Osprey guessing games begin again

Guess what the resident Eastern Ospreys in Townsville Town Common Conservation Park are up to! Pictured quickie probably follow-up to earlier unseen breeding because pair returned to constant presence at nest some weeks ago. No prediction about outcomes. Past experience includes abandoned nests, sitting times more than double expectation and erratic feeding behaviour by the male. We'll just wait and see this year.    

Grey Teal ducks into danger - Python tucks in

Big Water Python wraps up Grey Teal in middle of Rowes Bay Lagoon, Townsville, this morning. 

Slowly but surely the snake stretches mouth over the bird. Too slowly for me to wait for the big bulge inside snake and probable swim to more cover for the slow process of digestion.

Blue-winged Kookaburra worth two shakes

Blue-winged Kookaburra appears caught by surprise but, as they say, appearances can be deceptive. So can image processing. Thus, two lighting treatments.

Bird's spikiness comes from after vigorous shakes following bathing splash into shadowy edge of lagoon in Town Common Conservation Park, Townsville.   

Black-necked Stork lively on lagoon

Lively male Black-necked Stork highlight of another splosh across Rowes Bay Lagoon this morning. 

Little Egret flew off quickly when first approached, but tolerated much closer approach soon after.

Which seemed to give White-faced Heron confidence to stick around in same smallish pool.

Dollarbird not inclined to pose on a perch but in flying up and away made a shining departure.

 

Curlew overhead, crab underfoot, heron into prawn

Plenty of Bush Stone Curlews on the ground in Townsville (lately breeding in gardens close to my door) but less often caught overhead in daylight. Above, one of 36 or so put to flight as I sploshed  the other morning across Rowes Bay Lagoon, part of which backs onto my retirement village.

Even less common, mud crab - getting crabby about camera lens being thrust in its face on the same morning.

Rather better looking (unless you're into crabs) and always sounding joyously alive, Varied Honeyeater in pink climber on bank of Lower Mundy Creek, which feeds into the lagoon during super high tides or - as presently - when maintenance work requires the closing of the two large flood gates. 

Striated Herons regularly found along the creek. Not so often seen with fresh-caught prawn (or maybe shrimp?). Long mangrove tendril appears to have got caught up in heron's strike. Bird darted deep into the shadows to sort things out unseen.   

Sacre bleu! Blind shots not Sacred blur

Sacred Kingfishers showing out in seasonal return to Town Common Conservation Park these days. Pair active bathing around Payets Tower this morning triggered some forget-the-viewfinder point, shoot and hope. And, wonder of wonders, a half decent result. 

Later in the morning, Australian Hobby returned to snatching dragonflies from near surface of Melaleuca viewing area lagoon. It also repeated previously seen hostility toward passing immature White-bellied Sea-Eagle, driving it away from the area. No such aggression toward mature bird perched nearby. 

Uncommon visitors at front door, park

Didn't need to travel far for pictures of relatively uncommon visitors to Rowes Bay. Three Pied Butcherbirds turned up just a few metres from my retirement village studio front door the other day.

Quick grab for camera and managed to get pictures of young adult on grass and juvenile on wood chips. One or other of the birds has been serenading locals with ringing musical notes for months after first being seen nearby about six months ago. More typical habitat is less populated country not far west of Townsville.

Another less common sighting, female Pacific Emerald-Dove, in Townsville Town Common Conservation Park this week. Only my second in six years haunting the park.

Hobby launches into big bird, lunches on dragonfly

Australian Hobby gets right into the face of passing immature White-bellied Sea-Eagle in Townsville Town Common Conservation Park this morning. Bemused big bird betook itself away smartish.

Can't imagine the Hobby thought of the Sea-Eagle as competition for the dragonflies it was launching after and lunching upon. Shouldn't be crabby - because near none in the Common.

And when an intruding Brahminy Kite came along and launched itself into the water-lilied waters and flew off with talons full of weed and maybe obscured prey the Hobby took no action. But loads of action for the observer.

Female Dingo unsure about photo session

Female Dingo unsure she's looking her best for morning photo session on Townsville Town Common Conservation Park salt flat behind Pallarenda township the other morning. Eventually she trotted off to join more wary male mate. Welcome sight for me, perhaps less so for the many dogs and owners in Pallarenda. Howling from husky (the voice, not the breed) male should have triggered responses from domestic dogs yet in this case did not. As usual I couldn't resist the vocal challenge but was out-yowled decisively. Fewer Dingos being seen in the park these days after park rangers hazed cheekier animals away to more distant sections of the park for their own welfare. One or two were losing all fear of people, which can lead to danger for park visitors and for the Dingos.   

Leucistic Brush-Turkey stands out from the rest

Stepping out at Cape Pallarenda a day ago, the conservation park's well established but seldom so easily photographable leucistic Brush-Turkey. As striking as ever, probably female - based on lack of male markers: peaceable solitary behaviour, no mound building, never displaying extended yellow neck pouch.  Makes it unlikely there'll ever be an explosion of precocious whites scrambling from an active breeding mound in the park. Meantime, enjoy the one we've got!