Back-breaker bags Brown-backer

Back-breaking crawl got me close to Brown-backed Honeyeater before it twigged my presence in Town Common Cons. Pk, Townsville, today. Time I found technique with fewer twinges.

Much easier on the spine catching Nankeen Night-Heron doing daytime flyover this morning.

Even simpler, walk up close and talk to obliging Pelican.

And yesterday at Pallarenda stood comfortably under tree and clicked away after coming upon Osprey ripping into fresh catch. John Dory, I'm told.

   

Catching some biggies on the wing

Bit of a morning for the biggies in the Common today, starting with bit of luck catching Channel-billed Cuckoos on the wing, and indeed one having caught cicada on the wing.

Two Black Kites showing interest in squashed Cane Toad on drive in, but this bird seemed keener on prey among the tree tops.

Young Osprey upset parent wouldn't deliver latest fish catch. The two immatures spending much less time on nest, without yet seeking to catch their own.

Another fisher - though with very different technique - Pelican off  lifted from borrow pit pools when White-bellied Sea Eagle took off from nearby tree.

The eagle was perched with partner in shady tree overlooking pits, until I walked up from behind them and attempted conversation. Birds undisturbed by voice but took off when I showed myself.

List! How to set realistic bird list targets

Few more birders than usual should be stalking Tyto and other hotspots around Ingham over the coming weekend with shire-organised twitching days and nights.

So, how many birds should visitors expect if shire boasts of 240-plus species in Tyto Wetlands and many more in the wider district?

Give up? Don't care? Haven't a clue?

Here's a clue. Go to atlassing site such as ebirdEremaea, select hotspots, open, say, Tyto Wetlands, select last seen to gain chronological list. Now scroll down list, going back in time. Back three months, six months,a year, three years. At any point in time you get a count of species.

Taking a three-year back limit - because ebird listing really took off about then - you'll get 216 species for Tyto. For the top Australian hotspots: Townsville Town Common, 271 listed, 242 in past 3yrs; Werribee Treatment Ponds 263, 227; Cairns Foreshore 259, 194.

Big differences between totals and three years. But even three years is a long time. And many sites show very strong seasonality among species. So last  three months may be closer to reality. For Tyto that would mean about 160 species. The common and Werribee fall behind, to about 135 each, and Cairns drops to 100. Tyto loses fewer birds because it has water year-round (unlike Townsville) and is not so coastal and seasonal as Cairns and Werribee.

I expect for a full mornng to list between 70 and 80 species in Tyto. Add about 30 over a week and another 30 over a month. So, if lucky, 130-140 of the target 160. Which is a long way off the 246 on the printed Tyto list, but it's a realistic figure.

Go to it, visitors. But set sensible targets wherever you bird.

All pictures from recent Tyto outings: Pelican, Shining Bronze Cuckoo, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Yellow Oriole, Little Friarbird

Plucky duck merits portrait

Pacific Black Duck deserves quick portrait. Don't know how loss occurred, but bird lacks much of left wing. Paddles about by itself, often sharing space on the lagoon shore with Darters. Over the last month it's remained typically wary though gradually accepting limited morning chats with me. Happily there are no 'nature lovers' clutching bags of bread, so the bird continues to healthily fend for itself. Looks well enough, doesn't it?

Plenty of Wandering Whistling Ducks (and Plumed Whistling Ducks) on and beside the main lagoon these days. One pair of Wanderers paddled by with two ducklings straggling behind a few days ago. No sign since so the two may have fallen to predators.

Much less numerous and seldom in Tyto for long, Australian Pelican drops in to check out the fishing. Didn't hang about more than an hour before heading north with four others.

Australasian Grebe probably happy to see Pelicans depart. You never know what a bird with such an enormous maw - and a none to gentle nature - might fancy.

Quick note on September bird counts. Not many waders turned up, but overall the drying shallows and migratory season drew a few more species. Daily counts often topped 60. Rule of thumb then says 90 for week and 120 for the month. Didn't check weekly counts, but month was spot on 120, the highest of 2009.

Even the waders that did arrive have mostly gone again. Exceptions above are Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (left, usually with others of species) teaming itself with Wood Sandpiper (often solitary). Don't think Sharpie will stick around long.