Great! Egret similarities breed contretemps

Eastern Great Egret stands amid mixed mob of 100 or so egrets, ibises and spoonbills clustered in fast diminishing reedy shallows today showing off breeding plumage and accompanying dark bill.

And the usual aggression against others of its species: ditto Little Egrets and Intermediate Egrets. Spoonbills and ibises - more sociable flock feeders - ignored the skirmishes around and above them.

Elsewhere, Leaden Flycatchers seen busily beginning nest early in the week (and completed yesterday) lost the lot overnight. Selfish thought: they'll build again, but probably without being spotted and offering photo opportunities.

Also unlikely, more sightings of Burtons Snake Lizard, seen above in the middle of Town Common road during a spotlighting drive. Lack of working legs didn't stop it hot-footing it into roadside grasses. (It may have been more than coincidence seeing slimmer but three times longer Brown Tree Snake nearby on the road.)

 

Flycatcher flurry of feeding for lucky little Leaden

Little winner today, juvenile Leaden Flycatcher fresh from nest with devoted parents shuttling food in every few seconds.

No surprise having the young bird appear from 'nowhere'. Leadens build dainty camouflaged bowl nests which defy sighting from below the limbs and forks supporting them.

Little losers today, Brown-backed Honeyeaters with part-finished nest almost within touching distance outside tower hide. Nest found at base of paperbark, blown down by ongoing gusty winds.
A minor setback given the industry and persistence of Brown-backeds.