Sticking up for birds on sticks

Sick of birds on sticks? Too bad. They've got to go somewhere, apart from with atlas listings. And I've vetoed barbed wire and similar artificial perches. But BOS 'savers' do build up after failing to fit into blog themes. Apart, that is, from theme of birds on sticks. Original, huh? Above, Sacred Kingfisher near takeoff, Ross River.

Horsfields Cuckoo in early-morning light, Townsville Town Common Conservation Park.

Forest Kingfishers in light and shade, Town Common.

Nutmeg Mannikin male, Ross River.

Mistloebird male with fig, just metres away from Nutmeg.

Pale-headed Rosella, Bald Rock  area, Town Common.

Striated Pardalote, one of pair beside Old Flinders Highway.

White-browed Robin, in thicket by Town Common entry gate.

Black-throated Finches feel right at home among weeds?

Black-throated Finches no-shows today along the natural beauty of Sachs Creek in Oak Valley southwest of Townsville but showed up fully at home amid rampant weeds and many seeding grasses between nearby old and new highways.

Here's the irony: disappearance of some finch species inland has been put down to, among other things, war won against Rubber Vine (Cryptostegia grandiflora) and Chinee Apple (Ziziphus mauritiana). What's running riot near Townsville, specially through the Ross River Dam catchment? Yep, the terrible twosome. But they offer small birds great protection.

Back in Oak Valley, Blue-winged Kookaburra  pauses between minor scuffles with others of same species.

Pale-headed Rosella too gentle to scuffle. One of seven seen this morning.

And Brown Falcon stretches wings before drifting off over the tree tops to a more secure vantage spot.