Darter stabs and nabs vacant title - Jabberoo!

Australasian Darter comes up from Freshwater pool in Townsville Town Common Park this week with Tilapia securely impaled. Taking no chances, bird took fish out of water (and out of my sight) to swallow the catch. Since Black-necked Storks are no longer Jabirus the name, or something like it, seems a good fit.

Same morning and not far away, Australian Pelican makes a diving splash and grab. Another Tilapia down the hatch. First time I've seen a Pelican make such a nonstop move and perhaps creating a risk of the bird somersaulting over a bill full of water. That would be a picture to treasure!

Luck catches up with Darter and Tilapia

Rarely, but every now and then, a moment of magic emerges from an amalgam of luck and readiness. The readiness is all, they say. Not so. Without luck the readiness  - vital though it is - comes to nothing. Or maybe nothing much. So, Australian Darter snatches Tilapia from duckweed-coated pool on sun-filled, still morning in Townsville Town Common Conservation Park.

Lucky to be carrying 800mm lens and camera set for fast in-flight action. Lucky to catch bird and fish lit so happily. 

But luck is fickle. Not so lucky to have bird miss head-first catch after tossing fish in air. Suddenly action too fast for auto focus and eye-capture and blurry fish is plunging to lucky longer life. 

Half your luck, some might say. Probably rightly. And perhaps the Darter was even luckier and could afford a seeming smile. The Tilapia's size may have proved an unlucky swallow. On balance, lucky me, lucky fish, lucky bird maybe.

Ravenous Raven catches House Gecko outdoors

Australian Raven catches up with Asian House Gecko in Townsville Common today. Bird began ripping at dead branch in tree near Payet Tower, followed fragments to ground and snatched gecko from the debris. Seconds later, gecko gone!

And just up the road Green Tree Frog's last croaks led to search through trees and find of Blue-winged Kookaburra with doomed prey.

Another recent catch in Common, Osprey carries Tilapia back to nest atop comms mast near Pellarenda.

Yesterday, Australian Raven rips at kill far too big for it to be at without the illicit help of night hunters, presumably with dogs and bayonet/s. Happy to see pig numbers cut, not so happy about illicit hunting.