Nothing stick-in-the-mud about these birds

Call them slick or quick in the mud, just don't call them stick-in-the-mud. Some of the lively birds looking good as water evaporates in Townsville Common Conservation Park lately:

Comb-crested Jacana slurps up a gelatinous treat (a favourite with young Magpie Geese also).

Magpie-Lark splits time between bathing and breakfasting.

White-browed Crake ventures out from safety of bulrushes in search of grub.

Buff-banded Rail forages below tower hide (ignoring crowd of chatty birders above it).

  

Invention takes a break after fixing Troopy suspension

Enough with crocs and snakes, time to have a look at June's best birds in the Town Common Conservation Park. - with a call for some effort from followers. Heap of bird names first, pictures to follow. He must be feeling lazy, did I hear somebody say? Right on. Busy day crawling around front suspension of the old Troopy after sudden arrival of ominous noises yesterday. As always, parts proved a problem. But eventually bodged up a fix or sorts. Careful test over the corrugated Town Common road tomorrow. So, the birds: Pacific Baza, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Crimson Finch, Australian Reed-Warbler, White-browed Crake, Willie Wagtail.

Crawling about to compare Crakes and measure shakes

Bit of crawling about in front of the Tyto hide today and earlier in week brought White-browed Crakes more or less eye-to-eye.

Also brought chance to compare 600mm lens (top) with old 400+1.4x (above). The birds didn't seem to mind the huge 600 or the slender 400 being pointed at them from close across a narrow channel.

But most of the 600 shots were usable, unlike those from nonstabilised 400. Two exceptions above.

Same story- even with tripod - while chasing White-browed Robin juvenile first seen on the ground yesterday. Above 600 handheld of premature nest-leaver hugging the leaf litter.

Didn't want to upset chittering, flittering parent birds too much, so quit and hunted for the group again this morning. Took some time but found youngster looking much stronger (above).

Again though, even shooting from tripod and using various means to brace everything few shots with 400+1.4x combo truly sharp. So, back into the cupboard with the 400.  

Some somethings in the water around Ingham

Is there something in the water in Ingham? Well, yes there is. Here's a large skink (Ctenotus spp) taking breather after causing White-browed Crake to jump as skink powered through water under bird near the Tyto hide today.

The Crake had being pottering around in muddy shallows before flying across narrow channel by the hide.

Elsewhere, in Tyto, loitering with more intent, Comb-crested Jacanas put their heads together over the issue of 'nest' for coming issue. Weed on lotus leaf was their fourth go at laying platform. Then down came 30mm of rain welcomed by all local gardeners. But the Jacanas must start over.

Elsewhere, at Mungalla Station, little Saltwater Crocodile pokes head from shallows, perhaps looking for any of 5-6 siblings in the lower Palm Creek wetlands. Or for 4m mum.

And what else is in the Ingham water? Fluoride, that's what. And that's as it should be. But yet again the flat-earthers are battering at the shire's door, demanding its removal. What care they that 99% of health and science is for fluoridation, they all know ... what? Scary, how little might hide behind three little dots!

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. 
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Rare beauty drops in: rarity drops out

Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) dropped in to grace main Tyto lagoon yesterday, first such visit since 2009. Gone today.

Not so with White-browed Crake (Amaurornis cinerea), though many more active yesterday – including some little black chicks – than today.

Amid such clear beauty two mystery birds - one terrible image above. Sheeny navy blue and brown coloration. Strongly marked but strangely different in each of the briefly glimpsed birds. Stare at image. Penny drops: subadult male Eastern Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus). Swan proves only rare beauty of the day.

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Wandering companionably around Tyto

Wandering Whistling-Ducks (Dendrocygna arcuata) breeding attractively in Tyto.

Just one of the species Barbara of Wildwings and Swampythings admired when we met by chance for an interesting and chatty circuit around the main lagoon this week.


Highlight was her sighting of a Little Bittern, tucked away in distant tall grass on the edge of a scleria island. Too obscured and far off for worthwhile picture.

Also chanced upon a bounding Bandicoot, but came up short on White-browed Crakes, though did hear one or two. Recent sighting above.    


AND: Coming up this way? Ignore the closed signs at info centre and gate. Shire worried about liability if visitors tumble over four or five trees still across two side tracks, or get pounced upon by snakes in ankle-high grass!
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Farewell images of some Yasi survivors

Red-backed Fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus) in guinea grass at lookout heads today's last Tyto images for a time. Overdue NZ spell starts tomorrow. 

Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris) on a cheesewood branch. Easy to find the birds not blasted away by Cyclone Yasi, given defoliation of 50-75% most trees, though few knocked over. 

Yellow-spotted Honeyeater (Meliphaga notata) searches for insect life surviving in the limited leafage.

Business as usual for young Comb-crested Jacana (Irediparra gallinacea). The  species one of a few undiminished by Yasi. 

Also surviving in usual numbers, White-browed Crake (Amaurornis cinerea), though above image not from today's final walk through the still-flooded wetlands. 


So we say a fond farewell to Tyto. Return date uncertain. Hoping for some birding in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Bye for now ...    
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White-browed Crake stands out

High water levels mean fewer sightings of White-browed Crake (Amaurornis cinerea) because many of the birds quit the lagoon scleria for the surrounding flooded bladey grass.

But not all. Bird above ( and, top, on sedge) at lagoon's edge today squeaked and hissed in company with shyer partner for about 20 minutes, mostly, of course, half-hidden by sedge, grasses or other weeds.

Even showed off this small unidentified beetle? reward for all its foraging.


MISSING: Many birds. Species count of 93 for wet November almost 30 below average previous five years. And numbers low within many species.        
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Wet scenes swamp the dry season

Water, water everywhere - and it's the dry season! Recent Tyto scenes. Green Pygmy-goose (Nettapus pulchellus) pair on the main lagoon, close to capacity.

White-browed Crake (Amaurornis cinerea) steps down scleria toward water that would usually be at least 30cm lower at this time of year.  

Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) pauses between terrorising passing dragonflies, on perch that should be over drying mud.

Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) shows wing spurs on flight past the lookout.  Nothing unusual here, watery background simply suits the theme.
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Little Bittern fourth issues forth

Fourth sighting for 2010 of Australian Little Bittern (Ixobrychus dubius) in Tyto this morning coincided with copy of The Bittern Chronicle ('Reed all about it') in day's mail.

For 2009-10, 38 Littles were recorded at 26 wetlands (mainly southeast and southwest mainland Australia); 94 Australasian Bitterns were recorded in 63 wetlands (mainly southeast and southwest, and Tasmania). No estimate is offered of total Littles. 'Threatened' status is sought for Australasians, which may number fewer than 1000 (NZ has 500-2000).


I am certain many more Littles are out there. But being smaller, quieter and living farther from birding hotspots means fewer reports. The surveys continue.

No shortage ever of White-browed Crakes (Amaurornis cinerea) in Tyto, though high lagoon levels mean many are stalking unseen through reeds and fewer are out treading the lily leaves. 
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Crakes come out as creek goes down

Young White-browed Crake (Amaurornis cinerea) ever present lately beside most heavily trodden area within the wetlands.

Bird's territory is 40-metre drying section of creek crossed by low footbridge leading to the main lookout.

Most of the dry season's growing numbers of visitors are unaware they're almost walking on top of the fast-maturing crake.

Which is a pity. For, as often proves the case, one bird's boldness brings others out.

No surprise to find similar-sized Spotless Crake (Porzana tabuensis) picking over the same muddy shallows. This mature bird quickly gives way if challenged by the youngster. Explains in part why the shyer species is greatly outnumbered.

Yet neither species gives way to Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis), more than half again larger than their 20cm. Could be because crakes breed in Tyto and the rail, though local, is a mere visitor: a much sharper eyed one than most humans passing by.