High ISO Azure is so quiet - how so?

Azure Kingfisher (Ceyx azureus) at Jourama Falls today. Image so-so, but much quieter than would usually be expected, given ISO of 3200 (f8 1/500 Canon 7D 300L f4+1.4x). High ISO means noise. But tip doing rounds has it that Canon auto ISO produces less noise than same ISO manually selected.

Here's the unaltered full frame

Full frame denoised, sharpened and overcurved

Cropped, denoised lightly and sharpened

Cropped, more denoised and sharpened

And second look at quiet (for ISO 3200) Azure. Seems a good tip.  

Noisy Pitta and noisy others

Lots of noise from the bush, too much noise in pictures ... Noisy Pitta (Pitta versicolor) near Jourama Falls

Green Catbird (Ailuroedus crassirostris) near Wallaman Falls

Tooth-billed Catbird (Scenopoeetes dentirostris) near Birthday Creek Falls

Pale-vented Bush-hen (Amaurornis moluccana) near fallen forest, Ingham.

Stepping out in style

Comb-crested Jacana (Irediparra gallinacea) shows aquatic bounce in Tyto. 

Spotless Crake (Porzana tabuensis) poises about the next step. 

And Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) pauses from strutting its stuff.

Birdwings and bird wings

Lucky to come across pair of Cairns Birdwing (Ornithoptera priamus) on the job in patch of relict rainforest near Ingham at the weekend. Female above male. They fluttered off together a few minutes later.

More distant view of Topknot Pigeon (Lopholaimus antarcticus) flapping and feeding on figs at Jourama Falls the other day. 

And female Satin Flycatcher (Myiagra cyanoleuca) reacts to flash after landing close to camera along rainforest creek. 

But, as with most birds, doesn't turn a feather at second exposure.  

Triller down from tree tops

White-winged Triller (Lalage sueurii) comes down from the tree tops to chase breakfast in Tyto. More males of the species than usual this season but females have not been as prominent.

Certainly not so common as Tawny Grassbird (Megalurus timoriensis). Bladey grass has invaded many former shaded areas since Cyclone Yasi and grassbirds are everywhere in noisy numbers.

As always, so too Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris). This juvenile one of several throughout the wetlands lately.

Life's not just for the birds - but then ...

Some say life's for the birds, but there's more to it than that ...

There's the North Queensland Day Moth (Alcides metaurus) for one. Though not such a common sight as the name might imply.

And the Northern Double Drummer Cicada (Thopha sessiliba) for another. Though more often heard than seen - on a hat after being picked up along a track.

And the White-lipped Treefrog (Litoria infrafrenata) for one more. Though this one doesn't frequent my shower, unlike a larger cousin.

But the birds do keep coming. Three little ones lately: Bush Thick-knee (Burhinus grallarius) youngsters, hugging the ground and playing dead even if picked up. Life and death for the birds ...  

'Put more in the maw, Ma'

Juvenile Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo (Chalcites basalis) offers a Red-backed Fairy-wren's
eye view of life after being parasitised.

Well fed. Welfared? Youngster looks good on it, anyway.

Stonking big honkers don't deter Snipe

Pair of noisy Brolga (Grus rubicunda) adding their considerable presence to roadside pools just south of Ingham lately, out-honking and towering over the more numerous ducks and (Magpie) geese.

And tucked away silently tucking prey away at the same pools, Latham's Snipe (Gallinago hardwickii).

Spotless Crake spotted stepping out

Not often so easy to spot, Spotless Crake (Porzana tabuensis) peers from the scleria ...

... and ventures out as Tyto's main lagoon shrinks ...

... and exposes some interesting mud.

Striking gold in the rainforest

Struck gold in Paluma rainforest today when Golden Bowerbird (Amblyornis newtonianus) landed nearby to deposit flower on its display platform.

We had a long chat about this and that.

But he couldn't help me find any others. Another day ...