Cor, cormorants and blurry bittern

Interesting bits later, the one decent picture first. Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarba melanoleucos) in solo pose near a Tyto lagoon. Little Pieds stand alone, in contrast to Little Black Cormorants (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris). Any fish the solitary hunter Pied takes brings no threat of theft from a fishing companion.

But Little Blacks hunt in packs. The advantage appears to be a 'herding' of fish ahead of the swift swimming pack. The disadvantage is an instant challenge against any bird that takes a fish too large to be immediately swallowed. Side note: 50-60 Little Blacks in Tyto overnight the only large group of the species to spend much time in the wetlands in six years or more.

Worst for last. Australian Little Bittern (Ixobrychus dubius) disappears across scleria in Tyto today. Male, but you'll have to take my word for it. My only flight picture in six years. Saw male and female yesterday, without even bad picture. Tomorrow ...

One in eye for Shrike-Thrush and me

Little Shrike-Thrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha) on ground at Broadwater Forest Park, west of Ingham, today appears to be winking. Not so. After berating the bird for constantly closing eye as it did a spot of sheltered sunning I realised mistake: injury or ailment had led to permanent closure. Routine hazard for birds that spend much of their day poking heads into forest tangles, I suppose.

Sharp-eyed pair of Plumed Whistling-Ducks (Dendrocygna eytoni) turn away from the Tyto lookout over the weekend. The large flocks have gone (probably up to the tableland) but a few birds are still hanging about with the more numerous Wandering Whistlers.

Also sticking around in limited numbers are Sharp-tailed Sandpipers (Calidris acuminata). This pair caught in middle of minor spat at a small wetlands just east of Ingham.

Finally, bad news at the Great Bowerbird bower. Flattened and pillaged. Possibly the work of another bird. More likely the doing of a Naked Ape. Restores my lack of faith in human nature!

Egret all shook up

Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia) shakes things up after a lengthy spell of patrolling reeds along the lagoon edge at Tyto today. Below, getting back into trim.

Rainbow Bee-eater lights up morning

Don't often come upon Rainbow Bee-eaters (Merops ornatus) low on branches, so above shot on a bright morning as I was beginning a lagoon edge walk hoping for Little Bittern sightings was an unexpected bonus. Luckily the bird paused for a few seconds after coming from over my shoulder.

After recent post about Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis) clutching African Tulip Tree (Spathodea campanulata) seed envelope and Scaly-breasted Lorikeet (Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus) taste for the seeds today came upon lorikeets feeding from split and drying pods. For every seed eaten 10 or more are scattered on the breeze. Little wonder the exotic tree with gorgeous flowers is proving nigh impossible to eradicate.

Immature Great Bowerbird still noisily busy near Tyto carpark, but seems to have largely completed the bower. Now the chief work is sorting out which end of the north-south alignment should be decorated with the assorted white, blue, green and red items it has gathered. No sign of any other bowerbirds in the neighbourhood.

Big stork stalks closer

Immature Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) surprised me by stalking slightly towards me rather than away as I watched from the other side of a shallow pool in Tyto yesterday, but drew the line at about 30 metres. The birds usually respond to intruders by quietly altering course and easing off into the distance. If followed they fly off (below, from earlier in week - perhaps the same bird, though 2-3 immatures drop in at times).

Another big bird Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) circles above main lagoon. It's one of a pair temporarily in the wetlands after recent rains lifted the main lagoon by about 15cm. (Which has also brought in more Whiskered Terns).

And a Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata), one of many coming daily to the wetlands and returning to surrounding areas before sunset. (A popular night roost during the now-finished cane crush was atop the loaded bins of the cane trains).

Three morsels of food for thought

Food for thought in three Tyto encounters. Above, perhaps evidence of a successful underground strike - skink? frog? grasshopper? - by this Common Tree Snake (Dendralaphis punctulata). Spotted the snake half hidden within a wide crack during a recent evening outing. It re-emerged looking rather pleased with itself, almost to be described as licking its lips! Anthropomorphosis, anyone?

Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) comes up with a catch courtesy of an unknown predator that must have lost this fish after taking a severe bite from it. Though no more than knee deep and roughly 50 x 25 metres, the minor pool near Tyto's main lagoon could be carrying large eels, barramundi and turtles. Croc? A very long-odds maybe.

Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis) clutches an African Tulip Tree (Spathodea campanulata) seed envelope. A pair of the birds spent several minutes picking up, carrying about and then discarding envelopes. Doubt if the birds are equipped to free the seed from the envelope. Haven't seen such interest previously. In fact, only Scaly-breasted Lorikeets (Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus) show a taste for the seeds. But they feed direct from split and drying pods, which hold hundreds of envelopes in three stacks.

Questions on young bowerbird

Seems Great Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus nuchalis) males start young. Here's an immature (note yellow gape) bird with an advanced structure near the Tyto carpark. Very active and noisy at his work today and yesterday, though yet to bring in much decoration.

Two initial thoughts occur: can such an obviously young bird attract females? will any mature male nearby attack the bird or bower? More to come, in time ...

One bad tern deserves another

More exercises in trying for decent flight shots. Both eyes open, one eye shut, 9-point auto focus, centre point focus, manual focus. The spirited Whiskered Terns (Chlidonias hybrida) seem willing, in zig-zaggy fashion, the camera technique is weak.

And off they went

Golden Plover gilds wader watch

Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva) only wader of rare note in or near Tyto through year to date. Not so hard to find up and down the coast, but this solo bird popped into view on Wednesday just beyond the wetlands' westernmost point, on regreening burnt grass alongside young sugar cane. (I was looking for quail.) Plover unfortunately took lead from two Masked Lapwings it was with and would not settle close enough for better pictures.

Then, 100mm of rain overnight and following day. No sign of bird since.

But two more common wader species have dropped in on newly flooded areas. Bit like buses. None for a while and then three turn up! (New Scientist explained why buses do this. Nothing to do with birds in threes.) Anyway, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata) trio above could pass as triplets.

Wood Sandpipers (Tringa glareola) not so strikingly alike. Striking enough merely to have three of the often solitary birds so close together. One bird has been the regular daily ration for most of the month. Below, a closeup look at a Wood, taken at a nearby treatment pond.

White-browed Robin win and loss

Three hours (spread over two days) of stalking juvenile White-browed Robin (Poecilodryas superciliosa) brought some reward today in Tyto. Junior's natural inclination to hide behind clusters of twigs or under umbrellas of shady foliage was only part of the problem.

The parents never took prey and headed straight back to the juvenile. Rather, they perched and pounced several times before taking a circumspect route back to the ever-shifting offspring.

They are also fast on the swallow. Caught quick shot of parent taking a caterpillar. Two shots later in the same high-speed burst, the bird was up and away with caterpillar gulped down.

Final musing: Most White-browed Robin nests contain two eggs, and in due course two fledglings. But after the birds quit the nest it's hard to find more than one juvenile, though both parents can be seen. Perhaps the parents don't return enough of their catches to sustain both young?