Find the bird (Feb 2021)

A short post. Another visit to seek the quiet and solitude found at Victoria Park - such a privilege to be able to wander here most times totally undisturbed by other visitors. I usually head in one direction to complete a circuit and then reverse the direction. One advantage of being retired is not having to fit visits in on weekends too 😉.

My review of photos for this post initially rejected sharing the first two photos shown below. My reasoning was that the birds were not so clear in the photos. However, just as I was making that decison for the second one, I realised it was my eyesight that was the problem, not the birds or the photos 😜. In fact, ultimately, they both provided the inspiration for the title of the post! So, your turn ... test your eye sight and find the bird in each photo ...

How did you go?

Basically, the birds are both in the centre of each photo. The first one I am not entirely sure of the type as it is looking in the same direction as I am photographing and thus really only see the back. I think it is too big to be a pale yellow robin and I suspect the breast is brown/grey rather than pale yellow. A mystery for this visit.

The second one is more easily identified. It is a lovely, delicate white-browed scrubwren. Another of the tiny birds that are often sighted by their rapid movements and then identified by their calls. This link offers much more info and sound recording if you are interested in following up. 

I think I will try to make more of a habit of providing links like this hereafter. I often talk about the calls, so it makes sense for you to be able to hear those too. I think the site is an excellent one to be aware of too. The search function using common names is generally effective if you care to explore on your own. I think it is good to share such a wonderful site linking the scientific community that enables and encourages community contributions. It can only heighten our awareness of the pressure habitats are under 😢

Arguably this next one might have been included in the set above, but it offers a more front-on perspective. It was good to see these scrubwrens at this location as previously I had only come across them at Pottsville and the photos shared were not as clear as these.

Also tiny and delicate, but far more willing to perch and watch and not as skittish, is the pale yellow robin. Rare to visit this location and not see and hear these. The three photos in this set present a range of perches. The first and third are "conventional" though the size (circumference) of the branches considerably different. I love the perching position in the second photo - it reminds me of trying to hold your body position perpendicular to a pole using your arms (didn't you do that when you were young?) ... except these guys make it look even easier than a gymnast 😁. This link also provides a sound recording for their call (will need to scroll down some way).