Dollarbird

From early morning, at this time of year, a very familiar call, kak-kak-kak, echoes from the tops of the Angophora tree. I want photos, and it's a difficult angle to poise the camera; my neck hurts!

At 1200mm hand-held, you can only expect record-shots at best, so I brace myself, hold tight, press the shutter ...and hope something will be good enough. There's a lot of atmosphere between me, and that bird.

 The Dollarbird is robust/stocky style of bird with lovely blue and lavender toned feathers contrasting with a strong red beak.

this is the big tree above all others where the Dollarbird likes to watch out from.  It sits solitary, though I hear a return call from another Dollarbird, somewhere is the distance.   

Every now and then it flies off in a swooping motion and does a wide circle, no doubt picking up small insects, and then returns.  Often, to a differing part of the tree.  

Overhanging branches make for the strong contrasting shadows.

Generally the Dollarbird seems to dissapear after the early morning session, and I will hear it again in the late afternoon.  The lighting at that time of day isn't at all in my favour though; photos taken then up into the tree will produce just a silhouette of the bird and a washed-out background.  These then, are as good as it gets, enough to document at least.

Later addition:  Thanks John for your question!  Why is it called a Dollar-bird?  According to Birds in Backyards fact-sheet here this migratory bird from New Guinea, is so named because of "silvery, circular patches on the underside of the wings, thought to resemble the American silver dollar coin".