Santa works magic on glimpse of Paradise present

Isn't Santa just Christmas? Asked North Pole person (PC post!) to magic iffy shot of Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher and Ho Ho Ho job's done.

Seems it's once a year deal only. So I've asked for stocking full of post-processing tips. And a flasher monitor. And digiscoping. And ... Too greedy? Well, aren't we all, this time of year?

Always up for gifts of grace from Red-tailed Black Cockatoos. Female incoming above at Cape Pallarenda Conservation Park yesterday.

And another outgoing after feeding on Xmas mix of tree nuts and fallen seeds.

Earlier present from almost same location in the park, Yellow-throated Miner, beside itself after being told no other member of species seen or listed previously at the site.

Get a close up of my throat, it said. See. See why I'm a Yellow-throated.

And how about a side view? (Bit of a bighead, this bird).

Not, however, so big as Tawny Frogmouth, present at Ross River Bush Garden. One of three shifting from night to night to keep everyone guessing next morning.

Also present nearby, Striated Heron poised on lily pad.

Finally, return to Pallarenda for lovely Lovely Fairy-wren. Female needs some of the Santa magic to perfect the picture.

But  she'll have to do, for the present.

Woodswallows forgo fork to breed and feed

First morning of retirement village life in Townsville and I'm greeted by White-breasted Woodswallows feeding varied diet to two youngsters at the Town Common..

Seems parent birds chose to nest in hollow at end of dead branch,rather than in substantial deep fork of trees with upright habit, such as many paperbarks.

What the food service lacked in speed was offset by variations of flying prey.

Not sure butterfly wings count for many calories.

Very slim pickings here.

Something a bit more substantial.

And perhaps flying ants for dessert.

A last hurrah on my last Ingham morning in Tyto Wetlands, finally caught up with Lovely Fairy-wren. Little bugger wouldn't stop forage-flitting through thick regrowth. Easy for him. I had to crash through. It could end only one way. Lost him. Here's to chasing and losing birds  whereever they may be. Even if it means Tyto Tony becomes no more than Tryto Tony.

Lovely to catch up with blue fairies

Terrible picture, but it's exciting to have again found some Lovely Fairy-wrens (Malurus amabilis). Ducked into a mess of pandanus and guavas yesterday in pursuit of a Rufous Fantail and found male wren almost under my feet.

The find comes after losing track of a wren pair last year. Fleeting glimpses of other wrens seemingly without much blue initially led me to think perhaps the male was a Variegated (which would be a Tyto first).

That thought evaporated today with this female, carrying nesting material. Even with such a clue, it took me more than an hour to locate the half-built nest, barely 30cm off the dirt in a shadowy grove well away from any regular tracks. I don't like haunting nest areas, particularly so in this case, given the rarity of the species in Tyto, but I'll hope for better pictures and better outcome for the birds (the last nest found held two eggs one day, one the next, and was then deserted).

Much easier to find Red-backed Fairy-wrens (Malurus melanocephalus). Here's one looking straight into the lens at the hide today. And below a better image from the back file.