Stork roams stalking ground

Young male Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) takes off from beside entry track to Tyto and drops down closer to its regular stalking ground near the new lagoons and close to football pitch.

The rising two-year-old has made himself at home over the past two months. Bird's comfort zone is about 50 metres. No problems given lack of visitors during wet season. But that will change soon - and football's nearing kickoff. No sign in Tyto of the parent birds (though both seen farther afield) or - for months - of two siblings.

Also few sightings of egrets and herons. Pair of Little Egrets showing breeding plumage turned up briefly for a day. Great and Intermediate (above, earlier in year) Egrets have come and gone overhead without dropping in. Cotton Pygmy-goose only bird of note on main lagoon yesterday. Gone today. March counts shaping lower than usual, even before the front of Cyclone Ului (still days away).