On our shady walk through the pines along Isaacs Ridge this morning Andrea and I saw what we thought were 2 Grey fantails together. However, when I looked through my binoculars the pink wash through the breast, the apparent lack of any
white spot above the bill and the fantail-like behaviour identified it as a female Rose Robin, rather than female Scarlet Robin as I momentarily thought. Things got even better when Andrea spotted an Australian Rufous Fantail which allowed great views from
above as it flitted around the low bushes below us. Added to this there was also an immature/female Golden Whistler, similar to the one we have in our garden calling very loudly on Thursday afternoon. As I’ve noted in my Gang-gang column while there’s often
an unexpected species lurking around in an MFF, to have 3 unexpected birds in a total of 7 species was a very pleasant surprise.
The notes I keep for my April Gang-gang column indicate that it’s been a pretty quiet March so far, though there have been some indications of species on the move, including Silvereyes, both species of pardalote, and a Yellow-faced Honeyeater
coming into my garden in the past week or so. The Noisy Friarbird, almost completely absent from my local area of Chapman/Rivett/Cooleman Ridge/Narrabundah Hill this summer, has also moved in this month.
So please keep an eye out for these and other species moving through in the second half of March, which I expect will be much busier than so far.
Jack Holland
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