Cuddlesome couple Wrensday offering

Saved up cuddlesome Red-backed Fairywren duo as concession to cute Wrensdays.

Male, not so prettily photogenic but equally true to natural setting.

Not so successful, recent efforts to capture Reed Warblers in their brief showings on edge of typha.

Nearby, Australian Pipits easier to spot on samphire.

Pipit, Sunbird making most of morning

Not a specially early bird, and not a worm but Pipit's pleased with this part of morning's work in Town Common, Townsville.

Also looking content with the morning, male Olive-backed Sunbird, close to my front door.

Uncommon sightings give way to drier days

Rare week or two with several uncommon sightings showed signs today of settling back to drier days ahead. Pectoral Sandpiper casting reflection in Payet pool yesterday became no-show for first time since last Sunday.

Quartet (possibly quintet) of Eastern Yellow Wagtails down to two yesterday and again today at Melaleuca viewing area. Blotchy bird above was in company with even lighter immature.

Not so many Australian Pipits confusing the wagtail seekers either.

But resident Willie Wagtails (fantails, not true wagtails) hold their places. Juvenile bird pictured today.

Gone though, Pacific Golden Plover, thought to be juvenile bird with worn and thus gold-free plumage.

But sighting of the week came with Brown Goshawk swooping on to broken pandanus with frog clutched in talons. Clutched insecurely as it turned out. Goshawk looked down split second after landing and frog somehow leapt free. Thirty seconds of action at exactly the time I arrived at Jacana hide for lucky frames. 

Whereas hundreds of failed splash-action frames preceded indifferent shot of sopping Yellow Honeyeater on branch at Payets.

And talking of Payets, words of praise for Queensland Parks and Wildlife. Selective chainsaw work has restored great viewing from the tower. Not needed so much in the Dry, as now, but essential for the coming Wet. Well done, rangers!

Pipit swims into view after dry Aussie crawl

Bit of dry Aussie crawl across baked mud at Melaleuca viewing area today brought Australian Pipit closer than commonly - for a few frames.

Pity, bird didn't offer 'that' perfect pose. Then, better pose, but greater distance.

Too much greenery to allow crawl up on Horsfields Bushlark. The species can, however, be surprisingly tolerant of people walking patiently toward them. Not at all tolerant, and thus unphotographed, pair of Brown Quail and a Red-backed Buttonquail unseen till flushed from long couchgrass nearby.

If only their behaviour matched that of Owlet Nightjar. Haven't got daytime look at species in the Town Common. Got lucky early in the week at western edge of Townsville while having casual look for honeyeaters near bottom of highway climb up local range. Spotted huge scar 20-metres up towering gum - with curious grey blob.

Which resolved through binoculars into alert nightjar. No way down 20m drop off highway and 40-50m across to gum, so lucky find could not become lucky sharp image.

If only nightjars thronged like Rainbow Lorikeets. In this case, to rose gums flowering at eastern fence  edge of the Town Common. Plenty of action again today: bird above feeding on Thursday morning.

No thronging for Eastern Koels, but above female and a male tucked into a mixture of native figs beside the entry gate this morning.

And to polish things off, immature Pacific Baza about to end several minutes of carrying big colourful caterpillar and polish it off with one quick swallow.

Mungalla days not all about Yellow Wagtails

More chasing Yellow Wagtails at Mungalla for the last week, without notable capture of the species in the camera.

But it's not all about the flighty migrants. Rainbow Bee-eaters are breeding in their sand tunnels and watching for food passing on the wing.

A Royal Spoonbill pauses in the mopping up of prey in a fast-drying pool of mud and dying water hyacincth.

One Intermediate Egret shows out from scores of others atop nearby trees and drops in to feed.

An Australian Pipit has the hunt for food down pat.

White-breasted Woodswallow takes up higher vantage point.

One of the hundreds of sources of Pipit pedestals enjoys an extended scratch in an ear (probably not uncommon behaviour but something new to me).

Nearby, tight-coiled Carpet Python rests motionless, unconcerned as camera closes to within a metre.

Not so still, Gould's Monitor caught away from boltholes and trees to climb considers its situation:  cautious walk away proves the right answer.