Water, water everywhere . . .

Brown Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia amboinensis) drops in for a peck-about by roadside puddles near Wallaman Falls.

Pied Oystercatchers (Haematopus longirostris) on the wing above waves lapping the sands at Lucinda near the 5km sugar-loading jetty.

Immature Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) at edge of temporary pool by the highway near Ingham.

White-browed Crake (Amaurornis cinerea) takes a stylish turn on the main lagoon at Tyto ...

... and another takes a watery victim. 
Click pix to enlarge  

Two heads not always better than one

Two heads may often be better than one but not usually in bird pictures. Bush Thick-knees (Burhinus grallarius) above look well matched, but all too seldom do the heads show equal appeal. Nothing remarkable in the observation. It comes simply because a few pair pictures have cropped up.

Here's two Pied Oystercatchers (Haematopus longirostris) at Lucinda yesterday. One's almost sharp! Plenty of terns and various shore birds out on the sand bars. None close enough to camera (which came close to disaster when I became stuck in clinging mud).

Trip to coast in part to check on Striated Heron (Butorides striata) nesting by Dungeness boat ramp. Three juveniles in nest tree wouldn't gather for group portrait, so two had to do.

Back at Tyto, Wandering Whistling-Ducks (Dendrocygna arcuata) look to be enjoying bit of morning splash and dash. Some creatures appear to enjoy life more than others. Appearances, of course, are deceptive.  
Click pix to enlarge

Striated Heron heads highlights

Did a quick tour of the beaches and other wetland spots today. A few more waders showing out, but Striated (Mangrove) Heron (Butorides striata) near Dungeness boat ramp the standout. Couldn't get through the mangroves for any low angle shots.

Not about to fling myself upon the sand and mud at Taylors Beach for a better look at this Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) struggling to swallow a much larger than usual catch. After more than 30 tries the fish went down.

Didn't quite get this Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris) in sharp focus, though the feet almost make the grade.

And Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) flashed by with wing nicely lit. Pity about the head.

Finally, I'll sneak in this Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica), a holdout from earlier in the week at a private inland treatment pond area, but often seen at the beaches.