Peek-a-boo, yoo-hoo, toodle-oo, tally-hoo

Four days of nonstop rain in tropical North Queensland and cabin fever setting in. Calls for something light and bright to break the monsoon misery. So, harking to a sunnier, funnier day: Galah peek-a-boo

Magpie Goose goes yoo-hoo

Osprey passes, toodle-oo

Silver Gull says tally-hoo

 

  

Changes in the air for Ospreys

Resident Osprey pair and their not-so-immature youngster showing hints of pending changes with minor nest titivating and some shifts in customary feeding and perching positions. Above, male adult rips into fish today, on branch regularly used by female. Top, same bird against a bluer sky a few days ago.

Close by, female, watches warily from uncustomary position close to nest tree after spending a few minutes arranging the scraggly branchlets she had brought in. (Above picture, same bird, same pose as few days ago.)

Immature bird stayed in position on nest tree, seemingly without interest in male's feeding, or female's additions to nest. Might be 'encouraged' to move on soon. (Above picture, same bird, same pose as few days ago.)

Flying? Easy as falling off a dead tree

'What's all the fuss about? Dead easy, this flying business. Easy as falling off a log.'

Or a dead tree. Young Osprey took first flights today. No trouble flying. Not even too much trouble landing. Problem was the standing. Steep branches proved a challenge, even given almost total lack of breeze. Fidget. Wobble. Turn. Nearly topple. Flap. Flap. Skid down branch. Big flap. Virtually fall off tree. Refind gracefulness. Circle troublesome tree twice. Head back to nest. Security and stability! Later in the morn, lessons learned. Bird now confidently atop another dead tree. Parents impassive throughout. 'What's the fuss? It's what we do.'

Not such happy news for Bush Stone-curlew and eggs (earlier post). All OK one day, gone the next. Plenty to go wrong for ground-nesters. And this bird was close to info boards, most used parking bay, and regularly whipper-snipped verge.

Male Osprey steals fish caught for his juvenile

Shame, Mr Osprey. Shame, shame, shame on you. Female Osprey appeared through the overcast and drizzle yesterday with fish for fast-growing juvenile. But before she starts ripping into fish and feeding junior in nips male and steals off.

She follows but does no more than perch and watch as he tears into junior's breakfast. He might claim to have earned the feed for earlier chasing away a Brown Goshawk that entered the nesting territory. She, however, has proved  just as feisty when other raptors get too close.

And he may know she's the better fisher. It had taken her only 12 minutes from quitting nest to returning with the fish at issue. (Later in the day one of the birds missed twice before success from a  third plunge into shallow water: first fishing I've seen by any Osprey in local bay.) And juvenile didn't have to wait long for feed. No thanks to Mr Greedy Gobbler!