Czeching Out Tasmania

Went down to the lake the other day to attempt to shoot a different take on the Harlem Shake craze. I was hoping to film all the swans and ducks when they were all together and then wait for them to disperse again and film the half empty lake. And then edit it into a more avian based Harlem Shake. I had the idea in my head, the camera was charged and ready to go and I set off across the road in anticipation.

There was bound to be at least six swans and about 30 ducks, there always is. But not that day! SON OF A B!!!!!! There was one swan and about a dozen ducks, and they were spread out all over the place. Dang it. So that plan was quickly scrapped, but I still wanted to film something so I thought i’d still feed the ducks anyway. The ice was still fairly fresh around swan corner so I thought I’d have a bit of fun with the ducks and test out their skating skills.

After a minute or two I noticed some underneath the stones beside me. I sat still for a moment and sure enough, out popped a little mouse from his rocky hideout. He looked at me nervously before darting back in at the sound of approaching children. I tossed a few pieces of bread in and around the area my little furry friend had appeared from and turned the camera towards the rocky outcrop. Although as nervous as a terrorist going through customs, the mice began to appear, slowly, steadily creeping out from their shelter. As soon as they had targeted the bread, a flash of brown fur would ensue as they leapt out into no-mans land and grabbed the bread before making a b-line straight back into the darkness.

It was really fascinating to see two completely different creatures living so close together. The ducks with their reckless abandon, blindly chasing after each slice of bread despite the slippery ice, and the poor little mice, terrified to venture out of their safe haven. It’s no Planet Earth but I love witnessing mother nature and documenting her idiosyncrasies. No ducks or mice were harmed in the filming of this video.