Sunbird shows off helluva hover cover

All very well being clever enough to fly but no Australian bird has yet truly mastered doing it on the spot. Top marks though for Olive-backed Sunbird at Rowes Bay Sustainability Wetlands today doing a helluva hover cover - shown by camera settings of f7.1 1/800 ISO1600 (not expecting flight picture). Tribute also to Canon R5 stabilisation.

More time and thus more fitting shutter speed for Dollarbird, one of six in action over Townsville Town Common the other morning.

Plenty of White-breasted Woodswallows in the air at same time. 

Elsewhere, Plumed Whistling Duck ready with flaps up for landing near Mundy Creek lagoon recently.  

Somewhere over the rainbow . . .

Rainbow Lorikeet - batwing coral treat

Sunbird, Olive-backer - cocky apple snacker

Brolga up en pointe - rite of springy joints

Pipit, Sunbird making most of morning

Not a specially early bird, and not a worm but Pipit's pleased with this part of morning's work in Town Common, Townsville.

Also looking content with the morning, male Olive-backed Sunbird, close to my front door.

Making 'Hey' while the Sunbird shines

Eye-catching flashes of colour today in Townsville Town Common Conservation Park came from Olive-backed Sunbird darting to and fro across early stretch of the road in as she put finishing touches to standard dangling nest. 400 frames, most discarded. No need for more words:

Some lovelies in place of refound Lovelies

Got first glimpse in two years of Lovely Fairy-wren near the Tyto hide this week. But only Red-backed Fairy-wrens to show for many hours in the wetlands.

And males proving as always extremely difficult to capture in all their black and red glory.

Also active around the hide and elsewhere, Olive-backed Sunbird. Above, male yet to come into full breast colour.

And a Yellow Honeyeater showing off briefly on same paperbark branch in front of hide.

Sunbird feeds into scheme of things

Few Olive-backed Sunbirds (Nectarinia jugularis) seen about the wetlands lately so lucky getting close to this female today.

But, then, her mind was more on pollen and nectar than nosy photographers.    

So, too, this young Dusky Honeyeater (Myzomela obscura), looking at first impression rather like a Scarlet or Red-headed Honeyeater juvenile.

And this Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) also didn't mind me getting close, very close, knowing I'd no designs on a dragonfly dinner. 
Click pix to enlarge

Sunbird bends over backwards

Few headaches lately brought CT scan trip to Townsville yesterday, and some time looking (mostly) for anything interesting in dwindling wader spots. Nothing stood out among Sharp-tailed and Marsh Sandpipers, apart distant Latham's Snipe.


Best sight, female Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarinia jugularis) at work on dangling nest. 

She even bent over backwards for me - but wouldn't stay still.

Also found young (rufous markings) Little Shrike-Thrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha) nearby, feeding, not gathering nest material.

Closer to home, got unsteady image of Barking Owl (Ninox connivens) the other night (watch out, possums!). Holding heavy spotlight and camera proved bit of a pain.


Talking of pain, and headaches, brain scan showed nothing (well, minimal grey matter) apart from treatable sinus condition. Spray for me, friends.
Click pix to enlarge     

Paying account to some bills

Female Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris) shows strength of versatile bill, prying large chunk of bark from branch (cheesewood tree, from memory) in search of insects, in Tyto last week.

Brown-backed Honeyeater (Ramsayornis modestus) with all-purpose reddish bill adds webbing to nest (now completed) in Leichhardt tree over creek pool.

Male Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarinia jugularis) displays specialist long curving, nectar-probing bill (even longer tongue not on display).    

Too close to gorgeous

Came upon this male Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarinia jugularis) up a bit too close for 300mm lens and 1.4x converter yesterday.

So images are rather soft. And tongue was too quick. But gorgeous is gorgeous. Right?

Also found Cotton Pygmy-goose (Nettapus coromandelianus) twosome (male, left, chasing female) - seldom seen singly in Tyto; rarer still paired - feeding and squabbling among themselves and two Green Pygmy-geese (Nettapus pulchellus).

Easy at a distance (and more so in poor light) to confuse Cottons (front) and Greens (rear). Safest guide often pattern on birds' flanks.

And here's a surprise. Not! Birds Cottons turned up day after I advised visitors of their rarity in the wetlands. Almost enough to make one talk of lack of Dodos, in hope they'll magic into being just to prove one wrong!

Updates: Comb-crested Jacana still on four eggs. Shining Flycatchers still on ? eggs.

Kite leads a show of wings

Wings on show in Tyto reflect some interesting looks at bird life. First, wingtips of Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus) gleam in the morning sunshine as the bird cruises low over the wetlands.

Then, Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarinia jugularis) begins to open wings as it dances on aerial fig tree roots in the shadows of the Tyto lookout. The bird flittered between three of us standing under the lookout roof, and perched briefly on a tripod.

Finally, Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae) trails a wing during a quick stretch and preen on the main lagoon. A quirk of wave angle and light gives the bird three reflected heads.

Egret enjoys large catch

Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia) comes up with tasty catch in Tyto, just as I was pondering their failure to grab anything large enough to be clearly seen before swallowing. Can't recall seeing many such big prizes, which Great Egrets routinely take.

Less lively tucker for Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarinia jugularis), though this wild passionfruit didn't pass the taste test. Can't blame the bird for shunning sour green fruit.

Male Red-backed Fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus) isn't interested in eating its portion of African TulipTree flower. "Look at me in all my colourfulness," is the signal to female wrens. Can't say I've noticed many respond positively.

Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis) almost a tasty catch in quest for better pictures of the shy little birds. Can't get them to pose long enoughand turn heads to me!