Eight standouts for July in the Common

Eight birds stand out from the rest caught by the camera in July: Brown Falcon, Spangled Drongo, Dusky Moorhen, Golden-headed Cisticola, Grey Fantail, Magpie Goose, Nankeen Kestrel, Willie Wagtail. Here's hoping for even better in August - and an end to rain so we get more migratory species dropping in later in the year. 

Grabbing, tearing, probing - unmoving

Three ways of catching some protein and wee portions of other nutrients, seen in the Townsville Town Common lately. Nankeen Kestrel flew from low perch, grabbed grasshopper or locust on the ground and carried it into the sky to feed on the wing (on not off, because insect wings are often discarded).

Australian Raven has torn spider nest from Corymbia tessellaris and followed or carried it down to roadside. The birds use road because spiders inside are easier to find on or hiding under road metal. I believe Torresian Crows, supplanted by the ravens in recent years, don't share the passion for such fare.

Spangled Drongo tears into gumtree bark that has split apart after last year's hot fires through the park. Lost track as it flew off but probably a caterpillar went with it and would not have lasted long.

Meantime Brahminy Kite disdained any such grabbing, tearing and probing, unmoving above the Silver Gulls grabbing slivers of discarded bait as beach fisher at Pallarenda refreshed his hooks. Though the kite is much more a scavanger than, say, the Osprey.

Black and white - and read and reread

Suffering from info overload? Just want things in black and white? Simple and easy, right? Well, yes and no. Recent portrait of Australian Raven comes full of subtle detail.

Nothing too subtle about early morning Spangled Drongo. Not much detail either. But while stark image is enough to identify Drongo beyond doubt, the Raven isn't so easy. Is the bill really bigger than a Torresian Crow's? Are those throat hackles longer? Can you see naked skin strip?

Much safe ground with Magpie Lark. Black face and throat identify bird as male (white face and throat for females). Easy to remember? Forget the difference for a few months and it's back to the reference books to make sure.

Is that barring on Varied Triller's breast? Yes, but it's too fine to be a female. Pity we can't see rufous underbelly. Black and white (and soft lilac-grey rump) don't tell enough of the story.

Add a touch more colour. Two Sulphur-crested Cockatoos fascinated yet again by old hollow hulk in the Town Common today. ID easy. But how to tell male from female? Catch birds and stare into their eyes. Their irises tell the story. Can't escape the need for more and more info, can we? 

Easy as falling off a log - or on one

Some days bird photography comes easy as falling off a log - or falling into focus on one. So, Brown Quail (Coturnix ypsilophora).

Forest Kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii)

Red-backed Fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus)

White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina papuensis)

Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus)

All at Mungalla Station last few weeks.

Catching up in black and white

Cyclone Yasi didn't blow White-browed Robins (Poecilodryas superciliosa) away from Tyto but did change their behaviour. They now spend more time higher in trees because of stripped and sunnier undergrowth. Today's distant sighting sets black-and-white theme.

Black Butcherbird (Cracticus quoyi) caught out away from shadows at Macknade (near one of my crocodile sites).  

Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus) sparkles on pandanus stump in Tyto.

Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarba melanoleucos) in morning sunshine by roadside pool near Toobanna.
Click pix to enlarge

Flight angle on Spangled Drongo

Angled for flight shots in Tyto this week. 

Almost got one Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus) right.

Black Kite (Milvus migrans) easier to track, though few to be seen up close because sugar cane harvest now drawing them away.   
Click pix to enlarge

Drongos far from stupid

They may at times sound a wee bit demented (specially in duets), but there's nothing stupid about Spangled Drongos (Dicrurus bracteatus).

Not only are they darkly. sparkly pretty (as above in Tyto today), they're also pretty aerobatic. That tail helps.

They also enjoy bullying other birds. Hey, they're smart, not perfect! 
Click pix to enlarge

April Fool's Day, plus drongo

Didn't get a pinch and a punch for the first of the month, but did catch a bird or two trying to make an April Fool drongo of me in Tyto today. Not, however, the Spangled Drongo above. It was on best behaviour, though not quite at the species' spangliest.

First up, a Shining Bronze-Cuckoo making a rare appearance and almost passing itself off as a Little Bronze. But the immature bird, quiet (as are all cuckoos at present) and rather plain, carried a telltale bright green sheen on its back (precisely: wing coverts). They are slightly larger than Littles, but I've found the species' shade of bright green is a surer identifier. Sorry, no picture.

Further along the track, much activity and several high-pitched calls as a minor wave of small birds, including Sunbirds, Dusky, Yellow, and Brown Honeyeaters, Varied Trillers, Rufous Whistlers, and Red-browed Finches came through - with a surprise higher in trees: first Mistletoebird for months, but sounding squeakily Sunbirdish. Surprise in part, too, from total absence of the species recently in spite of mistletoe flowering aplenty. Again, no picture.

Then, worst trick of all: Grey Goshawk glided briefly across my line of sight at bird hide, vanished into nearby paperbark, emerged obscured soon after, vanished again, popped up distantly twice more during the morning, and never offered any chance for a picture.

But the cuckoo and Mistletoebird did mean a flying start on the April count. March brought 97 species, against 89 for February and 109 for January. I'll expect 120 this month. And a nerdish observation. The difference between the March and February figures would suggest some effect from the floods. But the 10 per cent margin could be wholly explained by the fewer days: 28-31. The 109-89 Jan-Feb difference was, however, largely seasonal.