Shining Bronze-cuckoos taking shine to Tyto

Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chalcites lucidus) making more regular appearances in Tyto in last year or two. Though probably still outnumbered by more tree-loving Littles and Gould's, the Shinings some mornings show out as often as Horsfield's Bronzes in competing for prey among  weedy habitat.

So, saving best for last, I got lucky in chasing bird around reveg area the other morning to capture it on a clean background and with low angle of sunlight doing full justice to the bronze tones.  Image also benefits from two major elements: seeming interaction between bird and camera; and cropping to the 'rule of thirds'  (in this case, to place the bird's eye one-third in and one-third down in the picture).

And following up on previous post, another eel about to go down the hatch. Even as I broke into fast walk to get closer Eastern Great Egret (Ardea modesta) flipped neck up and slurped the eel down in a flash. If I were an egret I'd be an eel lover too. No nasty spines and the perfect shape for swallowing fast.