Plumhead sighting bitter-sweet treat

Always great to list a new species for regular surveyed site. Not so good having to offer terrible image in support. Never mind, here's today's good news-bad news bird at Mungalla Station: Plum-headed Finch (Neochmia modesta). Lone male popped up on fence for a second, hopped down to feed for a few seconds, then zipped off south without acknowledging me. Them's the breaks!

As compensation for such a dire picture, here's a Zitting Cisticola taken a while back within about 100 metres of today's Plumhead.

And two shots of a Tawny Grassbird from close to the same spot about the same time. Might be many years before another Plumhead presents itself, let alone offers such closeups.

Portraits in passing along the Orient

Don't take many portraits, but here's a handsome big boy at Orient Station the other day. He insisted on showing only his left horn. 'We've all got out better side,' he said ruminatively.

Close by, Brolga may have been chasing flying prey, but it's more likely only a fluke passing during a spot of splash and dash.

Here's the reason for crawling about in the friendly bull's domain, Zitting Cisticola, temptingly atop paperbark seedling, but never stopping long enough for better closeups.

Just down the road, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper stood around for a wee while though wouldn't stand for my effort to get an image from water level.