sight. Burn time 60 seconds plus and visible for up to 4km (conditions dependant).
Handheld Orange: Smoke flare primarily for day use.

$32.00 each

There is so much to see on the river

Christmas Day feeding time for Willie Wagtails

Parent Willie Wagtail offers the young one a grub

300 metres downstream of Ron Courtney Island

Description: The Willie Wagtail belongs to the Fantail family and is the largest, and possibly most well-known, of that family. They grow from 18.5 to 21.5 cm. Their feathers are black on top with a white tummy. The Willie Wagtail is different from other similar sized black and white birds because it has a black throat and white eyebrows and whisker marks. It is called a "wagtail" because it constantly wags its tail in a sideways motion. Young birds look like its parents, but have paler, slightly rusty edges on the feathers of their wings.

The grub disappears down the throat

Voice: The Willie Wagtail's call is well-known, often being made constantly throughout the night, and is interpreted as "sweet-pretty-creature", though it also makes other calls that have more scolding and chattering notes. Its alarm note is a cranky sound.

Food: Willie Wagtails are very active when they feed, darting around lawns as they hunt for insects on the ground with their tails wagging from side to side. Insects are also captured in the air, in active chases. Willie Wagtails are often seen with domestic and farm animals, like cattle and sheep, where they may run behind them while they are moving and snatch the insects as they are disturbed. Sometimes they sit on the back of the animal, and dart off to capture a flying insect before returning to its mobile perch.

Did You Know?

The nest is a neatly woven cup made of grasses, covered with spider's web on the outside and lined inside with soft grasses, hair or fur. The soft lining of the nest, if not found elsewhere, is often taken directly from an animal as they ride along looking for food.

Habitat: Willie Wagtails are found in open forests and woodlands. They prefer the wetter areas, with lots of leaf-litter, for feeding, and mud that is available for building their nest. They are found throughout most of the Eastern and South-eastern mainland of Australia, but are not found in Northern Queensland.

The Willie Wagtail lives almost any habitat except for very dense forests, and is commonly seen where people live. It is widely distributed in Australia and northern Tasmania. Although the Willie Wagtail is most often seen singly or in pairs, they may form flocks in Winter and often mix with other types of birds.

Breeding: Willie Wagtails are active in defending their territory, but they are very tolerant and tame around humans, often feeding and nesting close to houses and human activity. Willie Wagtails can nest at any time of the year, but breeding season is mainly from August to February.

Willie Wagtails may be re-use their nest in successive years, or an old nest is often destroyed and the materials used in the construction of a new nest. The nests are normally built on a horizontal branch of a tree, or other similar structure. The female lays three, cream-coloured eggs, which are speckled with grey and brown. Both male and female sit on the eggs and the young birds hatch after about 14 days. They leave the nest after a further two weeks but stay with the parents until the eggs from the next clutch start to hatch. Then they are driven away by the parents. If conditions are favourable, the couple may raise up to four clutches in a row, in a single season.

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Christmas Day feeding time for Swamphens

Ron Courtney Island

The Swamphen tugs on the reeds that have broken away from the rest of the bank.
(The reeds are washed away by powerboat wash)

The Swamphen picks a fresh water muscle from the stalk of the grasses

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A Sacred Kingfisher ready to pounce on his Christmas Lunch

On a tree near Sandy Beach

Ibis

Did you know?

During the breeding season the small patch of skin on the under-surface of the wing, seen here, changes from dull pink to dark scarlet.

The Australian White Ibis is identified by its almost entirely white body plumage and black head and neck. The head is featherless and its black bill is long and down-curved. During the breeding season the small patch of skin on the under-surface of the wing changes from dull pink to dark scarlet. Adult birds have a tuft of cream plumes on the base of the neck. Females differ from males by being slightly smaller, with shorter bills. Young birds are similar to adults, but have the neck covered with black feathers. In flight, flocks of Australian White Ibis form distinctive V-shaped flight patterns. Another common name for this bird is Sacred Ibis, but this more appropriately refers to a closely related African species.

Ibis gather in a small opposite Sandy Beach Reserve

Habitat:

The Australian White Ibis can be observed in all but the driest habitats. Preferred habitats include swamps, lagoons, floodplains and grasslands, but it has also become a successful inhabitant of urban parks and gardens.The Australian White Ibis' range of food includes both terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates and human scraps. The most favoured foods are crayfish and mussels, which the bird obtains by digging with its long bill. Mussels are opened by hammering them on a hard surface to reveal the soft body inside.

The Australian White Ibis reaches sexual maturity in 3 years, and can reach 28 years of age.

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An Egret fluffs up

It's amazing how white the egret is considering it is always playing and feeding in the mud

This beautiful specimen is on the shore opposite Sandy Beach Reserve, Bassendean

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Black-Winged Stilt

This group of black-wing stilts fly towards me just downstream of Ron Courtney Island, Ashfield/Belmont

Black-winged StiltOther Names: Pied Stilt, White-headed Stilt, Longshanks, Dog-bird
Scientific Name: Himantopus himantopus leucocephalus

Body Length: 33–39 cm
Weight: 165–200 g
Incubation: 22–25 days
Number of eggs: 2–4

Distribution: Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Phillipines
Habitat: Shallow, freshwater wetlands

Heading upstream

Did You Know? In order to keep predators away from their unhatched eggs, a Black-winged Stilt pretends to be injured so it can lure the predator away. The stilt can also make a sharp yapping sound and fly around frantically to distract any predators.

Description: The Black-winged Stilt has a mostly white body with areas of black on the wings and the back of the head. They have very long and skinny reddish-pink legs and a long, but thin black bill.

Diet: Black-winged Stilts are carnivores. They use their sharp bills to peck and ingest only very small food such as molluscs, miniscule crustaceans, algae, flies and aquatic insects.

In the wild: Both parents of young Black-winged Stilts are responsible for incubating the eggs. Like most birds, they are also very protective of their eggs, grouping together to ward off intruders. Once hatched, the young can leave the nest within a few hours, although they stay with their parents for another month.

Threats: Habitat destruction, which disturbs their feeding and breeding habits, is the main threat to the Black-winged Stilt.

At Perth Zoo: The Black-winged Stilt can be found in the Australian Wetlands exhibit and the Birds of the South-west aviary.

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A Fisherman moving rocks to find bait.

This is just one of the reasons why the rocky banks that have been laid by the Swan River Trust never stay in place

Mandurah Duel - Singles 11th Jan
Mandurah Duel - Doubles 12th Jan

Hi Paddlers,

We are gearing up again and getting ready to hold the Alcoa Mandurah Duel in January 2014.

The 2014 event will be held over 2 days with the Alcoa Mandurah Duel event on Saturday and a Double Ski and OC1 race on Sunday with a SUP Tech Race in the morning. See the Program page for full details.

The biggest change to the 2014 event will be changes to the start and finish of the race.

For 2014 there will be a new start and finish for the Ocean and Estuary courses.

New Starts: Both the Ocean and Estuary starts will now be side by side right beneath the Dawesville Bridge. The start line will be between the jetty at the base of the restaurant on the northern side of The Cut at the base of the bridge in a straight line across The Cut to the base of the bridge on the southern side. Ocean Course paddlers will start to the south of a buoy making the centre of the line, Estuary Course paddlers will start to the north of the buoy marking the centre of the start line.

The starter will be on the jetty on the northern rock wall.

New Finish: The finish of both races will new be at Doddies Beach in front of the Mandurah Ocean Club Halls Head.

Check the maps of the Course page for details.

http://mandurahduel.blogspot.com.au/p/course.html

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The Doctor Race (Rottnest to Sorrento) 18th Jan

The Doctor in Perth is Australia’s most exciting ocean paddling event from Rottnest Island to Sorrento Beach covering 27kms (or vice versa depending on wind conditions).

Please note that The Doctor is planned for Saturday 18th January however has a two day window to allow for the best downwind racing conditions. If the conditions are more favorable on Sunday then The Doctor may be held on that day.

Final race course and time will be decided on Friday evening at the pre race briefing. The races plans to start at Rottnest Island and finish at Sorrento Beach, however should the winds be blowing easterly then the course may be reversed

The Doctor Festival of Paddle Sports – A full week of paddling events in WA. Don’t miss out!

In January 2014 Perth will play host to the very best aquatic sporting athletes from around the globe. Racing over a range of distances on a variety of paddle craft in some of WA’s premier holiday locations, competitors will experience the delights of a typical Western Australia summer.

http://www.oceanpaddler.com/events/the-doctor/program-of-events/

Wednesday 15th January
The Doctor Double Ski Champs 12km – Fremantle to City Beach.
Approx 4.30pm start

Thursday 16th January Mobil Statewide Oil Sunset Final 11km –
Port Beach to City Beach. 5pm start

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Reports are that: The WA Coastal Challenge will not be held this year

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Next Marathon #4 -

Canning River Race, Sunday 9th Feb 2014.
There is a short portage in this race.

Finn Kayak with Pod: $750.00

Two Up Double open kayak: $600.00

Mirage Max Kayaks K1: Very Good Condition. $1250.00

Please call us about our used boats 9378 1333