Darter swallows up slippery catch

Australasian Darter (Anhinga novehollandiae) shows how to go about catching a fish after catching a fish at Tyto today. Not as easy as it looks.

But all's well that ends swallowed.

Cor, cormorants and blurry bittern

Interesting bits later, the one decent picture first. Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarba melanoleucos) in solo pose near a Tyto lagoon. Little Pieds stand alone, in contrast to Little Black Cormorants (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris). Any fish the solitary hunter Pied takes brings no threat of theft from a fishing companion.

But Little Blacks hunt in packs. The advantage appears to be a 'herding' of fish ahead of the swift swimming pack. The disadvantage is an instant challenge against any bird that takes a fish too large to be immediately swallowed. Side note: 50-60 Little Blacks in Tyto overnight the only large group of the species to spend much time in the wetlands in six years or more.

Worst for last. Australian Little Bittern (Ixobrychus dubius) disappears across scleria in Tyto today. Male, but you'll have to take my word for it. My only flight picture in six years. Saw male and female yesterday, without even bad picture. Tomorrow ...

One in eye for Shrike-Thrush and me

Little Shrike-Thrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha) on ground at Broadwater Forest Park, west of Ingham, today appears to be winking. Not so. After berating the bird for constantly closing eye as it did a spot of sheltered sunning I realised mistake: injury or ailment had led to permanent closure. Routine hazard for birds that spend much of their day poking heads into forest tangles, I suppose.

Sharp-eyed pair of Plumed Whistling-Ducks (Dendrocygna eytoni) turn away from the Tyto lookout over the weekend. The large flocks have gone (probably up to the tableland) but a few birds are still hanging about with the more numerous Wandering Whistlers.

Also sticking around in limited numbers are Sharp-tailed Sandpipers (Calidris acuminata). This pair caught in middle of minor spat at a small wetlands just east of Ingham.

Finally, bad news at the Great Bowerbird bower. Flattened and pillaged. Possibly the work of another bird. More likely the doing of a Naked Ape. Restores my lack of faith in human nature!

Egret all shook up

Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia) shakes things up after a lengthy spell of patrolling reeds along the lagoon edge at Tyto today. Below, getting back into trim.

Rainbow Bee-eater lights up morning

Don't often come upon Rainbow Bee-eaters (Merops ornatus) low on branches, so above shot on a bright morning as I was beginning a lagoon edge walk hoping for Little Bittern sightings was an unexpected bonus. Luckily the bird paused for a few seconds after coming from over my shoulder.

After recent post about Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis) clutching African Tulip Tree (Spathodea campanulata) seed envelope and Scaly-breasted Lorikeet (Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus) taste for the seeds today came upon lorikeets feeding from split and drying pods. For every seed eaten 10 or more are scattered on the breeze. Little wonder the exotic tree with gorgeous flowers is proving nigh impossible to eradicate.

Immature Great Bowerbird still noisily busy near Tyto carpark, but seems to have largely completed the bower. Now the chief work is sorting out which end of the north-south alignment should be decorated with the assorted white, blue, green and red items it has gathered. No sign of any other bowerbirds in the neighbourhood.