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This morning I took myself of early-ish to Coppins Crossing Road in search
yet again of a singing bushlark.
It was a very social morning with several people stopping off to offer
assistance
and in one case to enquire as to why there were always people
hanging around here with binoculars these days.
On advice from Sue Lashko I moved myself maybe a 100 metres down hill from
the "Owners not Renters" sign
and very soon there after, this sat on the
fence and posed for me.
More like a house sparrow than a pipit and undoubtedly a
singing bushlark
Mission accomplished i headed back to the car.
About the "owners not renters" sign this posed for me.
Also a singing bushlark, but how about that crest (no
wind)
which is visible on the several photos I took of this bird
and is
definitely not what G.Dabb would call a "trompe de camera".
The crest doesn't get a mention in any of my field guides so I
read further afield.
It took me almost as long to find the singing
bushlark in the National photographic Index of Australian
Wildlife
(Cuckoos, Nightbirds and Kingfishers, would you believe) as it had
taken me in the field, but in the end it was (almost) worth it.
I quote :
"The
absence of a crest helps to distinguish it from the introduced Skylark,
{had i really
photographed a skylark?}
but it can raise its crown feathers when excited or
alarmed"
{nope, just an excited or alarmed singing bushlark sitting calmly on a fence.}
G.Dabb did tell me sometime in the past that any bird could have a "crest"
if it wanted one,
or perhaps he told me they could raise their crown
feathers..
roger.
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