Hungry Jacana gets last laugh

No more obsessed with Comb-crested Jacanas (Irediparra gallinacea) than with other birds in Tyto but they have proved rather centre of recent focus. (The junior four all OK today).

Did not set out to capture this Jacana seizing shred of water lily leaf yesterday. The birds do this on occasion, probably a byproduct of their search for insect (larval?) morsels from the underside of the leaves.

My hope was for flight shots when bird reacted to slow sinking by uplifting elsewhere. Got caught unable to use tripod and in blazing sun waiting, waiting, waiting ... Camera got heavier. Bird wouldn't uplift. Sun got hotter, hotter, hotter. Camera heavier, heavier, heavier.

Of course, bird waited till I lowered camera. Uplifted, and strolled off, laughing (I have no doubt whatsoever) at me.

Cotton Pygmy-goose comes and goes

Few species on main lagoon past two days. Lucky to have solo Cotton Pygmy-goose (Nettapus coromandelianus) show up. Even when Green Pygmy-geese were dotted about the place, Cottons seldom dropped in. The Greens left when the Wet set in. Yesterday, the above distant Cotton fed on floating weed and munched upon the swamp lilies. Gone today.

Which left Comb-crested Jacanas (Irediparra gallinacea) and a couple of Darters as the only birds visible on the lagoon. Elsewhere, Magpie Geese, a few ducks and cormorants, and a Black-necked Stork stood out.

But...But did hear at two sites Little Bitterns grunting quietly. Also, aurally evident, White-browed and Spotless Crakes, Little and Azure Kingfishers, and Little Bronze-cuckoos (above, from sunnier days). Here's hoping for sunnier sightings up this way soon!