I've got my eye on you ...

Plumed Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni) does a spot of morning grazing at Mungalla Station.

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) casts an eye over the course ahead on the main lagoon at Tyto Wetlands.

Yellow Oriole (Oriolus flavocinctus) looks a little worse for neck wear but filled the Mungalla morning air with hearty 'chonk-chonk-a-lonk'.

Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops) stands out in the Tyto shallows.

Macleay's Honeyeater (Xanthotis macleayanus) pauses during brushing up on bottler breakfast at Wallaman Falls yesterday.

And Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarba melanoleucos) sees nothing to get excited about  at Tyto.

Peregrine Falcon rips into highway prey

Go to a big city where Rock Pigeons flock and you may find Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) nesting on skyscraper ledges but morning encounter near Ingham falls into category of rare sightings.

Bird was ripping into Masked Lapwing beside the highway hard by local airstrip. No way of knowing if the dead bird was a direct kill or road victim. Note blood and feathers on talons.

Same morning and another rarity: first local sighting by me of Black-chinned Honeyeater (Melithreptus gularis). Trying now to see whether the species has just popped in for fleeting visit or might be spreading along the coast.

Elsewhere, female Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus) comes up with fish and insects from Mungalla Station pool and surrounds.

And female Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo leachii) does a bit of scowling at Orient Station. 

Metallic Starlings nesting and resting

Taking brief rest from work at the nest, pair of Metallic Starling (Aplornis metallica) take a look left and right in unison this morning at the western end of Ingham's main shopping way, Lannercost Street.

When the work is done there'll be dozens of nests in the rain tree, with multiple entries for scores of the colonial birds.

In the meantime they are happy to allow close inspection of themselves at work and, less often, at leisure.  

Juvenile Mangrove Robin gets out from under

First day away from nest for juvenile Mangrove Robin (Peneonanthe pulverulenta) near coast southeast of Ingham today.

Bird hadn't got out of nest late yesterday morning.

It was getting to be a tight fit though.

Both parents and one of their previous brood (only just losing last trace of immature plumage) kept the food coming.

It fell to female to carry away the faecal sac.

Want more from outside the nest? Happy to oblige, below:

 Why only one juvenile? One unhatched egg left in nest. Never fertilised, I guess.

Beauty takes time to emerge

Can always count on Crimson Finch (Neochmia phaeton) for local colour in Tyto. Little beauties brightening most days, rain of shine. 

Sometimes, though, outer beauty takes time to emerge.

Also taking plenty of time to emerge, Australian Little Bittern (Ixobrychus dubius). Tucked away in the scleria for most of this year, male came out a few days ago.

May be visible more often between now and Xmas, a period when I think males can be in tussles for territory. 

In the meantime here's hoping for closer emergences and better luck with bigger prey.  

Catching White Ibis catches

After going for years without getting close view of Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) grabbing biggish fish, along come two catches, both in Tyto lately. Sorry, fish lovers, no idea of species, but  all in the water being fished at the time will soon be dead unless they can survive in hardened mud because creek pools are drying fast.

Silvereye done gone Gerygone wrong

Daylight robbery by thieving Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) in foothills on way up to Wallaman Falls this week.

Large-billed Gerygone (Gerygone magnirostris) chased robber off twice then gave up. Explains why the nesting birds hadn't made much progress in the week since I first spotted them starting work in tree over small creek. Seeing the behaviour some compensation for no-show by Little Kingfisher, primary target along the creek.

Young Kite rises to shine

Young Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris) in attractive transition to full adult plumage of grey, white and black, and also yet to develop brilliantly red eye, takes up position to preen and pose in morning warmth yesterday.