This little miss, has turned up over the past week or so, we spotted her in the rain, and all remarked about the ‘redness’ of her cap.
The last few days there have been a three male suitors down in the same area. Very territorial and each of them, trying to drive off the other two. Today, one of them seemed to at least have the dominance and after a few verbal battles and some branch dancing, he moved her up the paddock away from the other two males. Nothing left for them, so they squabbled amongst themselves.
After about five minutes a little grey/brown streak zoomed down the forest and back out among the boys. With some suitable tail-wagging and some scolding tic tics, she got them all going again. One seemed to win out and again two males were left to themselves.
Something new going on all the time.
Mr Mighty and his lady are back feeding in their old quarters from last year. He doesn’t seem to take part in the domestic worries across the forest.
An unattached female who seems to have all the local males interestedMr Mighty feeding in a moss bed, very early in the morning, the sun is just starting to advance through the tree line
Young Flame Robin, part of a family of 5 birds.
One of the “Brothers” three males who seem to hunt as an independent group.
Seems like forever since I opened up the WordPress files, but as life does, other things have been getting in the way from getting out to the park.
The past weekend was a washout. Literally. We went with the Birdlife Melbourne Photography group on just the wettest day. It poured, showered, drizzled and did just about everything except give up a bit of light and relief for the photographers. Andrew came along to lend a hand as a guide and that gave us a bit of flexibility about where to look, but in the end, the cameras mostly stayed in the cars and the rain jackets did their job.
Not to say we didn’t find anything with the highlight being a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater and several White-naped Honeyeaters.
Not one to be put off by a few minutes disappointment, I went back out this morning in the super sunshine. A few of the Flame families were feeding together and several other smaller parties were around the usual spots.
This Red-capped Robin was one of several from the morning, but I liked the backlighting and the good show on his chest feathers.
Second bird is from a small number of independent females that don’t seem to socialise with the other flocks.
This male is on a low branch. I am working on a very low tripod and laying on the ground to get a lower perspective. Get wetter, and muddier, but you see much more from the bird’s point of view.Hunting in the early morning sunshine on a moss bed. I was laying on the ground, camera on a low tripod, just to get a separation from the background.
Dorothy and I looked out of the window early in the morning, and decided it was just too nice a morning to sit at home and worry about getting ‘stuff’ done.
So we packed a picnic and took off to see what the Robins were up to. And they certainly were. We found the cemetery pair within a few minutes. The female must be the hardest working bird in the forest. She had at least 4 clutches this summer, and I counted 9 young that she had gotten off. Given that she lost at least one nest to Ravens, she really didn’t have a moment to spare. But she looks quite relaxed and in good nick at the moment. Her male, is sporting a cute little white feather or two around his beak, giving him a little moustache appearance.
We settled into a favourite spot in the fenced off area and while we waited Andrew and Adrienne turned up, so we had a lovely morning with the birds and some great company. The weather couldn’t make up its mind but sunshine probably dominated. The birds are not in a flock yet, each little family group seems to be moving independently. The three males, “The Brothers” are still together, and it was good to be able to find one, and then quickly find the other two in quick succession. Mr Cooper-top is sporting his lovely brown feathers.
The Brown-headed Honeyeater trapeze troupe dropped by, and we also were entertained by the four Grey-shrike Thrush as they worked the trees, bushes and ground litter.
By the time we had arrived home it was too cold to work in the garden so we compared pictures from the day’s effort. Dorothy is about to get a new Nikon 1 V1, the super little mirrorless camera, which just happens to have an adaptor that can attach the DSLR lenses, and that will give her some new opportunities.
The hardest working little bird. She has had a very productive summer, and now is piling on the food, ready for next season.This boy and his rather shy female put in an appearance, he is now one of three males in the area. They are a bit of a bully to the Red-caps I think.Mr Copper-top. One of three males that travel together, “The Brothers”.Another of “The Brothers”. He is nicely positioned against the spider’s web.
Friday dawned all lovely and still, with plenty of blue sky and none of the rain of the previous few days. I was getting a bit tired of pacing the floor and finding other things to do, so it was good to get back into the bush and see if the storms had diminished the robins activities. I needed not have worried, as they were soaking up the sunshine and on the hunt everywhere.
The Brown-headed Honeyeater aerial trapeze team came by for a visit and I’ve put up a page here with their antics on display.
This young lady spent a lot of the morning with serveral other females hunting on their own. They seem to have a different call, a Cheep, Chip, Chip, which must be a location thing. This one seemed to be the noisiest or most persistent caller. Perhaps it was “C’mon girls, let’s go over here.”Another one from the hunting party
After a couple of days of what can only be described as ‘typical’ Melbourne weather, the clouds eased off a bit, and the biting chill was gone from the wind. So we both ventured out to see what the rain had done in the park.
We quickly found a number of Thornbills and Pardalottes who were enjoying hunting in the sunshine.
Also found a few robins Scarlet is still there and his Red-capped consort has taken on a particularly brilliant orange/rust coloured cap.
A small group of Dusky Woodswallows were enthralled with a small lump on a tree high up and spent a lot of time squabbling and mobbing one another, for what we suspect was a pool of water built up in the node on the tree.
And a lovely Redcapped Robin male danced by and posed against a freshly built spider-web. Pity the light was just overcast at the time as the web would have glistened in the sunlight.
Red-capped Robin male and a spider web contrast.Dusky Woodswallow flock taking a drink from a small pool of water high up in a tree.
I have been waiting anxiously for about two weeks to write the Headline. Each trip to the forest would reveal one or two females, and some unattached young males.
Today, I rugged up, and to my surprise, the weather held nicely most of the morning. At one stage I was pondering why I bothered with the rain jacket at all, as I sat in the sunshine and watched the few female Flame Robins and a couple of juveniles hunting along a roadway. But by late morning, the weather had, I had to admit taken a turn for the worse. A distinct and sharp turn for the worse and black clouds rolled in, and rain began to fall. Time for the car. I was about 1.5 k down the range, so it looked like a bit of a slog out in the wet again. I don’t mind being wet, its the expensive camera gear that I worry about. Afterall I’ll dry out, but the gear being wet means another trip over to Ross, at The Camera Exchange, to buy new stuff. He likes that arrangement.
Ever the optimist, I took the longer way round, down toward the small creek line, and back through the open scrub. And there on the stumps, the branches, the small trees, and the old spikey bushes, were “The boys”. In the rain. The past couple of years, there has been a small band of males, three in total, and they have travelled and hunted together, but today, not only were the three working hard, but they had acquired two friends, making a total of five. Add that to the 3 already here and we now have at least 8 males, and at least that many females, and a similar number of juveniles. A flock in the making.
Interestingly enough, I did recognise features on two birds from last year. They are a bit distinctive, now it may be they are entirely different birds, but I think the odds are in my favour. Mr Gingertop is back, and Mr Misplaced Chest feather is here too.
So as the rain fell, the shutter clicked and the birds fed it was just about as good as it gets. Lunch-time became a thing of the distant future, and I could always use the excuse that it was raining, and I waited at the shelter for it to finish…
As it turned out, the rain passed by, the sun came out and the birds spent an hour or so in the one area, then typically on the turn of a wing they were gone.
I have put most of the images from this morning on a page here. Click here to visit, or on the Tab in the header.
Flame Robin Male, in the process of a wing stretch. He is cleaning up after a passing shower of rain.
Over the past few days I have been out and about on other things than birds at Woodlands. Including a day up at Murrindindi with the Midweek Bird group. It is the first time I have been there since the horrific fires, and I was a bit hesitant about going. Tragedy is not something I am readily drawn to. It is as they say nice to see the amount of regrowth, and in some cases along the river the understory has taken on jungle proportions. Which made it hard to find birds, but none the less we managed between us about 40 species. Highlight of the day were some Scarlet Robins in the carparking areas. I think they appreciated the open area for their wait and pounce hunting. One seemed quite unconcerned and approached quite easily to with 4-5 metres. So some good shots were acquired.
This morning the sun was up bright and clear and I went for a look at Woodlands. Down at an area rapidly getting the name “Three Ways”. It is where tracks T junction. After some time waiting, eventually a number of Flame Robins appeared. There are two males and females, and a few immatures. They worked over the area for about an hour, which was a good way I reckon to spend my time. Then like always, a turn of the wing, and they were gone. Not to be seen again.
Feeding very close to my camera position.RIght at the end of my focus on the camera, I had to pull back a bit to get focus.
After a week of fairly average weather, it was nice to see the sun beaming through this morning. That was enough to put all other jobs on hold, load the car and head for Woodlands.
The forest had a lovely smell after the rain, and it was looking quite crisp.
To add to the enjoyment within about 5 minutes, we had our first Flame Robin Male, and followed it up very fast with another male, a female, and some juveniles. They didn’t seem in any particular hurry and cruised around an open area feeding as they went. Then the local Scarlet Robin popped by, and he is still with his red-capped escort, although she spent a lot of time preening while he flew about in ever broadening circles. Henny and Penny two redcaps in the area popped by for a visit, and Penny does look the part in her new winter dress and a distinct orange/red cap.
The pair from down near the three-way junction also put in an appearance, but a lot further away, too far to pursue. Time just seemed to stand still as the birds hunted and chased around the stump area we propped on. Then off course it was back to the real world, so we went by the powerline area near the dam and found another pair of co-operative Red-capped Robins. All in all over four hours had gone by, we had collected our share of vitamin D for the day, a nice collection of images and a collection of good spots to check in the future.
Flame Robin male. He has an interesting red feather just under his chin that breaks the sharp black line on his mask.
The local male. He was as busy and as vocal as usual. His consort spent most of the hour or so in a nearby tree tic'ing at him and ignoring his circle flights.A juvenile (perhaps). There are several similar birds already in the park.
This Grey Shrike-thrush came to find a space to pulverise its insect prey and to enjoy the meal.
Andrew and I had planned a morning out to scout about a bit. See Andrew’s Blog here.
The weather stayed kind, but for the first half hour or so, not a wingfeather was seen. We walked down along the ridge in the Backpaddock and again it was all very quiet, until we found a Red-capped Robin and then his lady, and probably a couple of juveniles. He has moulted out, and seemed quite pleased with himself and took the time to hum his little “deritt” song.
The girls had stopped down by the three road crossway, and were having their own great morning with a pair of redcaps, a Flame Robin female, and a couple of Flame Robin juveniles. Isn’t that always the way.
Andrew and I got back to find all the activity happening right where we had turned off the track.
The female Flame Robin looked in great shape. Very plump and sleek. So she hadn’t travelled far to get there. No pictures as I was driving the binoculars at the time and the camera wasn’t in reach. Don’t you just get that.
We walked, quite pleased with our collective selves, to the dam, and on the way a familiar red flash dashed across the track. Scarlet Robin. But then another wing flash, and it was not the Scarlet Robin’s Red-capped consort, but a real live female Scarlet Robin. Then a second one. Most interesting and rewarding. All were quiet, as they usually are. So I am not sure if they are all new arrivals, or two females only. The male and one female played lots of high speed pursuits about the trees.
On to the dam and a number of Grey-shrike Thrushes were bathing and then they too joined in tree chase games. And to make a great morning even better, Dorothy spotted a yellow flash in the tree, all excited we were, but it wasn’t a Robin, but one of two Eastern Shrike-tits, doing what they do best; eating grubs.
While we were congratulating ourselves on our good fortune, Rodger, he of the red-spot camera site fame turned up, and added to our morning’s wander.
The next few days should prove to be very interesting.
We all got back to the car in time for lunch, so a good end to what started out quietly.
Female Scarlet Robin. The first female Scarlet I’ve clocked for 2012.Eastern Shrike-tit hard at work on a lovely lunch time snack.
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER doesn't mean I'm LOST 