Cheeky Chestnut Mannikin - cheeky lens makers' old chestnuts

My, what a big head you've got, cheeky Chestnut-breasted Mannikin. Well it would be, wouldn't it, capturing it with new Tamron 150-600mm (so-claimed) lens at 600mm from about 2.222m. The mock precision hides universal truth. Figures lie. And makers lie. My Tamron is roughly 140-560. My old 100-400 Canon is 95-380. But Tamron lighter and smaller than my Canon 600, easing the load on long walks or awkward scrambling through the bush. The tradeoff? Image quality: super versus not bad. To be expected. Canon $14,000 (coming mk111 $20,000), Tamron $2000. You get what you pay for. Anyway, on with Tamron show. All images from past few days in Townsville Common Conservation Park.

Old mate, male Barking Owl, on watch in favourite tree.

Touch more colour, Yellow Honeyeater on flowering batwing coral tree.

Female Koel finally showing most of herself during long stay in wee patch of macarangas.

Golden-headed Cisticola happy to sing away unworried by prickly exotic weeds.

Nearby, Glossy Ibis drops in and lights up the drying scene.

 

Male Tawny Frogmouth does daily incubation duty and dead-branch deception.

And Frilled-neck Lizard, seconds before seen mating with smaller female takes to tree and considers getaway options.

As an old pal used to say, Tony (Tami) you'll do me as a rough mate.