Season's Greetings

 

Some 'pals' from Pallarenda

Keep coming across one or two 'pals' at Pallarenda while checking on progress of breeding Tawny Frogmouths lately in the conservation park. First up, young Australian Raven, one of four immatures noising and nosing about the place today.

Immature Black-backed Magpie, one of three mostly sticking close to one or other of parents.

Alone, but happy to accept relatively close company of tailing photographers, Pacific Baza.

Not quite so confiding, Channel-billed Cuckoo making welcome descent tree tops and allowing briefest of clear views.

Not totally clear but impressive enough, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo landing on Casuarina near beach today.

Quieter today than full screechy overhead yesterday, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.

Nothing to say from these two Tawny Frogmouths of course. Older image, taken before the two quit nest about 10 days ago to go walkabout in nest tree. Question is, why male back on nest in last three days. Could there be a new egg? Wait and see. 

Cute, but not so cuddlesome

Cute, but not so cuddlesome without training and caution (beware Lyssa/Hendra virus), six microbats find overnight refuge in Freshwater hide, Townsville Town Common Cons. Pk. Tentatively ID'd for me as fishing bats, Myota macropus. On rare occasion one has been seen flying by day in the park.

Dingo's standstill makes for moving morning

Dingo stops in surprise after loping away from waterhole in Townsville Town Common Conservation Park and abruptly noticing me standing in its path. Quick pause to evaluate situation and lope away in opposite direction.

The next day, same Dingo standing at entry to track leading from parking area down to Freshwater bird hide as I drive up. Stands and watches as I ease out from Troopy. Stands still as I raise camera. Stands still as I take shots. Stands still as I engage in morning greetings. Takes more time to think things over. Turns slowly and walks away down path. Standstill for Dingo, moving encounter for me. 

Young Brahminy Kite off nest to less than flier

Quitting home for first time takes nerve for a big bird. This juvenile Brahminy Kite in Cape Pallarenda Conservation Park yesterday perhaps lost confidence after quitting nest up above. Though it showed no sign of panic or fear when I came upon it, not much above head height. No sign of it today. Nor any adult. Hope to see it flying - and, common error, being mistaken for Little Eagle - in next few days.

On the ground yesterday in the park, Double-barred Finches drink at pool below bountiful dripping tap.

Brown-backed Honeyeater - slower to descend to drink a day before. 

Quite some birds with very few words

Time to tidy up blog pictures file. Some images fail to trigger use on or near day of shooting and somehow time passes without them triggering what might, with luck, be considered a few interesting words. So, no more words - just some birds.

Galahs:

  Brown Honeyeaters:

Golden-headed Cisticolas:

Silver Gull:

Lovely Fairywren:

Time, tide and chance - and Mangrove Robins

Getting close to Mangrove Robins usually means getting gumboots out of the old Troopy and - after clumping along for a bit - getting into the muddy habitat they're most at home in. At home with, among others, mozzies and midges and myriad webs festooning foliage. 

At home, but seldom welcoming intruders. They let the Brown Honeyeaters and Mangrove Gerygones dart about the outer mangroves while they stay tucked away, often for long spells without any of their rather mournful calls.

So, it's a happy morning when time and, importantly, tide and chance play their parts and two or three birds for some reason overcome all natural caution and come forward close to the stranger in their midst. Not, perhaps, once in a lifetime event, but certainly a memory to enjoy for a lifetime. 

  

My name is AussieManDeus, King of All Things

 

                  My name is AussieManDeus, King of all Things;

                  Look upon my Works, Universes out there, and Despair!

               

Assailant stork seals rat's hash

Sorry about terrible pictures, but not as sorry about things depicted as unwary Water Rat. Caught attention of male Black-necked Stork in Town Common Conservation Park this morning.

Stork failed with first strike. Returned to para grass at edge of pool a few minutes later. Rat hadn't learned lesson. Strike two too fast. Stork swiftly carried rat off to back, shallower, part of pool.

Rapid series of plunge, drop rat, strike, plunge, stab, plunge, stab, stab put paid to rat, drowned or battered to death.

One final grab, first gulp and rat gone. Stork's partner, close by in pool, ignored it all. 

Osprey gobbles Tilapia gobbet

Large red gobbet of Tilapia for male Osprey today in dead tree near recently vacated nest beside road into Town Common, Townsville. Partner vanished swiftly at my approach in long grass and tangles of fallen trees. And no sign of juvenile, only 10 days or so since it was perched above one of the pools from which today's Tilapia almost certainly came. 

Also in the area, Little Pied Cormorant, on fallen tree in fast-evaporating pool. Bird allowed uncommonly close approach - walk and talk has its merits.

Lesser Black Whipsnake lightning fast at breakfast

Lesser Black Whipsnake lightning fast at breakfast in Town Common, Townsville, this morning.

Look away, skink lovers. Seems first strike at prey hidden in recent grader scrapings catches skink's tail. After second strike snake reverses with writhing skink grasped firmly around middle. 

Three speedy grip changes and twitching skink is being swallowed head-first.

Gone in less than 90 seconds after second strike. One of Australia's fastest moving snakes no slouch at swallowing moving feast. 

  

Much better late than never from overdue Ospreys

Weeks after I gave up on them, pair of Eastern Ospreys have produced the goods. The two pairs of pale yellow-eyed birds at the nest with a gold-yellow-eyed juvenile suddenly on show. Why so late? Who knows, perhaps one or two eggs laid in first week or weeks on the nest failed. Maybe no laying at all in first weeks of female sitting on and fiddling with nest. Anyway, I've offered my apologies to the pair. Another humbling brush with the facts of life. Seems we're never too old to get these things wrong. Above: Juvenile, on left, obscures third bird.

Other raptors up in the air lately include Brown Goshawk, seen above at other end of the Town Common, Townsville, before tangling with Brahminy Kite. And below, Brahminy with snatch and grab on its mind.

Discord - Cocky screech v possum hiss-snarl chords

Screech! Screech! Screech! Hiss-snarl! Hiss-snarl! Hiss-snarl! Screech chord. Hiss-snarl-chords. Discord.

There's nothing Sulphur-crested Cockatoos like more than a good screech. Any trigger will do. Finding possum in hollow dead branch set four off in Town Common Conservation Park today. But birds stayed outside the hollow. Hissing, snarling, clawing possum not to be messed with. Ten minutes of vocal violence and they were off. Nature's not so red in truth at core.

Update: Still limping along, but leg wound healing, stitches out soon, all going well.