Hiding away in the rainforest

Rainforest  offers enticing shelter from streaming summer rays, but shrouds  most of its birds. Spent 10 minutes up Paluma Dam way  yesterday begging this Rufous Fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons) to sit still. 

During same wander along the dam road, came upon Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa). Didn't seem to like flash, so pumped up ISO. Result: noisy picture of quiet bird.

Unlike this Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris), which 'chooff-chooffs'  about the Jourama Falls forest most mornings.

Even quieter most days, Grey-headed Robin (Heteromyias cinereifrons). Another of the birds hiding away in the Paluma gloom.

Almost always to be found somewhere in tropical rainforest, Pale-yellow Robin (Tregellasia capito). As often the case, bonus closeup of tree trunk, near Wallaman Falls. 

So too with female White-throated Treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaea), also  close to the falls. If only more species would take to marching up well-lit trunks, though the treecreeper isn't a rainforest specialist.

Catchlights catch them watching

Three images from Jourama Falls reflect wildlife awareness of the intruder among them: Rainbow skink (Carlia rostralis) keeps a cautious eye out.

Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris) casts a backward look.

Male Shining Flycatcher (Myiagra alecto) glances sideways.

Meanwhile, revised, noise-reduced Pied Monarch (Arses kaupi, with mantid) looks sharper.
Click pix to enlarge

Pretty Pitta prompts pity parade

Finding birds is one thing, getting good images another. Few hours in Boardwater State Forest Park, west of Ingham, finally brought close views of Noisy Pitta (Pitta versicolor). But most obscured, or facing away - or flash recharge too slow. Trying again soon.

Flushed this immature Nankeen Night-Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus) to rain tree at some treatment ponds. Short pursuit to paperbarks ended with bird quitting the scene. Not likely to see bird in same spot again.

Unlike White-browed Crake (Amaurornis cinerea), near Tyto hide yesterday. Birds regularly move out on to water lily leaves. Scleria, sedge and grasses often intrude but there's always tomorrow.

Plenty of Varied Trillers (Lalage leucomela) in Tyto. Not so often almost on the ground picking up nest material. Pity then bird proved sharper than lens.

To end, caught this Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris) with mouth full recently. Sadly, the prey stayed in the way. 
Click pix to enlarge      

Pairing up poses problems

Often have picture or two tucked away waiting for complementary image. Above Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris) from last week strikes a great pose, but hides almost all the plumage details that identify the species.

Today, this bird obliged, presenting helpful view of soft breast streaking and delicate lower colouring.

Seldom any difficulty identifying Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys). Hoped to partner above bird with flight picture, possibly with prey being taken.

All came to nothing much. Time to clear the file and move on.

Moving on even more quickly this morning from this idea. Four-in-one - Agile Wallaby and Great Egret mirrored - seemed promising, from a distance!

Updates: Male Comb-crested Jacana still almost glued to surviving youngster. Shining Flycatchers now feeding x? hatchlings.

Graceful Honeyeater chips in nicely

Hard to get open shots of ever busy Graceful Honeyeaters (Meliphaga gracilis), a handful of which have begun sounding again in Tyto.

Best view for long time came today as bird foraged, mainly on insect-ravaged corkwood leaves. Oft-repeated 'chip' call identifies Gracefuls from very similar Yellow-spotteds.

But not all the 'chips' fall from Gracefuls. Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris) also can go for long spells on one maddeningly similar note. Pity, because it means the fantail less often breaks into one of the most cheerfully sweet songs heard in the wetlands.

Sweet scarcely describes the sound of any flycatcher. Above female Leaden Flycatcher (Myiagra rubecula) rasped away near the site of the Shining Flycatcher nest this week. Didn't seem to bother the nest builders, specially the male, which is lately doing much sitting.

Update: Comb-crested Jacana eggs OK. No sign of the two lots of four Jacana juveniles. Probably safe in inaccessible parts of lagoon system.

Sorting out the fantails

Fantails. Cheery companions for woodland walkers. But not always exactly what they seem. Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa - formerly fuliginosa) used to flit about in five races: albicauda, keasti, alisteri (above), preissi, and albiscapa. Christidis and Boles 2008 omit the first four races. But named or unnamed, they're all still where they were, north, south, east, west, high and low, cheeky as ever.

Here in Tyto, alisteri, as was, still sings sharply and sweetly. Darker keasti rarely drops in from tableland forest habitat. Mangrove Grey Fantail (Rhipidura phasiana) inhabits coastal NT and WA, but looks almost exactly like the alisteri above.

From some angles the grey Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris) can look very Grey-ish. Adding to confusion, they sound almost exactly like the one-note Graceful Honeyeater - not at all fantail-ish.(And Willie Wagtails are really fantails - but cause little confusion.)

Screeching to (brain) halt

Sharp screech of talons scraping corrugated steel on Tyto's lookout today as a Brown Goshawk launched from hiding place in weeping fig overhanging lookout and rushed in fast glide at immature Comb-crested Jacana.

Jacana dived under water. Goshawk, pulled up sharply, stall-turned into dive, and failed at grab as bird surfaced. And why isn't there any picture of this? Because I was too slow to switch from watcher to photographer.

Earlier in day, a small Collared Sparrowhawk darted from ambush, missed its (unseen) target and paused briefly at distance long enough for sure identification. Grey, and Brown Goshawks have been active lately.  At today's noisy takeoff two metres overhead first issue was ID. And who needs pictures of raptors' back ends disappearing across a lagoon?

Too late the awareness of a Jacana in the Goshawk's sights. Too far off for a great picture, but zero marks for not waking quickly to the potential. In token defence, I've not seen a Goshawk show interest in birds on the water (just above the water - Swallows, Martins - yes). Live and learn, one hopes.

Yet more rain overnight disturbed Little Kingfishers' waterholes. But managed to sneak close for pictures two days ago of bird - but on a handrail.

Northern Fantail at least knows enough to stick with nature.

As also does maturing male Olive-backed Sunbird.    

Heron makes rare showing

Rare sighting and flyaway at the rainforest pools today of dark grey Striated Heron (Butorides striatus) didn't give me time to even lift the camera.

Even more surprising than seeing the bird has been the rarity of sightings over the years: two in five years at Tyto (a kilometre away) - to my knowledge. Today's was a rainforest first for me. But no sign of the Azure Kingfishers.

So, three pictures from the past few days:


Male Rufous-throated Honeyeater (Conopophila rufogularis) reaches under a dead pink lotus flower head in its search for small insects. The birds are seldom absent from Tyto, but often disappear high into trees through the day. Mornings and evenings, they more actively forage at and near the water's edge.



Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris) takes a spell from competing with Willie Wagtails for moths and other flying prey. The fantails can't match their more numerous rivals in open woodland. They do better in closed woodland, and stick around long after the Grey Fantails have headed off for cooler forest and higher ground.



Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae - formerly Richard's P.) surveys its typical mown grass territory from atop an Ingham airstrip security fence, which forms Tyto's southern boundary. I'm not too keen on manmade bits in my bird pictures, yet have to admit they do sometimes make a photgrapher's life easier.