Yesterday and again today I saw a Darter in an inlet of Manly Dam. I think they’re two different birds, because yesterday’s bird looks darker in colour. That could be because it’s more mature than the one in the same spot today, or it might be that yesterday’s bird was male while today’s was female.

Today’s Darter was perched in full sunlight on a dead tree. At the start of the video, the bird has stretched its wings out to dry, in the pose that’s characteristic of Darters and Cormorants. The bird is doing a bit of preening. The camera zooms out to show the surrounds: an inlet of Manly Dam near Sydney, Australia. Then a couple of joggers approach. The camera zooms back in to see the Darter’s slight unease at the sound of approaching people. The bird turns and stretches its long neck to check for danger. The joggers pass by underneath the bird, and all goes back to normal after a bit of a shuffle to get the feathers back in order:

Darters are often called snakebirds, due to their long, snake-like necks. It’s good to see the neck in action! They eat fish, which they catch by spearing them with that long sharp beak.

Here’s a still photo of the bird, showing a leery eye:

Yesterday’s bird was lower down, closer to the water and in shade. Its head, neck, and body look much darker in colour, and its wings more silvery:

Back in June this year, a cream-coloured Darter roosted in the same spot. The colouring of that bird surprised me, as I’d only seen dark brown or black ones up to that point.

Common name: Darter
Scientific name: Anhinga melanogaster
Approximate length: 90 cm; wing span: 1.2 m
Date spotted: 25 and 26 December 2023 (summer)
Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’34.7″S 151°14’48.9″E