Eight standouts for July in the Common

Eight birds stand out from the rest caught by the camera in July: Brown Falcon, Spangled Drongo, Dusky Moorhen, Golden-headed Cisticola, Grey Fantail, Magpie Goose, Nankeen Kestrel, Willie Wagtail. Here's hoping for even better in August - and an end to rain so we get more migratory species dropping in later in the year. 

Swamp Harrier drops in for closer views

Swamp Harrier stopped months of teasing at distance and circled pool in front of Payets Tower in the Townsville Common yesterday. Unclear what it was interested in, apart from possibly one of resident Darter pair in water. Which would be much more ambitious target than the diet of grasshoppers the Swampy's mostly been on lately.

Elsewhere in the air recently, Brown Falcon near Woodstock ...

... and Brahminy Kite over the Ross River.

Huntsman bagged, turtle jagged, mantids snagged, kite ragged, monitor flagged

Wasn't hunting the Huntsman when this Huntswoman turned up in carry bag discarded by the Ross River. She didn't need a bag because she supplies her own to carry her large family of tiny offspring about.

Though looking frighteningly big and speedy to some, Huntsmen merely tickle slightly crawling up an arm - mine. Can't report on the youngsters because all were quickly returned to the bush.

Wasn't after dead Turtles either. But came upon this one initially being ripped into by pair of White-bellied Sea-eagles (their favourite food, I think). My sudden appearance led to killers fleeing and secondary feeders, pair of Australian Ravens, dropping in.

They, in turn, were driven off by immature pair of sea-eagles, which, in their turn, gave way to this immature Wedge-tailed Eagle. The eagle tried to fly off with turtle, dropped it deep in paragrass, .and all ended up missing out. Chances are pigs or dogs sniffed it out later.

As with sea-eagles, Brown Falcon likes to sit and wait for prey (big insects, small reptiles preferred) to appear.

It didn't take kindly to Collared Sparrowhawk collar its crossbar. Odd row ensued. Falcon drove Sparrowhawk to tree. Irked, Sparrowhawk took on much bigger aggressor. But lost out after bit of to and fro in tree and above.

Another loser, today near Bald Rock in the Town Common, Brahminy Kite. Three kites about the place, but no match for 14 Australian Ravens.

In all, saw four ravens take mantids (probably Brown Praying Mantis) from melaleucas within 10 minutes, one doubly successfully with two in bill at same time. Showing off, that is!

Shoving off rather than showing off, Yellow-spotted Monitor close by today decided to swim for it on my approach. Didn't reckon on departing tide. Played dead. Allowed itself to be stroked, picked up and when released swam off sedately. Luckier than the turtle.

Old images antidote to cabin fever

Rain, rain, go away! Five days of it. Ingham cut off. Cabin fever setting in. Antidote: take a few unused images.

Sunnier shot, but didn't think it sharp enough: Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) with dragonfly, in Tyto early this year.

Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops) stands amid some morning sparkle. Put picture aside because didn't like the angle.

And two rather wooden Brown Falcons (Falco berigora).      
Click pix to enlarge

Brown Falcon grabs green grasshopper

Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) spells doom for large green grasshopper along my favourite country road today.

Long grass blocked view of the capture.

But fence posts come in handy for birds, and photographers!  
Click pix to enlarge   

Egrets, I have a few; Falcon too

Plenty of Cattle Egrets (Ardea ibis) around Ingham and at times in pony club next door but not often seen in Tyto Wetlands.

More coastal cattle roading yesterday brought shaky images - some taken (in isolated safety) from moving car. Needs must on occasion.

Also hard to get it sharp at long range.

Unhappily,couldn't stop and steady for Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) on post because it was obviously not prepared to stand around on fence post.

Dark bird is partner of light morph from post last week.

Stork sticks to stalking shallows

Reports of Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) lately carrying branches a bit south of Tyto led yesterday to Cattle Creek and female stalking the shallows.

No sign of partner. Nor hints of stick gathering, though March-June likely breeding period.

Detoured back through cattle country to seek resident Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) pair on the wing. Light morph bird stayed glued to upper branches till my attention drifted. Then, it was gone.

Sought movement from this Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (Lonchura castaneothorax) in harsh sunshine on edge of deep bush shadows in Tyto earlier in the week.

Instead, scored dramatic contrasts between bird in harsh sunshine and deep shadows behind it. Some accidents are happy!

Catching a kingfisher; losing a digit

How to catch a Little Kingfisher. First train spiders to spin super strong line ... Nah. See bird on bridge wire. Shoot dud pictures today against harsh morning light (the rain stopped Monday: sunshine ever since: who sez season should change with equinox?) Start to delete pictures. Notice strand appearing to tether bird. Sneaky wee bit of cloning adds to illusion.

It's a little better than Brown Falcon caught briefly from rolling car yesterday.

And much better than Bar-shouldered Dove caught at start of flight early in week.

February counts: 91 bird species in Tyto: 89 in 2009; 94 in 2008.


Last word: Telstra and Tyto Tony tangle and tango no more. tonyashton1 AT bigpondbastards DOT com loses a digit (bit like Frodo in a way) and gains freedom as tonyashton0 AT gmaildonoevil DOT com. May the satanic $249 modem melt in the fires of hell, or Mordor.

Raptor picture capture rapture

Enjoyed three decent raptor moments lately. Caught the above Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris) just south of Tyto in the late afternoon. Lack of strong eye colour and generally 'dirty' colouring suggests a young bird. Not a rare raptor though only a sometime sighting in Tyto as they prefer cruising over open land in search of small prey such as mice.

Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus) looks out from Leichhardt tree in Tyto after displacing a Yellow Oriole. Kites have been showing more than usual interest in the wetlands for two weeks, possibly related to several Agile Wallaby deaths (some bodies reveal dog attacks; most do not: kites rarely seen on the carcases, relying, it seems, on dogs or pigs to scatter morsels).

A major burnoff behind the airstrip to the south of the wetlands drew this Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) in to share the spoils with assorted kites. The falcon - which would usually be found sitting on power lines by sugar cane fields - has stuck near Tyto for about a month, presumably picking off prey from among the regenerating grasses.