Wood Ducks & Porphyry Swamp Hens

SPRING GROWTH

Wood Duck Parents and Children

There are lots of young birds about at this time.

It is difficult to see those that are tucked away in tree hollows, those hidden in thick clumps of gorse, those in mud nests under the eaves of sheds or those perched in stick nests at the top of a telephone tower.

The water bird babies are a lot more obvious. Within a short time of hatching they are out on the water or scrambling about the reed beds.

I spent a pleasant half hour watching three (three?) purple moorhens (Porphyrio porphyrio) feeding chicks in their nest of reeds. There are many of these beautiful swamp hens on the Kilmore Hospital reservoir. I have always called the porphyry moor hens but I think I might have my terminology mixed up a little. Swamphen seems to be the name in my books. The moorhen name seems to belong to the dusky moorhen, a similar but not quite so brightly coloured bird.

The porphyry name, of course, comes from the beautiful purple coloured igneous rock that has been used for centuries in building and sculpture. There is a beautiful sculpture outside St Mark's Basilica in Venice of the Four Tetrarchs carved from porphory.  The term Greek word porphyry means purple, the color of royalty. The 'royalty' of the Catholic Church, the cardinals, of course wear purple or porphyry.

And here we have such a beautiful bird, all clothed in royal purple. I was a little surprised to see at least three birds busy around the nest and all were feeding the young. Upon doing some reading, I found the following comment about the dusky moorhen.  " During breeding season, the Dusky Moorhen forms breeding groups of two to seven birds, with all members defending territory, building nests and looking after young."  (http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Gallinula-tenebrosa).