Eight standouts for July in the Common

Eight birds stand out from the rest caught by the camera in July: Brown Falcon, Spangled Drongo, Dusky Moorhen, Golden-headed Cisticola, Grey Fantail, Magpie Goose, Nankeen Kestrel, Willie Wagtail. Here's hoping for even better in August - and an end to rain so we get more migratory species dropping in later in the year. 

Hiding away in the rainforest

Rainforest  offers enticing shelter from streaming summer rays, but shrouds  most of its birds. Spent 10 minutes up Paluma Dam way  yesterday begging this Rufous Fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons) to sit still. 

During same wander along the dam road, came upon Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa). Didn't seem to like flash, so pumped up ISO. Result: noisy picture of quiet bird.

Unlike this Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris), which 'chooff-chooffs'  about the Jourama Falls forest most mornings.

Even quieter most days, Grey-headed Robin (Heteromyias cinereifrons). Another of the birds hiding away in the Paluma gloom.

Almost always to be found somewhere in tropical rainforest, Pale-yellow Robin (Tregellasia capito). As often the case, bonus closeup of tree trunk, near Wallaman Falls. 

So too with female White-throated Treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaea), also  close to the falls. If only more species would take to marching up well-lit trunks, though the treecreeper isn't a rainforest specialist.

Sorting out the fantails

Fantails. Cheery companions for woodland walkers. But not always exactly what they seem. Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa - formerly fuliginosa) used to flit about in five races: albicauda, keasti, alisteri (above), preissi, and albiscapa. Christidis and Boles 2008 omit the first four races. But named or unnamed, they're all still where they were, north, south, east, west, high and low, cheeky as ever.

Here in Tyto, alisteri, as was, still sings sharply and sweetly. Darker keasti rarely drops in from tableland forest habitat. Mangrove Grey Fantail (Rhipidura phasiana) inhabits coastal NT and WA, but looks almost exactly like the alisteri above.

From some angles the grey Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris) can look very Grey-ish. Adding to confusion, they sound almost exactly like the one-note Graceful Honeyeater - not at all fantail-ish.(And Willie Wagtails are really fantails - but cause little confusion.)