Splash of blue signals Lovely arrival

Splash of bright blue amid the green understorey in Tyto yesterday signalled rare arrival of male Lovely Fairy-wren (Malurus amabilis). No sightings of species ever so far east in the wetlands. And no sign at all of the birds in years since Cyclone Yasi. Now the challenge is to get a decent picture.

A challenge also often with Pacific Baza (Aviceda subcristata). The specialist frog and phasmid munchers don't mind people getting close, but usually stay high in or atop the foliage. Bird above spent some time on lower limbs in Tyto the other day.

So did this young Yellow Honeyeater (Lichenostomus flavus), when it wasn't busy chasing others away from bottlebrush along the northwestern boundary track. Immaturity shows with yellow at base of gape (bill).

The challenge with Crimson Finch (Neochmia phaeton) has been to get a bird to sit somewhere other than surrounded by grass (natural feeding habitat at times) or background and foreground twiggery. No luck so far.