We have a visitor in our backyard.
We're used to having lorikeets, cockatoos, crested pigeons and pesky miners about but this guy was much bigger and something different.
We were a bit excited but I suspect it's a channel-billed cuckoo and now I'm not so excited.
By the time I got home with the DSLR, it was dark and had to use a flash at around 10m to take some shots of the sleeping visitor.
Missus saw him/her move and said "it's not an owl" meaning it had a neck. Don't know if she saw the beak, which would be a strong indicator.
Location: Newcastle/Lake Macquarie NSW - about 20km inland. Lots of bush reserve around and creeks.
Update: Still there the next morning, but has moved again to warm up in the sun. Suspect it's injured.
I think Pacific Baza, possibly a juvenile?
Thanks, Steven.
We showed the photos to a bird-watching friend of ours tonight before we returned home. Our friend ID'd it the same, as a Pacific Baza.
He/she's gone now, must have been resting or recouperating after a scrap.