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.

 

Osprey takes off with Long Tom after long weir wait

Long chat with fellow Kiwi today on footbridge across Ross River at Aplin Weir waiting for Osprey to launch from Leichhardt tree down into fish-filled seawater below. Nothing happening. Walk under tree. Nothing. Return to footbridge. Nothing. Try for flight shot of passing tern. Turn back on Osprey ...

... And, yes, Osprey strikes - and whooshes up behind my back, over footbridge, and upriver with Long Tom catch to 'feeding' branch in melaleuca  well upstream. Frustrating. Interesting too. Bird didn't do the usual and change grip to carry fish torpedo fashion with head pointing forward.

Much more active at base of weir this morning, Striated Heron (one of six squabbling over perches and catches of small fish)...

... and Little Egret (one of 11, mostly disdaining to squabble over anything).

Solitary Silver Gull, perhaps feeling outnumbered, found nothing much to eat and had nothing to say.

Closer to home, time for a cleanout.

FOR SALE:
Canon 7D 11, as new, few months old, white/grey import (with Japanese manual)  $700
Canon L 400mm f5.6 nonIS, 7-8 years, little used,  $500
Canon L 100-400 mark1, 7-8y, good cond apart from perished zoom lock band   (elastic velcro strap does  job) $400
Canon 5D3, well used, needs hot shoe repair, possibly replacement head assembly; camera works perfectly otherwise. Prefer swap super short lens, say $1200ish.
Prices set below going rates to discourage unwanted haggling.

Little Egret, Red-capped Plovers fight for last bites

Last days of 2017, last days of action on, around and over the last two pools as Townsville Common wetland hardens under baking sunny days - which may last past January. So, bit of pressure for last of prey, as above with Little Egret flexing muscles and wings and things to see off fleeing rival.

And junior Red-capped Plover letting older bird know who's stud of the mud.

Red-necked Stint sticks to stints picking up prey and avoids those picking fights.

Black-necked Stork won't be walking across Payets pool with any more tilapia until next year's Wet (if it comes - no sure thing for Townsville). Even the hardy pest fish species are dying in the deoxygenated water.

But there's still prey enough in the air on and just above the water to keep Gull-billed Tern coming back every day.

And there'll always be the birds to keep me there day after day, wet or dry. Here's to 2018 and more Peregrine Falcons, White-bellied Sea-eagles and Whistling Kites, and . . .

Sharing the love at end of great week

Great week birding close to new home topped off today with Red-tailed Black Cockatoos sharing the love in morning sun. Four groups (of 5, 5, 4, 4) seen along stretch of road offering ample plantings of coastal almonds, including golf club parking, right alongside entry to Town Common.

At this very entry male Brush Turkey kicked up storm of litter for half an hour the other morning. He moved a mini mound metres down the road, though still a fair way removed from his home mound under trees several metres off the road. Just practising for bigger things, I think.

Bit further along the road, female Blue-winged Kookaburra , one of surprisingly few seen during the week, showed little interest in the many cicadas on the move about her. Nor did litter skinks on the ground hold her attention. No desired fare showed up and finally off she flew.

Not one to turn up a nose at crunchy cicada, White-breasted Woodswallow gets ready to rip into breakfast today. In places up to 20 of the birds - including lot of immatures - were on the road through the Common tucking in enthusiastically. They and the Rainbow Bee-eaters - whose nest burrows are now apparent in many places beside the road - seem keenest on the insects.

Unlike Channel-billed Cuckoo about to gulp down another Morton Bay fig. Four or more of the giant birds appear settled on sticking close to the Pallarenda end of the Common, and thus moving between the (formal) Town Common Conservation Park and the Pallarenda Conservation Park immediately to the north. To the cuckoos a fig's a fig no matter where it grows. By the way, like most native figs they're only for the birds.

Pretty sure another acquired taste would be anything left alive to swim or crawl in the few remaining pools. 50 or so egrets crowded noisily on shrinking muddy hole in front of Freshwater Hide four days ago. Little Egret, above, one of 44 of its kind.

Two days ago, Great Egret had a bit of competition for the morsels clinging to life in the hot, thick water. (Showing off the frills can be part of threat, not breeding display alone). Today, not an egret to be seen. Time to begin the rain dances!