Seen but not heard club (2)

["Geoffrey Dabb" <>]

Yes Peter (and Margaret)  -  I thought they were rather striking  myself, which I attributed to the bright early morning sun (before 7am), with quite a lot of yellow in it, before the washed-out glare of the Australian mid-summer.  This is a common visual (and photographic) effect.

 

Note, however:

 

1.       They are not ‘green’, any more than a swamphen is ‘purple’.

2.       The birds shown were all males, female is more brownish.

3.       According to European texts, males are bright ‘only in sunlight’ and brightest in the breeding season, due to plumage wear.  So the short answer to Peter’s question is ‘no’.

 

Below is a presumed female in shade.   G

 

 

 

 

From: Peter Ormay [
Sent: Wednesday, 22 December 2010 3:44 PM
To: Geoffrey Dabb;
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Seen but not heard club (2)

 

They look quite yellow to me on my screen. Are they usually this yellow?

Peter

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Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2010 10:28 AM

Subject: [canberrabirds] Seen but not heard club (2)

 

Also at Norgrove Park were a couple of pairs of greenfinches flitting between the trees and rather more in evidence visually than usual.  These are the arboreal equivalent of the LGB.  When the leaves fall we might see if they have a nest in the Wisteria, like a pair of YT Thornbills that have taken advantage of the roofing over the walkway.  No sodden nest for those clever chaps.