Pair of Australian Shelduck

Day 21 Pair of Australian Shelduck. (Tadorna tadornoides)

The male is the nearer of the two. These were seen on a farm pond near Mole Creek, Tasmania.

Ponds are a very common feature of the farmland around these parts. They are often referred to as farm dams. Their purpose is to store water from the wet seasons for use in the dry and they vary in size from a small circular puddle to a small lake. Depending on size and vegetation, they attract a variety of wild birds.