One or two Christmas goodies from the Town Common

Saved up one or two goodies for Christmas. Only those who have been good this year are allowed to look . . .  Are you sure you've been good? OK then. Start with best near crash of the year. Question: Should the light Whistling Kite with the height on the right have given way? Near thing over Melaleuca viewing area in Town Common Cons. Park, Townsville.

Same area, best long watch on one bird, Eastern Yellow Wagtail. Sightings over several weeks eventually brought a few closeup pictures of uncommon long-distance migrant. Not great, but best of my 15 years chasing the species around Townsville and Ingham.

Also same area, also long-haul migrant, also not so common, Little Curlew. Tip for those seeking to get close to these wary birds. Get down and crawl or creep slowly. No, slower than slowly, with pauses. Dress accordingly.

And if the rarities aren't around? Just stand still near suitable para grass and wait for Golden-headed Cisticola to announce itself happy to be photographed. Scores of the species busy most recent mornings at Melaleuca. Hundreds all up in the Common.

Not so willing to pose for pictures, nor anywhere near so numerous, Dingo pauses during morning patrol along edge of para grass at Melaleuca. Good year for the species with research showing they are not the genetic 'mongrels' many have claimed them to be. (Sadly, in my experience, the worst in the Common have two legs, drive utes, and enjoy roadkills.)

Most at risk on the road: snakes. Good thing then this Lesser Black Whipsnake was sharing a track with me on a recent morning. I'm no expert, but the species seems to have longer breeding season than others in the Common. Pairs sighted twice in last two weeks circling interwreathed before breaking off encounters through my intrusions, months after start of breeding.

Cuter by far for most nature lovers (though not so much in NZ), Brushtail Possum. Seen in residence atop pole supporting Payets Tower hide in the Common.

Cute, but not totally so given female Agile Wallaby's liberal coating of nasty black mud on forepaws, joey eyes the camera. Seconds later as I twisted the camera around to portrait mode for fuller picture the joey lost all interest, turned away, and the moment was gone.

Back to the birds for one last lingering stare from pair of Barking Owls. They've set up roosts near a hollow with an unfortunate history, probably for these same birds. Two breeding efforts in the past two years have led to eggs but no live young. This pair show no signs of reoccupying the hollow. But another pair at nearby Cape Pallarenda Con. Pk recently produced two healthy youngsters. We must just wait and see.

Melaleuca sunset. Sorry, couldn't find any birds willing to fly across the dying Sun. Next Christmas maybe. Happy festive season to all!

Happy brush with Black-faced Monarch

Caught briefest glimpse of Black-faced Monarch in the Common two weeks ago but took till this morn to confirm sighting. Bird's breakfast capture bit of a bonus.

Ditto with White-throated Honeyeater and juvenile Brush Cuckoo. Lucky to get almost clear view of the juvenile and even luckier with food transfer.

But pairing of Barking Owls just down the road seems to have lasted only two days. One bird for a week became two together on Saturday and again yesterday. Back to one this morn. Sitting in trees almost over the top of the dust and noise of the park road possibly didn't appeal to the presumed female (left in pic).

And here's a mystery (sort of) guest. Huh, that's just a Tussock Moth caterpillar, cry you one and all. Yep, but many lack scientific identification. This may be one such. Caterpillar crawled into view of Troopy's seat cover. Probably from off my shirt. Week-long search turned up no more caterpillars, nor any (flightless) females. Night mothing with torch-lit white sheet to find males might be necessary.

Barking up the wrong tree with third owl

Woofwoof, woofwoof, woofwoof. Barking Owls. Hear them, then go looking for them. None of that night-time nonsense stumbling about in the dark. Birds gave the game away in the Palmetum alongside the Ross River this morning. So, two owls sitting quietly in shaded tree cover near riverbank. But what's making series of low trills in the same area? Back-of-the-throat 'grlllllckgrlllck'. On and on, without movement or clue to identity.

Try in vain to picture any bird with such a call. Nothing! Calls stop. Owls settle down after sitting out dives and whingeing from four Spangled Drongos. Then I finally spot third owl, tucked into darkest section of thick foliage. Bit of mutual glaring before birds blinks ... apologetically - I like to think - for the vocal trick. Not only wise, sneaky too, some owls.

It's time we heard from the birds

Not so cute! Not so cute!? Whaddya mean? Got my eyes, yes? That'll do for now. Nobody calls any child of mine 'Not so cute'. Come back in two weeks and you'll see!

Sit still! Sit still! Who are you to tell me to sit still? I'll fluff and flounce and fling my feathers any way I please. So there. Oh, all right. But you'd better be quick about it.

Sing? Sing? It's not enough that I'm going out of my way to cling to the green stuff and look pretty? You want singing as well? Go see my cousin across the way, now there's a singer for you.

Barking Owls, Crimson Finch, Golden-headed Cisticolas