Cormorant shuffles off mortal coil in python's coils

Water Python coiled around Little Black Cormorant beside pool in Townsville Town Common (03/11/24). Snake probably took bird in the water and dragged it up bank before being sighted as it was getting into the serious business of swallowing prey.

Roughly 30 minutes later, job done and snake, which had allowed myself and friend Wes Graffin to stay within touching distance, was fully alert and capable of swift movement, sliding quickly into para grass cover when touched lightly by hand.

 

And a bonus near same spot later in morning, Lesser Black Whipsnake gliding over part of drying lagoon. 

 

Ravens rip into red-meat repast

Australian Raven rips into dead rat on the mud beside fast-vanishing water at the Melaleuca lagoon viewing area in the Townsville Town Common Conservation Park yesterday (18/11/23). The relish for red meat repast contrasting with mostly disinterest in the scores of Barramundi that lately died gasping in the hot deoxygenated shallows. Eyes, yes. Otherwise, not interested. But of interest, two or three wild pig families foraging through the lagoon's bulrushes also turned their noses up at the fish, showing determined preference for rooting through the mud. And no Dingo tracks have been visible anywhere near dead fish.  

    

Water Rat caught napping snapping up fish

Water Rats seldom caught napping and snapping up fish, but I got lucky lately. Spotted movement, snuck up and sat in the open close to Ratty's hideyhole. Got close look at exit, 50-second swim, return with fish firmly captured and fast polished off. All bit blurry because using slow 800mm lens but them's the breaks.

There's Bushlarks and there's bush larks

Here's a Horsfield's Bushlark. Often seen these days on the bund between Freshwater and Bald Rock in the Townsville Town Common Conservation Park. Note it's a Bushlark, not bush-lark, nor bush lark. There are eight other subspecies but Horsfield's is nominate (first classified). It wasn't always thus: for years it was a Singing Bushlark. But taxonomy rules. Anyway, onwards. 

Many visitors to the park, probably in truth most, don't seek Bushlarks so much as bush larks. These include hoonish driving on the much potholed corrugated metal road and predictable damage to vehicles and trees. Fast-food container and other rubbish disposal along the road. Guy in utes with dogs (forbidden), looking for pigs to hunt (forbidden). Multiple visits for no apparent reason (if not forbidden, maybe unsavoury). Explains big collection of X-rated old vids found under a prickly pandanus a while back. 

But carrying larks to a real carry-on began last Saturday night (I believe: following is my guess at start of events). Bloke and young lady enter park late (automatic front gate out of action lately). Ignore parking bay and drive down walking track to Payets Tower bird hide. Good time up in tower. Comes downfall. Buckets of rain. 4WD on flooded grass. Gets bogged. Call help. Sit out night. Help arrives in morning. Older bloke with 4WD and big dog (forbidden). Mother of young lady in small car. Tow-out begins. Tight angles. Tension between mum and bogged bloke. Newly arrived birders watch on. Tree loses bit of bark. Blokes bark a bit. Dog silent. Young lady silent. Mum not. Nor bogged bloke. Finally, tow success. Another bush lark gone wrong.

Better sticking to Bushlarks, I say.

Clinch Gouldian finch - aviary sneaky cinch

Hard to get close to Gouldian Finches in the wild. Very hard to find any close to Townsville. Except ... except for rare escapee, or - shudder  - inmate. But let's swiftly bypass arguments for and against aviaries (I'm mostly against) because they're too vexing. Let's just stare at a beautiful bird and hope it's happy and as healthy as it appears to be behind the fine-mesh enclosure at Queen's Gardens, Townsville. This bird had a red-headed and four black-headeds for company. Nothing sophisticated about photographic technique, determine best settings, then press 100-500 zoom lens firmly against metal mesh and shoot. 

No such ethical questions attaching to shot of Plum-headed Finch, one of up to 200 flocking here and there at north end of Townsville Town Common Conservation Park lately. Biggest flock of the seasonal and only sometime visitors to the park in recent years.

Zebra Finches haven't been making many prominent appearances in the Common lately, but can usually be found year-round nearby in Belgian Gardens Cemetery and Mundy Creek grasslands. Pictured bird was surprise bonus as I sat waiting for Little Kingfisher to appear at one of its favoured feeding spots. 

Breakfasting Osprey sees off cheeky Black Kites

Osprey's breakfasting turns to alarm as pair of Black Kites swoop in looking to steal the catch at Town Common Conservation Park this morning.

So, fly over to nearby nest and drop fish off with partner.

Then, rise to see off cheeky kites. One or two close dives enough to see them off. Don't know if fish was returned. Likely not, sharing being a sometime thing with the Osprey pair.

    

Spangled Drongos diving and ducking

Spangled Drongos busy diving and ducking during bath time at Melaleuca viewing area in the Town Common today.

Canon R5 eye capture focus doing job better than my hand-arm tracking. 

And dying grass way off in background brought bonus bokeh.

Earlier, Australian Raven dropped in for drink close to Payet Tower.

Brown Snake proves an obliging subject

Wonder of wonders! Went out today geared up for snakes rather than birds and found an obliging 1.4m Brown Snake waiting patiently for me.

Very patient in fact. Lay motionless for series of long shots alongside much-used track between Pellarenda and Jacana hide in Townsville Town Commmon Conservation Park.

Sensed that I needed look at other side of head.

Must always get good look at the forked tongue. Then slid quietly away when I was done.

Bit like Red-bellied Black Snake a few days earlier. Apologies for single frame from bad video but be thankful I cut 50 seconds of boring inaction while I walked around another co-operative reptile.

And here's a placid Water Python happy to have me get close. So placid it didn't move when unaware passing hiker planted size 11s within 1.5m of its head. (Amazing what some fitness freaks miss seeing in their heedless headlong matches.)

But Freshwater Crocodile basking within 20 metres of popular Ross River walking path not so keen on posing for closeups. Stayed in place for an hour between being photographed as I birded in Ross River Bush Gardens and my eventual drive through suburbia. But hit the water in a hurry when I tried sneaking within 10 metres.

Some mornings hold extra magic

Some mornings come full of extra magic. Today started with Little Bronze Cuckoo snatching Tussock Moth caterpillar from foliage above the road.

Soon after, what's on the road but another Tussock caterpillar, probably same species, but with tan coloured tussocks on its back rather than the white of the cuckoo's victim.

A few paces down the road, the Eastern Ospreys were seen changing places on the nest where the female mostly has been sitting for about three weeks. I think she's pictured returning to the nest later in the morning. Hard to tell, since the pair are almost identically plumaged.

Further walking up the road brought wayward frog into view. Seemed content to be rescued from near certain death as roadkill and sat sedately in safer surroundings for photographs. Efforts to ID species brought up hundreds of pink-spotted items of kitsch online, but nothing that looked anything like above. An expert has been consulted. Juvenile Cane Toad. See my pink blushes?

To top things off, Brown Snake - after crossing near same stretch of road - stuck around for closeups. Asking for it to make a kill for the camera was possibly pushing the morning's magic a bit too far.

Hacking Sea-eagle shows off healthy tongue

Probably not a smoker, so White-bellied Sea-eagle's hacking cough from dead bough on nest tree in Townsville Common may have come from something bony only a big scavenger would eat.

Diet must be healthy enough, given colour of long tongue.

Coughing at an end, almost time to head off and see what's on morning menu.

Also busy hunting overhead these days, adult Brahminy Kite and immature offspring.