Grey Teal ducks into danger - Python tucks in

Big Water Python wraps up Grey Teal in middle of Rowes Bay Lagoon, Townsville, this morning. 

Slowly but surely the snake stretches mouth over the bird. Too slowly for me to wait for the big bulge inside snake and probable swim to more cover for the slow process of digestion.

Take a butcher's at this colourful lot

But it's brown, why's it called a Black Butcherbird? I'm glad you asked. In North Queensland - but not too far north - Cracticus quoyi race rufescens comes with either black or rufous young, in the same nest sometimes. The rufous birds change to black in their second year (note black emerging on bird's left wing. They'll also stick around and help their parents feed the next generation.

But it's brown, why's it called a Grey Teal? I'm sorry you asked, because I've no idea. Possibly because calling it brown would confuse it with Chestnut Teal. The species confuse themselves and others by hybridizing sometimes.

But it's black, why isn't it called the Yellow-streaked-necked-male Bittern? Ha! They get it right sometimes, though the female isn't really very black.

Don't ask me how the Darter managed to escape the colour determinists, though it did get saddled with the tag Snake-bird, which, I'm pleased to say, nobody has ever used in my experience. I'd much rather go for Very Twisty Neck Bird, but that's a bit colourless.

And there's obviously too much white everywhere and it's such a boring colour anyway the colour must come from a really really exciting name, such as Intermediate Egret. Not Great or Little or Reef. All too dull, dull, dull. Intermediate, now that's a name with zing. Like a Bill Shorten zinger! Talk about colourful. But actually something in this picture does bring him to mind ...

Looking into the background

Easy enough when chasing birds to see little else, even when it's occupying almost all the frame. So, Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia) in Tyto the other day took my attention, but background of ruffled, leaden water makes the picture.

And Grey Teal (Anas gracilis) - an uncommon visitor - looks almost twice as attractive accompanied by reflection and wake.

On the other hand, messy background doesn't do much for an Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca), though it hints at problems photographers face in obtaining uncluttered images.
Click pix to enlarge