Kingfisher kindly gives up sitting on the fence

Came upon Red-backed Kingfisher on the barbed wire topping Townsville Airport's perimeter security fence yesterday. Chatted to bird about need to get into natural surroundings. Three shifts later and we were close, bird on lowish limb, me able to move around freely within eight metres.

Sadly, no stepladder to hand, so bird retained upper hand in negotiations about me getting to eye level. Not unusual behaviour from the species (more at home on the other side of the Great Dividing Range) but resident Forests and Sacreds have no time for what they see as naive trustingness.

Young pale morph Brown Falcon recently moved into the Common close to the fenceline, possibly along with adult pair drawn to newly slashed and mown airfield grasslands. Snatched quick images of bird taking off from tree.

Nearby, distant young Australian Hobby shows the posture of a bird that won't allow closer approach. Turning away and pretending an interest in anything other than the target may sometimes allay the suspicions. Not too often, and not in this case.