I finally managed to get a very brief view of a Rufous Scrub-bird yesterday up
in Lamington NP (Qld Border Ranges). It was the first successful sighting
after numerous trips up there over a number of years.
At one stage I had the male calling within 2m of me but still couldn't see him!
It was no where near as loud as the Noisy Scrub-bird (I spent 3 days
unsuccessfully crawling around on hands and knees listening to its
ear-splitting calls before finally having one hop across the road in front of
me at Cheyne Beach just as I was packing up to leave!)
Anyway back to Lamington NP; I saw a small bird climb onto a log, bob its tail
up and down 3 or 4 times then drop back down again into the undergrowth. Based
on the quick view without binoculars I reckon it was the female as it was
fairly uniform in colour (I was expecting my first sighting to be of the male).
Also I had the male calling strongly from the otherside of a large fallen tree
about 5m away, the one I saw didn't call. Pizzey and Knight aludes to this
behaviour of cocking the tail but no guide I have read discusses this tail
bobbing. It was not like a fantail which is more from side to side. Has
anybody else noticed this behaviour?
This was the last of the little brown skulkers (Scrub-birds and Bristlebirds) I
had to track down. Perhaps next time I will get a glimpse of the male!
On the way back I heard another one calling in similar habitat. There was also
one calling in the distance either further down the valley or across the other
side.
Cheers,
Carl
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