iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Thank you it was a lovely day with friends and fellow bird nerds.

John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

A black-necked stork doing a size comparison with an egret in the first picture and a wader party in the second picture, it was quite windy at times, with strong gusts. It was an orange afternoon light. The Borrow pits, Townsville. #BirdOfTheDay #Waders

A black-necked stork on the left compared in size to an egret on the right, in afternoon light, they are standing in a body of blue green water.

Wader party, there were cormorants, darters, egrets, white Ibis and a grebe lurking about.
White birds on blue grey water in the foreground, dark birds on the grassy green bank in the background receding to reeds further back

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

A great bower bird getting stuck into a nice fresh mango, and enjoying it. Townsville, a few mango seasons ago. #BirdOfTheDay #Eating

A great bower bird, a piece of yellow mango in its black beak.
It has black eyes and light tan legs, a grey head and light tan grey body, the wings and tail is a banded pattern of light grey feathers with black bands.
The bird is standing and facing slightly to the right.
Foreground is an oval large green mango.
Green weeds and brown leaf litter on the ground.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

The Magpie goose that lives in the culvert in amongst the chaos of a major intersection at the corner of Anderson Gardens, Townsville. #Birds #BirdOfTheDay #RedHeads #WildOz

A medium to large bird in amongst water lilies, it has a grey beak and a red face, dark eyes, a black neck with a white body and wings, black end of wing and tail.
The bird is floating facing left.

The magpie goose was quite unconcerned by my presence.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

There were three red-backed fairy wrens, non breeding colours or female. Two were kind enough to stop briefly, sun and water confused my budget camera, but it is my first capture of them, great birds to watch flitting about. My first Wrensday. The borrow pits, Townsville #Wrensday #Birds #WildOz

A Y shaped brown branch with highlights of afternoon sunlight, blue grey water behind.
There is a small brown bird middle left and another upper right showing off its brown tail, they appear to be looking at each other.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

An elegant white-faced heron turns to look at me and the wind gusts turn it into a scruffy disillusioned looking creature The borrow pits, drying out. Townsville #Birds #BirdOfTheDay #Elegant #Scruffy

A white-faced heron looking into the wind to the right, standing on a small island with various grasses and sticks laying horizontally, it has an air brushed looking white face with a yellow eye and dark beak, a grey back,wings and tail with a lighter grey underside and yellow legs.

The white-faced Herron notices me and turns to look at me, the wind from the side makes it look quite untidy, scruffy, the only scruffy heron in the body of water

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

A Red-tailed black cockatoo, up the top of the neighbours palm, it was raining. You can hear a mob of these from a long way off. There were many more mixed into the foliage of the tree below the palm, with a few young ones. Townsville #Birds #BirdOfTheDay #Silhouette #WildOz

A large Red-tailed black cockatoo, seen in silhouette, the bird looked ruffled, it was raining, looking to the right at the top of a palm, grey sky behind.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

It one of my best mental health aids, capturing images and sharing.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

I’m not going to try angry bird face, I have enough trouble picking human expressions. A White-Necked Heron And a Black-Necked Stork, ebony and ivory with a touch of Prince on the stork. The borrow pits Townsville #BirdOfTheDay #MyBestSide #WildOz

The white-necked Herron is facing left, in the afternoon sun, standing in water with a line of mud in the bottom of the picture.
It has a dark beak, eyes, wings and legs.
There is a reflection on the water, bird and blue sky.

A black-Necked stork, looking majestic and facing to the left.
It has a black bill, eyes and neck, visible bits of its body are white, the wings and tail are back and it has long orange legs.
The black feathers mainly the neck and head are reflecting back dark blue and green shining colours.
Standing in wind rippled water, the wind was quite variable quite strong at times greenish water, there is a slight reflection on the water and bits of weedy sticks sticking up.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

It’s like many science fiction stories, a scientist or insider warns of the danger and is ignored, and everything goes badly. Except this is real.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Used as a starting points for debates in nursing school in the 1980’s

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I wonder if my great grandchildren will see the United States, or whatever it is called by then, restored to a civil, thinking functional society. My grandchildren are watching it implode now.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I am enjoying seeing new, for me, birds, the bald Ibis is a good one, great picture.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

We had bowers in a small yard, it was always entertaining.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

A Great bower bird. On the ground, within the dancing range of a bower, a juvenile male or a female, males have a pink patch on the back of a neck in breeding season, the mouth is open, probably yelling/calling, they yell at everything #Birds #BirdOfTheDay Alt #Grounded #WildOz

The bird Is standing and facing left with its dark bill open, the inside is yellow, the eye is black.
It has a brown body and head, grey legs and darker brown wing feathers with white tips, the tail is similar.
There is green foliage above and a ridged grey and black trunk to the left, the ground is brown and grey leaf litter.
The birds dance around the tree trunk, the male will hold an item in its mouth, red or green cherries here, the bower is where the mating happens.
Every bower I have seen opens north to south.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

That is impressive, like a delicate work of art, which it is.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

My friend’s boyfriend is her spotter, she got one dancing that day.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

The walk around like there is not a lot will fluster them, they always impress me, I’m still waiting for a fish hunting dance picture they have magnificent wings.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

The Black-necked stork, it was a fair way off. The iridescent black head and neck feathers reflect back an iridescent blue, the legs are orange to red. Females have yellow irises It does a dance, wings spread to scare prey into the open. The borrow pits Townsville #Birds #BirdOfTheDay #BrightAccents

The Black-neck stork, when the sun reflects of the head and neck feathers it reflects an irradecent black, and blue, the legs are red and its wings black it has a long dagger like beak.
It’s a large bird fishing in a small lake.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

A bush stone-curlew with its eyes closed, it looks quite calm sitting up in a relaxed position, if they have eggs or young they usually flatten out. But not always. Townsville #BirdOfTheDay #BirdNaps

A bush stone-curlew in dappled light with its eyes closed, this is rare for me.
It's facing slightly to the right with a dianella plant in front, on brown and grey leaf litter, water visible in the top background.
A great patch from the top of its head to its tail, grey markings around its eyes and a black bill.
The vest is white with streaks of brown and the rest is patterns of grey and brown of various shades.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Why do these people have to litigate to get compensation, or rather what they should have fairly got at the time. This is appalling and contributing to even more trauma.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

A white faced heron, silhouetted by the sun in the background, the bird is wriggling its left foot in the mud to liberate prey, making ripples. Surrounded by light blue grey water. The borrow pits. Townsville #BirdOfTheDay #Contrast #WildOz

A white faced heron, agitating the mud with its left foot to scare out prey.
Facing left and standing, the white face can be seen, there is a reflection in the light grey blue water.
And a circle of ripples.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

In Australia on Apple Maps it is Lake Ontario, on Google maps it is Lake America, I will delete Google, the inaccurate one.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

The Bush Stone-Curlew parent, if any of the micro sprinklers in the garden fails, they let me know, they do like playing in water as well as the worms that congregate around it in soft soil. Townsville. #Birds #BirdIfTheDay #Parenting

The bush stone-curlew with a chick, that is their sprinkler.
The adult is sitting facing the right, the chick is facing left looking at the sprinkler, leaf litter on the ground, matching their grey colouring, green foliage in the background.

A bush stone-curlew introducing chicks to the wet banana patch worm zone, shielding them closely as out in the open they are vulnerable.
Two chicks facing away in front of the adult in its shade, the adult is flat footed on the brown grass.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

What a beautiful scene, each new atrocity is see or hear about does not diminish its impact.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

I do like this young kookaburra from last month, it was on the grass moving about then, sat and posed for me. Anderson Gardens Townsville #Birds #BirdOfTheDay #BestOfTheMonth

A young laughing kookaburra, looking right on a green branch, green and brown leaves and a grey tree trunk in the background, late afternoon light.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Best if read in my head by Dr.karl Kruszelnicki, my go to Science bloke.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Thank you, I’m glad no one saw me, standing on my walking frame above the concrete hanging on with one hand. I had no adult supervision that day🙂

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

It’s always windy when I spot these spiders, an orb weaver, jewel or spiny backed? Sometimes called a Christmas spider. Anderson Park Townsville #Spiders #Arachnids #Australianspiders #Entemology #WildOz

A tiny spider, this is the back, or top like a crab shell, there are four horns, pointy bits, there is a dark stripe up the middle covering the inner two horns, the rest is white with orange patches, I think it’s pointing down and to the left.
The wing hasn’t done the web construction any favours.

The underside of the spider, light and darker brown coloured,
There are legs at the lower end of the spider, I’m not sure about any other anatomical bits.
Green out of focus background.

Looking at the spiders underside the outer edges of the web are still intact, it’s quite strong in the heavy wind.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

A male sahul sunbird, sitting on a wire on a back veranda. I love seeing these dancing around in the bushes and branches, someone heard one outside and said something needs oiling, it was its call. Townsville #Birds #BirdOfTheDay #Yellow

A male Sahul Sunbird from left and below, a small bird, facing to the right, it has an olive back, wings and tail. and grey legs, a pointy dark curved beak and a yellow body with a distinctive colourful blue patch on its neck and chest.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Royal spoonbills from some time ago, I was scrolling and liked it. In stereo, With Esther Williams, their choreographer masked lapwing in the middle. Townsville #Birds #WildOz

Two royal spoonbills sifting for food in unison, in a recently cleared wet gully, there is a masked lapwing in the middle bottom looking the camera, brown wings and cap, a yellow mask and a white body.
The spoonbills have black bills and legs with a white body, everything else is dirty grass and mud with a pool of water through the lower third of the frame.

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John Cook 🇦🇺🧑🏼‍🦽‍➡️🚲 @harryheadbanger.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Bush stone-curlews do weird stuff as they grow, I called this the teenage years, they have adult plumage mostly but lay around in awkward not camouflaged ways, ambulating normally otherwise fortunately it doest last long, adults look on with distain. It scared me initially Townsville #Birds #WildOz

Two young Bush Stone-curlews laying about like they have died, they haven’t, it’s an odd phase, not all seem to do it.
There is brown dappled mulch on the ground, a dianella Lilly to the left grass and foliage in the background.
The birds have variations of grey stripes and patterns with a cream underside.
Left is the juvenile birds belly facing the camera on its right side, on the right the bird is on its left side with its head on its sibling

A young Bush Stone-curlew on its left side with its tail facing the camera, an adult stands on the right with a look of distain, sort of their default setting, green patchy grass and foliage in the back ground

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