Australian Darter

The Darter is a large, slim water bird with a long snake-like neck, sharp pointed bill and and long rounded tail. Often seen swimming with only neck visible above the water, or drying its wings while perched on a tree or stump over water. While its gait its clumsy on land it can soar gracefully to great heights on thermals, gliding from updraft to updraft. It has a cross shaped silhouette when flying.

In Australia the darter is found from Adelaide, South Australia to Tennant Creek, Northern Territory and then to Broom, Western Australia. It is also fund in South Western Australia, from Perth to Esperance.

The Darter lives in wetlands and sheltered coastal waters, mainly in the tropics and subtropics. It prefers smooth, open waters, for feeding, with tree trunks, branches, stumps or posts fringing the water, for resting and drying its wings. Most often seen inland, around permanent and temporary water bodies at last half a metre deep, but may be seen in calm seas near shore, fishing.

The Darter catches fish with its sharp bill, partly open while diving in water deeper then 60cm. The fish is pierced from underneath, flicked onto the water's surface and then swallowed head first. Smaller items are eaten underwater and large items may be carried  to a convenient perch and then swallowed.

I saw the Darter the first week after my arrival to Australia, but at time I wasn't much interested for a birds. Later I was looking for it and finally I catch it with my camera, last week, drying its wings on the bank of the Swan River.

Photos taken 1,2,3,Swan River

Darter pomeni kačjevratnik, prav po tem je ptič namreč tudi znan. Gre za vitko do 90cm visoko vodno ptico z dolgim kači podobnim vratom, ostro koničastim kljunom in zaobljenim repom. Kadar plava je iz vode mogoče videti samo vrat, pogosto pa suši peruti na posušenih obrečnih vejah ali štorih ki štrlijo iz vode.

Medtem ko je na tleh njegov način hoje zelo štorast, je v zraku čudovit jadralec, ki se ob dobri termiki, z kroženjem povspne do zavidljivih višin.

V Avstraliji ga je mogoče najti od Adelaida v Južni Avstraliji do Tennant Creeka v Severnem Teritoriju nato do Brooma v Zahodni Avstraliji. Nahaja pa se tudi v Jugozahodni Avstraliji od Pertha do Esperanca na južni obali.

Darter živi na mokriščih in območjih rek, prav tako tudi na odprtih obalnih vodah v glavnem v tropskem in subtropskem pasu. Najraje ima mirne odprte vode iz katerih štrlijo vodni štori in suhe veje na obrežjih na katerih počiva in suši krila.

Ribe lovi tako da plava z delno odprtim ostrim kljunom do 60cm in več globoko pod vodo. Ribo prebode od spodaj navzgor in nato ji nad vodno gladino odgrizne najprej glavo. Manjše delce požre takoj, pod vodo      

večje pa odnese na primernejši prostor kjer jih požre kasneje.

To ptico sem videl na obrežju reke Swan prvi teden, ko sem prišel v Avstralijo, vendar sem takrat imel opravka z drugimi stvarmi kot pa z fotografiranjem ptic. Kasneje sem jo dolgo iskal in končno jo ujel z fotoaparatom prejšnji teden, kako po jutranjem lovu suši krila na obrežju reke nekaj kilometrov severno od Pertha.