A pair of Purple Swamphens busily tends a nest. This video shows the changing of the guard, as one parent arrives to relieve the other from nest duties.

Sometime later, the bird on the nest had been calling for some time, perhaps growing lonely or bird. The roaming parent suddenly started flapping its wings and making a big fuss about approaching the nest. But then it veered away and continued foraging, apparently not yet ready to resume nest sitting.

I don’t know if there are eggs in the nest yet, though the way the bird moves around in the second half of the video makes me think it’s carefully positioning itself over an egg or two.

Common name: Purple Swamphen

Scientific name: Porphyrio porphyrio

Approximate length: 50 cm

Date spotted: 29 January 2017

Season: Summer

Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’35.4″S 151°14’49.1″E