Chestnut-rumped Heathwren in Wamboin - UPDATE

[Marnix Zwankhuizen <>]

I popped past Bircham's Estate after work today (5.30-7pm). A beautiful location. Lot 17 was where all the bird activity was. It took me quite some time to track down the heathwren. It eventually sat half way up a small dead euc amid a clump of dead mistletoe. It was busy preening in the last rays of sunlight but never once made a sound. As far as I could tell it was an adult bird with a dark iris, but then my binos aren't the best. As the sun started to drop it made its way higher up into a dense clump of dead moss-covered twigs. This was nearly two metres above the surrounding dense tea-tree.

Species List : Lot 17, Yuranga Drive, Birchams Estate

• Chestnut-rumped Heathwren (1 ad.)
• Diamond Firetail (>6) - included at least 1 imm.
• Southern Whiteface (>20) - this loose flock is the largest I have ever recorded.
• Hooded Robin (5) - 1 ad. male, 1 imm. male, 1 ad. female, 2 begging juv. being fed by either male.
  
• Dusky Woodswallow (30) - huddled together initially, then hawking over tea-tree; many youngsters.
• Brown-headed Honeyeater (5) - 1 begging juvenile.
• White-eared Honeyeater (4)
• Little Raven (~6)
• and scrubwrens, thornbills, fairy wrens, fantail, treecreeper, crimson rosellas.
  

Cheers

Marnix

On Fri, Mar 13, 2009 at 9:56 AM, David Cook <> wrote:

I went back yesterday afternoon between about 2 and 4 to try and relocate the heathwren, after an unsuccessful search on Sunday, and found at least one (or as many as three - 1 bird seen 3 times). With Hazel and Allan Wright we had great views (a lifer for them, I think). From the photos I took, it seems to be a different bird to the one from last Friday as it definitely has the pale iris of an adult, whereas Friday's appeared darker, and the legs on this one were pinker, although HANZAB states that immatures are indistinguishable from adults. Possibly just different light and conditions on the 2 days. It was in the same area as previously stated - this one was making a scolding call like a scrubwren which alerted me to it initially.

 

For those interested, photos are at:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kookr/3347916839/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kookr/3348765452/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kookr/3348772486/

 

David