Slurpee time for Magpie Geese pigging out

It's slurpee time for the Magpie Geese in the Townsville Common - thanks to the unstinting industry of the feral pigs ploughing into Bulkuru sedge (water chestnut) for the tubers relished by both species.

Birds swooped down in recent early morning chills to follow up the snorting good work by about six sturdy pigs, five of which logged off at 7.15am today.

Not interested in tubers but enjoying fringe benefits, Yellow-billed Spoonbills,  two photobombed by Masked Lapwing.

White-necked Herons another bird turning up to snap up anything showing life on the mud.

Nearby, solitary Red-kneed Dotterel joined scores of sedentary Black-fronted Dotterels on an area abandoned by the tuber brigades.

Varied catch, luck for fishers

Varied diet among birds stalking alongside and in the lagoon lately. Eastern Great Egret (above and below) grabbed and scoffed six fish in a 20-minute burst.

Darter didn't do so well with this large catch. It tried many times to flip the fish (about 30cmx12-15cm in my estimate) and catch it head-first. But the bulk and size of the silvery 'monster' proved too much and the fish slipped away.

Little Pied Cormorant did better with slender eel. Took a few false swallows, but eventually the catch slithered to oblivion.

White-necked Herons don't seem too interested in trying for large fish. This bird content to grab small prey from the muddy shallows. Must be satisfying enough. It's been working the western end of the main lagoon for more than two weeks.