Woodswallow so obliging

Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus) shows the usual tolerance of the species toward people. The birds rival Willie Wagtails in their willingness to have cameras thrust in their faces. The woodswallows flock to Tyto only for short spells during the year and generally prefer more open country, leaving treed places to the more dominant White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorhyncus).

The three Black-necked Stork juveniles have taken possession of a small mound in the middle of the main lagoon. The parent birds no longer keep an eye on the trio for much of the day. The young birds stand around a lot without foraging in the knee-deep shallows. Perhaps they're enjoying a spell living off their equivalent of puppy fat. Though they don't appear to have any inclination toward puppy behaviour. In fact, now I muse on it, most of what appeared to me to be 'playfulness' came from mature birds.

The Forest Kingfishers have gone, five months after first appearing in large numbers following the wet season. Not clear where they go. Field guides say Todiramphus incinctus is: Sedentary. Or migratory. Or semimigratory. Nests in arboreal termite mounds. Or hollow branches and trunks. Heads south. Or north. For winter. Or summer. Of one thing I'm sure: they don't stay in Tyto once things warm up.

Also gone (again): Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Cotton Pigmy Goose.

After banging on regarding calling birds out, I note the subject's coincidentally become a hot item on birding-aus, http://groups.google.com/group/birding-aus

Finally - and apart from BWO - I add that it's taken almost a week to subdue some nasty head-invading pus-monster that kept me away from the wetlands. Thank you to doctor number three, the one who isn't scared of antibiotics!