Policy Officer Katherine Howard reckons it is the snakiest season for years at Panda Cottage. But that hasn’t stopped the wood ducklings, grebes and swans producing plenty of chicks which are growing up fast.
A tiger snake photographed on the doorstep of Panda Cottage
The wood ducks have once again shown their superior parenting skills by successfully raising another enormous brood to adulthood - eight ducklings this spring, only slightly down from their pack of nine last year.Mind you, it’s amazing anyone manages to keep their chicks alive for more than five minutes around here - the lake is literally crawling with tiger snakes at the moment. I’ve only been at Panda Cottage a year now, but those who’ve been here longer tell me it’s the snakiest season they’ve seen so far. We’re seeing one almost every day at the moment since the return of the gorgeous sunny weather.
As Policy Officer I don’t get out in the field as much as some of my wheatbelt workmates. But it’s hard to whinge about being chained to your desk when you have the best desk at the best office in the world. My ‘work’ station looks directly out at Herdsman Lake, which is lovely at any time and right now is overflowing with both water and life.
Black swan with cygnets at Herdsman Lake
They put the swans to shame, which always seem to lose a couple of babies, probably to local dogs and cats though possibly to other narky swans.
The wood ducklings have disappeared since they got their flight feathers, but have been quickly replaced by a cute and fluffy pair of baby Australasian grebes (greblings? greblets? Anyone know what the correct term for a baby grebe is?) These guys are shy and stick close to Mum, frantically following her ripples when she submerges for up to minutes at a time in an effort to be closest to her when she surfaces with food.
The office itself has been “snake-proofed”, so they tell me, but you do still pause for thought every once in a while when your feet bump against the tangle of cables under your desk!
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