Getting sneakily technical with wee Grebe

Sneaky way to sneak up on Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae) in Tyto this week: (tech alert!) attach Kenko 2X converter to 100-400mm F5.6 lens. So what? So Kenko somehow tricks Canon 7D to retain some autofocus, which it won't allow with Canon 1.4X converter, let alone 2X. Image quality suffers a bit, but even at ISO1600 above picture not bad (tech ends). 

Nothing technical about Australasian Darter (Anhinga novehollandiae) closeup. Bird surfaced in small Tyto pool but wouldn't risk emerging fully to fly off, so ducked and dived for several minutes until I walked away.

Long-distance noisy 400mm shot of Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides) on fallen tree near Orient Station this week was to be paired with 2X image, but bird put breakfast ahead of posing.   

Soft image high-angled Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris), near Orient Station, also put food first and took off before tripod could be deployed for steadier picture.

Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus), in Tyto, sits still, too far away for sharper detail. No 2X at hand at time, but nothing technical fixes things if the bird is simply too far off.   
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Killer stare on the way

Here's a glimpse of what small birds fear from Collared Sparrowhawk (Accipiter cirrocephalus).

Look away, then suddenly ...

... here comes the killer stare! Immature bird in Tyto this week.

Rats! Brolga strolls off with corpse

Rats! Not quick enough to get a sharp image of Brolga (Grus rubicunda) strolling away with unlamented victim of cane harvesting.  

Rats! Immature Southern Boobook (Ninox novaeseelandiae), rodent lover, stays far off and obscured on brief rare visit to Tyto. 

Rats! Swamp Harrier (Circus approximans), another meat lover, stays too high.
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Kingfisher, Falcons pose for post

Still chasing 'the' picture of Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius) lately resident near Orient Station, southeast of Ingham.

Must make do in meantime with recent willingness of bird to pose for a post.

Brown Falcons (Falco berigora) along same road also share liking for posts.

Too bad so much barbed wire gets into the scene.

And why can't they simply sit still in midair?  
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Casual Cassowary walk on the mild side

Here's my new best birding buddy. We spent 90 minutes close together on the Wallaman Falls road yesterday.

He doesn't say much, so I did most of the talking. Nothing new there.

He did most of the eating, including unknown small fruit mashed by motorists.

He's got a splendid casque for butting through the forest, so he's Casca, 'my' Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius)
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Conspicuous and ravenous

Conspicuous in Tyto yesterday, ravenous Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus). 

Uncommon visitor spent an hour scooping up and wolfing down fish before leaving majestically for elsewhere. Could be the only Pelican of the year on the main lagoon. 
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Seen lately in the pink ...

Mrs Croc with lotus

Mr Jabiru on long legs

And Pink-eared Duck 
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Baza dinner towed from a hole

Forget toad-in-the-hole, Pacific Baza (Aviceda subcristata) about to dine on Green Tree Frog  towed from a hole and toed in the whole. 
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Scrubwren shows out in the shadows

Trundled up to Paluma Dam yesterday for the first time since Cyclone Yasi blasted through 16 months ago. Much quieter and forest system recovery years away.  But Large-billed Scrubwren (Sericornis magnirostra) still darting about in the shadows.

And Grey-headed Robin (Heteromyias cinereifrons) busy here and there.

Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chalcites lucidus) hunting from dam rocks.

Here's a Little Bronze-Cuckoo (was Gould's)(Chalcites minutillus), in Tyto the other day, for comparison.
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Stork stalk starts Jabberwonky

Could the birds be watching me? When all along I've thought myself the observer? Yesterday, near the coast, this Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) flew by near enough to straight over top of me. Today, almost 80km to west up the Herbert River Gorge, same bird, same slow flight over me. Any more of it and I'll be getting the  J-J-J-J-Ja-Ja-Jabber-Jabberoos.
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Red-backed Kingfisher drops in

Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius) seldom shows up around locally, preferring a drier, quieter life inland.

But bird above has become attached to a fallen tree in a coastal paddock which appears to offer plenty of small prey.

Have not, as yet, been able to get close enough, even when perch shifts to post.

Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides), on same fenceline, proved a little more obliging the other day.
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