A quiet day

Actually it was quite an exciting day, bird wise, but I have few photographs to support it (or damage your download limit).

Our morning walk was the default, along Mather Rd in Yungaburra.  Not far along there I noticed some small birds flitting about and it included a flash of red against a black body: Red-backed Fairy-wrens!  Then two larger birds attracted my attention.  Grey back and rufous breast indicated Bowers Shrike-thrush (Bird of the Day).

After that excitement and doing a few chores back home I headed out to walk to the Curtain Fig Tree National Park.  as I got on to the road towards there was an aerial ruckus which resolved to a large flock of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos.  My guess was at least 100 of them.

On getting to the Park I headed up what looked like a service track.  Unfortunately it ran out after about 50m,  There were few birds around but these flowers were nice to see.

I then wandered into the forest, noting how some of the creepers which were almost invisible had hooks that could teach velcro a thing or two about never giving up.  Not much blood was lost!  I came to a small valley full of rocks which was pleasant to look at with no birds to interrupt the view.

So then I went to the boardwalk around the fig without great hopes.  A few birds were zooming about but in the low light (and given their great speed) impossible to identify.  A very harsh call attracted my attention to near the start of the walk and suddenly a beautiful male Victoria's Riflebird appeared.  It was very active and I couldn't get a decent photo.  But I have included this as my first snap of a Bird of Paradise.

A couple of Spectacled Monarchs and a Pale-yellow Robin added to the list.

As I walked back home I noticed these fruit on a cauliferous tree.  No idea what they are.

 Later in the afternoon I went for what could barely be called a run, passing by the house of the trigger-happy old fart.  This time I could see all of his flag!

I was bemused that with all these Trumpesque messages the notice on his front door came from his insurance company!

After tea we went for an owl prowl with  no success as regards nightbirds.  I did see a Northern Brown Bandicoot in the Curtain Fig car park (and lots of spiders on the boardwalk).  When I took Tammy out for her final comfort stop a fruit bat (I think a Spectacled Fruit-bat) was hanging off a tree in the garden.

• Bird of the day: Bowers Shrikethrush gets the tick.  This was only because I had already used the riflebird a few days back.  That was actually more exciting.  Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo gets the flock award.
• Vegetation of the day:  Blue flowers in rain forest
• Memorable moment:  Male riflebird.
• Comment of the day: A visitor to the house next door made a reference to Tammy as an ankle biter.  Most comments about her are amusing references to her size.
• Pie of the day: No submissions
• Troppo moment of the day. Gotta be the flag.  Another house in the area has a man cave. 

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