Welcome variations mark New Year

One Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) may not mean a northern summer, but this southerner adds up to a farewell to 2013 and a welcome to 2014.

One look seems a bit mean, so two variations on the original full-frame image...

... and an additional one for luck.

Here's to counting on a great 2014! 

Yellow Wagtails sticking around

Six seldom seen migrating Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla tschutschensis) on show at Mungalla Station near Ingham today.

Birds are possibly sticking around  and not moving further south because the area has dried up again after an early start to the Wet.

Bird above almost certainly one of today's six - sitting up nicely two days ago in tree beside Palm Creek pool. Impossible on today's sightings to be sure how the six divide, perhaps two pair and two singles. More another day ...

Cassowary shares early morning walk

Went for an early morning walk along the road to Wallaman Falls this week with Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius).

Not much eye contact,

nice close profile,

stops for quandongs,

and a final step toward the camera. Thanks, Cass!

Here's a festive hamper for Christmas

Let's start with something garishly colourful, Rainbow Lorikeet

Something gleaming brightly, Golden-headed Cisticola

More subtle hues, Rufous-throated Honeyeater

Something more sedate, White-browed Robin and Grey-headed Robin

Little bit sharper, Little Grassbird

Little bit cuter, Masked Lapwing youngster

And a choc box picture, Wallaman Falls.

All the best to everyone for 2014 

Osprey sight brings bonus flight

Eastern Osprey (Pandion cristatus) on driftwood and in air offers bonus sight along Lucinda sandspit today.

Target bird, leucistic Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis), showed up and showed out, but did not allow any closeups. 

Yellow Wagtail on station

Look who's here from Siberia or somewhere equally cold in the Northern Hemisphere, Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla tschutschensis). Pair of flighty birds seen at Mungalla Station today. Much driving across a few hundred hectares and lots of luck before refinding and finally getting distant pictures of the splotchy yellow bird above. Hoping for better in coming days. 

Two paired, two growing, too flighty

Morning togetherness for pair of Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) near Lucinda.

Morning closeness for two juvenile Helmeted Friarbird (Philemon buceroides) near Tyto Wetlands entrance.

Morning flightniness for odd couple, Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva) and  Little Curlew (Numenius minutus) at Mungalla Station.

Quite a conk and quite a honk

They don't come much larger and louder than Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae), here high in a Mungalla Station paperbark and taking a break from feeding on figs.

No figs for this big-billed fisher, Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), taking off from small pool at Tyto Wetlands and dwarfing Whiskered Terns.

Metallic Starlings glisten

Squadrons of seasonal Metallic Starlings (Aplornis metallica) coming and going about their social nests in Ingham rain trees these mornings.

Hard to catch the depth of their iridescence, but at least the birds allow one close enough to give it a go. 

Grub's up for picky young Kookaburra

Straight after spitting out a locust forced upon it by one parent, young Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) shows enthusiasm for softer fare offered by second parent (at Crystal Creek, south of Ingham, on rainy Thursday). Picky, picky picky!  

Rainbow Bee-eater big on dragonflies

Parent Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) lands with dragonfly for junior perched above Palm Creek at Mungalla Station today. Just one of many such feeds judging by junior's size.

And another, tighter, shot of Budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)  from the other day near Orient Station. 

Who's a pretty boy and boy and girl, then?

Been a good year for Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) sightings near Orient Station. Two males and female (left) brighten a rusty stretch of barbed wire.

A few more Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) sightings than common in Tyto lately. No way of telling whether they're boys or girls, but they're pretty, right?

Pretty special, too, male Crimson Finch (Neochmia phaeton) in Tyto.

But few can open their mouths and compete with male Shining Flycatcher (Myiagra alecto), a favourite near old stockyards at Mungalla Station. Pretty spectacular! 

Young Willie lucky and healthy survivor

Young Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) opens wide near Tyto hide.

Quick service guaranteed in past few days because - unusually - it's the lucky and only survivor of a probable clutch of three or four. It's a jungle out there, for Willies as for us all.

Black neck? You're having a laugh, aren't you?

What's in  a name? Nothing like  the truth when it comes to Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus).

'Black neck? That's a laugh,' said Mrs Stork, in Tyto, t'other day.  'My Rhynky's got a gorgeous neck, I reckon.'

'Too right, Eph,' said he.   They're right, of course, my lovely Jabirus.

Bustard big on necking

Mr Bustard (Ardeotis australis) out to drive the girls wild with his special take on necking.

Displaying his morning glory, a super-rack breast-sac.

Bit of a drag if it dangled all day.

He's always showing off, said another Mungalla local.