Brahminy Kite

I WISH I'd seen this, but I didn't.

Both these photos had been taken by cyber-friend Maggie from Nthn. Qld,  whilst doing a short term working stint on Palm Island recently.  Maggie writes: Palm Island is near Ingham, in a group of islands called the Orpheus group.

It is a beautiful island with rainforest, eucs, paperbark swamp, beaches... it was part of the mainland until the end of the last ice age so it has a lot more wildlife than a coral quay... there are feral horses and pigs all over the place but also possums, wallabies, bandicoots, pythons and lots of birds.  My bird list so far has 17 species on it and I am sure there are many more.

Thanks Maggie for allowing me to share your great Brahminy Kite; I totally love it.

Later edit: Please visit Snap Happy Online to see a fabulous dragonfly from Northern Qld., also sent from Maggie

Black Swans, Little Black Cormorant

noted as being Australia's largest coastal, salt-water lake, Lake Macquarie, N.S.W, is over four times the size of Sydney harbour

Little Black Cormorant

oops! 

215mm = 1200mm, hand-held

Pacific Black Duck, and more

At the same location as the previous White-faced Grey Herons, post.

A couple of ducks had been swimming about in the distance, and then had chosen to paddle between the rocks and find their way to another part of the river, further upstream.  This one is the Pacific Black Duck; with a difference. Seems it's a 'ring-in" - explained further, in Christian's comment.

can't be sure if male or female, so off 'it' goes now in the section where the leaves and litter gets choked up before the filtering concrete baffles you saw last post

and up pops this one looking out for it; hardly a pair, but they definately were sticking together as a team.  When looking at the photos here I noted the green bands on this one.  Is it a Muscovy? Later addition: Having since checked Google/Images on Muscovy ducks, it seems not.

..now I really want to know what kind of duck it is, though it's sure to be another hybridised version I guess

When this one caught up, the two  swam off together,

in the cleaner waters, where a Dusky Moorhen was also enjoying the late afternoon sun.

Much later notation added: Great info' from Alan Morris "The duck with the tags is a domestic duck so some person has put a plastic tag on it as are available for ringing poultry etc. As a domestic duck it does not have to be crossed with a  Pacific Black Duck although it would be a Mallard deriritive, possibly related to those white Peking Ducks which are descended from Mallards.."

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

White-faced Grey Heron

Looking over the wall, I see two White-faced Grey Herons down there.  The Wyong River at this point has concrete baffles in place, slowing down the water-flow.  Now to walk down some steep stone steps to the right of this photo

the herons had been photographed while standing in the middle of a steel-mesh bridge suspended not too high above the water.  It was quite tranquil watching them and hearing the rush of water under my feet.  Have zoomed back for this shot as they reminded me of a pair of neat bookends

a touch of yellow in the bushland

down next this little pocket by the lake; over to the right some, outside of the photo

and guess what I spotted; totally unexpected.  Was just hoping this little Eastern Yellow Robin would sit tight while I walked around some, to line up with a lake backdrop.  

so endearing ...

just long enough for a quick photo shoot and then he was off; made my day. sweet little thing.

Sharing a video, baby Robins in nest, by Fred Margulies

How sweet; wish this was in my garden; what a great opportunity to film these delightful birds.  Thanks to Frank for offering on Vimeo, with a share/embed option

Bird watching today ...

for a while it was all about the Willie Wagtail; though he doesn't really have a yellow tummy

 flitting about the grass kicking up insects

till a couple little red-browed firetails appeared,

 can you believe angelic-looking Willie Wagtail ousted them from his domain each time?

several Satin Bowerbirds eating whatever it is they love to pick up.  They always seem to have big mouthfuls of roundish looking vegetation, wondering if it's clover?

they had been tucked away in the shadows there

 one flew up in the light momentarily, gosh I thought for a minute I might've got a decent shot but they don't stick around long enough!

Especially since all mirth broke out above them; caught me by surprise, so a fumbled attempt to capture the sounds.  Maybe you better turn your volume down a touch?

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Little Pied Cormorant

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Straw-necked Ibis

This afternoon, driving this road slowly, keeping an eye out for you know what, and good! there's something up in that middle dead tree.  Pulling over to the edge of the road, with camera out the window.  At the top, there's a short fork to the left, check the one under it.  See it?  

The winds are blowing hard, and I'm pleased it's in a stable tree for a photo-shoot, with no foliages blowing in front of it.  Earlier bird photo attempts today were pretty futile for that reason.

Straw-necked Ibis

holding on, it can't have been easy

oops, a big wind gust

a little of the metallic colours showing on the shoulder