Hi all
Have just returned home from a trip around this great
country. Listed 265 species including 35 lifers. Saw all the finches except
the Painted, three grasswrens, Purple-crowned and Red-backed Wrens, Yellow
Chat, Spinifexbird, all the western parrots/cockatoos, White-breasted and
Western Yellow Robins and all the mangrove specials. Spent several days at
Broome Bird Observatory including a days cannon netting (interesting).
We have filled our backyard with natives and have included a
small, multi-tiered fountain which is a hit with the birds. Early this year a
pair of White-browed Scrubwrens moved in and became regulars at the fountain
for their daily bath. When we went away I turned off the fountain and drained
it. On returning home this week I went out and cleaned out the green sludge
from the lower tier of the fountain and left it to dry before filling it. Late
in the day I went out with a bucket to fill the fountain from our tank and
there sitting on the top tier was a White-browed Scrubwren. It disappeared
into a nearby tree when I approached. Anyway I poured in a bucket of water and
set the pump going and in an instant there was the White-browed Scrubwren. It
fussed around inspecting every inch of the fountain, occasionally dipping a
foot in the water before finally plunging in. While all this was going on I
was standing a metre away. I walked away and left it to its bath. Someone was
obviously happy to see us home.
Regards
Lindsay Hansch
