Howard Springs Morning Walk

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A beautiful stroll early in the morning with shinning results.
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Shinning Flycatcher Myiagra alecto male
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Shinning Flycatcher Myiagra alecto female
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Rainbow Pitta Pitta iris
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A Walk On The Wild Side

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Walking in the bush is exciting and to find a variety of habitats without a lot of human intervention even more exciting. Monsoon vine forest edges with open woodlands; mangrove and salt marshes butting up against paperbark avenues mixed with pandanus groves provides a wealth of opportunities if you're in the right place at the right time.
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My first feral pig Sus scrofa sighting. I yelled and whistled when I was standing just near a climbable tree but they payed me the ultimate insult: they just ignored me.
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I saw a lot of Kingfishers and Kookaburra, but very shy. This kookaburra was along way away and seemed to be having a "very bad feather day"!
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Blue-winged Kookaburra Dacelo leachii
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Forest Kingfisher Todirhanphus macleayii
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Of course the water lilies were a spectacular participant in the morning sunlight.
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Water Lilly Nelumbo nucifera
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Water Lilly Nelumbo nucifera
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Green Skimmer Orthetrum serapia
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The flowers of the Cocky Apple Planchonia careya provide the attraction for the ants and the Mistletoe Bird Dicaeum hirundinaceum male juv eats the unidentified ants.
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Once again, its nice to see reptiles before the onset of toads.
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Burton's Legless Lizard Lialis burtonis
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The More I see the More Questions I have

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Sunrise On the Cox Peninsula
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Swamp-Tiger Danaus affinis
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Orange Tiger Danaus genutia
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Cycad Cycas armstingii
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Bar-breasted Honeyeater Ramsayornis fasciatus
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Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bracteatus Where is it's tail?
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Could this possibly be a Striated Pardalote's Pardalotus striatus nest?
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Night And Day

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A trip to the Cox Peninsula gave me a chance to see birds usually associated with night stalking, flowers that are only fresh and erect on the morning they emerge, dirt eating birds I mistook for Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, an easy to photograph reptile and another lucky shot of a classy bird in flight.
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Bush Thick-knee Burhinus grallarius
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Spotted Nightjar Eurostopodus argus
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Cocky Apple Planchonia careya with an unidentified Native Bee
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Little Corella Cacatua pastinator race gymnopis
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Northern Blue-tongued Skinks Tiliqua scincoides intermedia
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Broad-billed Flycatcher Myiagra ruficollis
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Stingybark Eucalyptus tetrodonta Continues to Flower

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These two were feeding in the Stingybark Eucalyptus tetrodonta, but with two different agendas.
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The Red-headed Honeyeater Myzomela erythrocephala was into the flowers for the nectar.
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But this Weebill Smicrornis brevirostris was more interested in the insects who were foraging on the nectar.
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Love Is In The Air

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The Figbirds Sephecotheres viridis are seeking mates at the moment and the male seems to sing a pretty sweet song until a female shows up and then he tends to just sit and admire her. The singing stops much to the disappointment of those who like the tune.
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When this female Figbird first came into the vicinity of the calls which attracted her, she was a bit confused as she sat next to a Spangled Drongo who was busy trying his best to imitate the male Figbird. Eventually she got things straight and ended up with the male Figbird above.
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Entertainment White-throated Honeyeater Style

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This is what it is all about. Being a witness to the amazing abilities of birds who in the ordinary way they earn a living provide so much enjoyment. I have seen so many amazing feats and been unable to relate accurately their actions which are astonishing. What is so amazing about this single honeyeater is that it is obviously not feeding on nectar but perhaps insects which it has learned to locate.
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White-throated Honeyeater Melithreptus albogularis
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Its like he is letting me know how really amazing what he just did was! I agree!
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