Friday, February 6, 2009

More rain, two more sunnier birds

More heavy rain today. More tomorrow. And the next day. But we've cleaned up almost all the caravan park. No danger of huge reflood, but Herbert River rising slightly, delaying any concerted start on work in Ingham. Now it's time for sunnier images. 


Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis) perky and chirpy. The picture's a bit soft, disguised by the sharply alert eye. Lefthand branch retained to help frame bird. Two distracting out of focus branches cloned out from behind the head.

Not much risk of this bird being taken for much rarer, whiter Zitting Cisticola, but Tyto visitors are prone to wishful thinking. No record of a Zitting near the wetlands in almost five years.


Little Bronze Cuckoo (Chalcites minutillus) also suffered background problems. The black bill was lost in the darkness.   Isolated the bill and darkened it to obtain some extra separation and so gain a little more definition. Heavy branch cloned out from across back of bird. The beauty of the plumage in morning light made the effort worthwhile.  

4 comments:

Tyto Tony said...

Barbara,

Great blog you've got. Thanks for getting in touch.

May? We're dealing with a memory biased to birds. I'm sorry to say there's just a vague recollection of our chat. But, then, I had to check notebook to recall first-ever Red-capped Robin, at end of month.

We've fingers crossed as I post this, hoping Herbert has peaked and will start dropping near midnight. Levels here are well short of Tuesday-Wednesday and there wasn't a lot of rain through the day. Not so lucky in town, I fear.

Duncan said...

Love that 'sticola Tony, haven't managed to get a good picture myself as yet.

Tyto Tony said...

Very obliging birds up this way Duncan. Perhaps the're jumpier down there. Besides, we don't want too short a wish list, do we?

Neil said...

Love the Cisticola only manage a quick look down here then they are gone.

Head up for dragonfly, head off for fish head . . .

One moment it's dragonfly trying to dance on White-bellied Sea-Eagle's head, the next it's all go for fisher's discarded fis...