Nutting out questions about mannikins

What's in a name? Nutmeg Mannikin (Lonchura punctulata)? Or Scaly-breasted Munia? Or Spice Finch? Still Nutmegs for most these days. But Munias may come out on top. An interesting question about finches, mannikins and munias in the Townsville area has been their fate in the wake of Cyclone Oma's aftermath 12-day, two-metre deluge flooding the region. My numbers have been roughly 60-70 percent down since March, though flocks of juvenile mannikins are now showing up. But adult numbers remain down. Not sure why. Working on it.

Ironically, a cemetery nearby is part of  home base for a flock of mostly adult Zebra Finches. A happy conjunction of life and death.

Meanwhile, counter to the trend with small seed-eaters (granivores), Peaceful Doves are everywhere locally in their usual abundance. Perhaps a combination of size and more generalist diet meant they avoided the likely fate of many adult finches during and right after the deluge.
 

Oriole gets the juices flowing

Yummy! Self-creaming breakfast. Olive-backed Oriole gets juices flowing in the Townsville Common yesterday after bashing caterpillar catch against a branch. Two Orioles were among a wee wave of insectivores not often seen in the park recently.

In the same casuarina as the Oriole, immature Rufous Whistler takes smaller prey. (Seen in same tree, but no usable images, Restless Flycatcher and Spectacled Monarch).

Today, came across Rainbow Bee-eater intent on tiny prey emerging from road metal. Tiny flying ants, I think, though nothing found upon search after bird flew off.

Easier task obtaining food for granivores. But Double-barred Finch mistimed grab at tiny flower, presumably carrying wee seed. Several finches were busy picking at the plants.

Nutmeg Mannikin (formerly Spice Finch, latterly Scaly-breasted Munia: what goes round ...) sticks to grass seed. (An uncommon four flocks of 8-16 Nutmegs seen this morning, about double usual numbers).

Little manny loves green slimy

Nothing a little manny likes in the morny more than a generous slurp of green slime, as shown by Nutmeg Mannikin (Lonchura punctulata) in Tyto yesterday.

Champion stuff also for Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (Lonchura castaneothorax). Funnily, finches appear to have no appetite for pond scum. No accounting for taste. (Such as mine for Marmite, victim of the Christchurch quake tragedies. Toast won't be the same till supply is restored. Vegemite doesn't cut it. Doesn't even spread!) 
Click pix to enlarge