Some birds close to my heart of things

Home's where the heart is, close to home's where many of my birds are. Benefit of buying into retirement village surrounded by conservation parks and other wildlife and marine areas. Some sightings lately:

Brahminy Kite, one of pair often seen on local dead trees.

Brolga foraging and flying close to the kites' lookouts.

Australasian Figbird about 100 metres from Brolga's reed patch.

Pheasant Coucal close-up and close to Figbird's perch.

Scaly-breasted Munia (was Spice Finch, then Chestnut-breasted Mannikin) by coastal walkway.

Not quite all in one day's walk, but part of my recent days' walks.

 

 

Pelican's 'catches' out but cuckoo catches on

Pelican might have done double take, or double miss, at nearby Rowes Bay lagoon as first a small fish executes a teasing jump and then a spectral fish forms from back splash created by passing Little Black Cormorant (obscured by Pelican's head). Typical fisher's tale of the ones that got away.

 

No such bad luck for juvenile Brush Cuckoo about to receive insect prey from parasitised Brown-backed Honeyeater 'parent' in local park recently. So quick was transfer that though I was shooting at 12 frames per second the grab and gulp fell entirely between frames. 

Head up for dragonfly, head off for fish head . . .

One moment it's dragonfly trying to dance on White-bellied Sea-Eagle's head, the next it's all go for fisher's discarded fish head rolling in the light surf at Cape Pallarenda, Townsville, this morning.

Head off to rip into one's snatch of the day. 

Gull cometh the raw prawn with me

 Silver Gull with Banana Prawn, Cape Pallarenda, Townsville, Feb 2024

Gulls lively during high tide surge

Surging high tide spilling into temporary lagoon at Cape Pellaranda  this morning provided some easy pickings for Silver Gulls that usually hang around for scraps from Townsville beach-casters. And action aplenty for bird photographer!

Rainbow Lorikeets brighten January gloom

Dismal outside. Still catching up on sleep after Cyclone Kirrily knocked power out and neighbour's generator roared for near two days and nights. No posts all month. But sun did shine earlier in January. Mostly one morning, on raucous Rainbow Lorikeets in now mildly tattered gum. So, some colourful cheer to spite today's wet gloom and forecast of worse to come for rest of week.  

Here's to Galahs as Santas and tricky Osprey captures

If there was to be a Santa among birds, my vote goes to the Galah. Pretty, fun-loving, colourful - what's not to like? And this bird wandered my way at Pallarenda just in time for Xmas greetings to faithful blog followers.

Also at  windblown Pallarenda this week, Eastern Osprey seeming to be taking fish from the surf. Looks that way, doesn't it?

Truth is fish was taken in clearer water away from surf and bird merely chose to fly off low over breaking waves to some unseen feeding post out of my sight.

Here's the bird waiting patiently for glimpse of the eventual catch. 

Merry Xmas and happy birding in 2024 to all!

Black-necked Stork turns black-hearted

Ooh, look! Kindly young Black-necked Stork sees eel struggling in mud and carefully picks it out for revival on bank.

Checks vitals by vigorous palpitation with bill all along eel: thus comes the jab in Jabiru.

Caring love has no bounds, bird decides eel needs to be washed down. Sacrifices smoothness of gullet to help eel feel better: would better be called Black-throated Stork.

Oh dear! It's forgotten to cough eel up. Maybe better called Black-hearted Stork!

Town Common Friday 8/12/23.

  

Ravens rip into red-meat repast

Australian Raven rips into dead rat on the mud beside fast-vanishing water at the Melaleuca lagoon viewing area in the Townsville Town Common Conservation Park yesterday (18/11/23). The relish for red meat repast contrasting with mostly disinterest in the scores of Barramundi that lately died gasping in the hot deoxygenated shallows. Eyes, yes. Otherwise, not interested. But of interest, two or three wild pig families foraging through the lagoon's bulrushes also turned their noses up at the fish, showing determined preference for rooting through the mud. And no Dingo tracks have been visible anywhere near dead fish.  

    

Wet and dry times helping Town Common birders

Wet mud's turning dry and firm in the Townsville Town Common wetlands as El Nino starts taking charge for now, and many months to come. The conservation park will look even drier this and next year because last year's high water levels carried through early in 2023 and killed off much para grass and other weeds. 

Bonus for birdwatchers has been ease of scanning broad areas of flattened dead stalks and more readily seeing several regular migratory species standing out more than usual. I'm hopeful conditions continue to attract late migrants such as Yellow Wagtails, due in 2-3 weeks. We'll see!

Most prized of recent weeks has been a Banded Lapwing, usually drier country bird. 

Latham's Snipe were, on schedule first seen early in August.

Curlew Sandpiper (downcurved bill) found recently tucked away in groups of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers.

Ditto Red-necked Stints. And Red-kneed Dotterel.

Pacific Golden Plovers as content on pasture as wetland mud.

Australian Pratincole often on dry-country coastal roads.

And Australia Pipit another bird happy mostly on dry and cracked habitat. But also very good to birders as it attracts migratory Wagtails. Fingers crossed for November-December!