Black-necked Stork turns black-hearted

Ooh, look! Kindly young Black-necked Stork sees eel struggling in mud and carefully picks it out for revival on bank.

Checks vitals by vigorous palpitation with bill all along eel: thus comes the jab in Jabiru.

Caring love has no bounds, bird decides eel needs to be washed down. Sacrifices smoothness of gullet to help eel feel better: would better be called Black-throated Stork.

Oh dear! It's forgotten to cough eel up. Maybe better called Black-hearted Stork!

Town Common Friday 8/12/23.

  

Raven leads best of wetland morning

Three birds, three very different stories from Rowes Bay Sustainability Wetlands in Townsville this morning.

First up, Australian Raven, one of two challenging the presence of recently arrived Channel-billed Cuckoos from across Torres Strait (along with Koels and Torresian Imperial-Pigeons).

Second, female Black-necked Stork, making imposing statement atop vines decorating dead acacia.

Third, Forest Kingfisher, the only one of the five seen through the morning posing near perfectly.

Bonus: an even better look at Forest Kingfisher, on nearby branch last week.   

Assailant stork seals rat's hash

Sorry about terrible pictures, but not as sorry about things depicted as unwary Water Rat. Caught attention of male Black-necked Stork in Town Common Conservation Park this morning.

Stork failed with first strike. Returned to para grass at edge of pool a few minutes later. Rat hadn't learned lesson. Strike two too fast. Stork swiftly carried rat off to back, shallower, part of pool.

Rapid series of plunge, drop rat, strike, plunge, stab, plunge, stab, stab put paid to rat, drowned or battered to death.

One final grab, first gulp and rat gone. Stork's partner, close by in pool, ignored it all. 

Eagle eyes and stork stalk finds birds but not nests

Bit of a slog through chest-high grass hiding many fallen trees along former sand road running north-south from near Jacana hide in Town Common Cons. Pk, Townsville, today hunting for possible White-bellied Sea-Eagle nest. Found one bird.

Think now birds are maybe using tree only as night-roost and day-perch. The pair have had two nests in dead tree close to cycle/walk track collapse in past three years.

Better photographic result today from ongoing effort to find nest of Black-necked Storks somewhere close to samphire flats at northeast of the Common, behind Pallarenda suburbia. Got lucky enough to just fit bird into full frame shot. But of the nest? No luck whatsoever.

Birds - treasures at little cost in times good and bad

Times are tough all round these days so free things that bring joy must be treasured. And what gives more joy and costs so little as time with nature's colourful wonders, birds. Today, a few recent sightings.  Enjoy! Above, Black-necked Stork, with fish, Melaleuca viewing area, Town Common Conservation Park, Townsville.

Young Blue-faced Honeyeater looking to give bottlebrush a licking, Town Common.

Crimson Finches (male, top; female above) take short break from seed-seeking, Town Common.

Purple Swamphen (Pukeko to Kiwis) stands out in fast-drying habitat at Ross River dam borrow pits.

Orange-footed Scrubfowl at home amid leaf litter in Cape Pellarenda Conservation Park.

Magpie family trio out and about and obligingly almost underfoot at Cape Pellarenda.

Rainbow Bee-eater perches near nest tunnel at side of road, Town Common, Townsville.

All's well after wee flap over flapping junior Jabiru

Jabiru junior shows robust health morning after alarming visitor with much head tossing and wing flapping interpreted as throat obstruction but more likely demands for food from parents.

Last pools at best viewing areas remain wetter than same time last year. But without rain by end of month mud will show through almost everywhere.

No more images of Jabiru (Black-necked Stork) senior jabbing into the water for slippery catches.

No more Black-fronted Dotterel immature poking about at edge of water.

And fewer close views of Brolgas flying in to forage through grasses and, less often, pools.

And no more chances to stand relatively close to Royal Spoonbills, trying combinations of cameras and lenses (top down: 1D+600; 1D+1.4x+600; 7D+1.4+600= 1344mm! Conclusion: kiss - keep it simple, stupid - is best).

Little Egret, Red-capped Plovers fight for last bites

Last days of 2017, last days of action on, around and over the last two pools as Townsville Common wetland hardens under baking sunny days - which may last past January. So, bit of pressure for last of prey, as above with Little Egret flexing muscles and wings and things to see off fleeing rival.

And junior Red-capped Plover letting older bird know who's stud of the mud.

Red-necked Stint sticks to stints picking up prey and avoids those picking fights.

Black-necked Stork won't be walking across Payets pool with any more tilapia until next year's Wet (if it comes - no sure thing for Townsville). Even the hardy pest fish species are dying in the deoxygenated water.

But there's still prey enough in the air on and just above the water to keep Gull-billed Tern coming back every day.

And there'll always be the birds to keep me there day after day, wet or dry. Here's to 2018 and more Peregrine Falcons, White-bellied Sea-eagles and Whistling Kites, and . . .