More Robins and a Parrot

I am lucky to have seven species of Robins within a few hours of my place, and today I was lucky enough to find and photograph the most common sort; Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis. We pulled in for a picnic lunch at a roadside TSR (Travelling Stock Reserve) just north of Barraba and were greeted with a small number of these Robins and about six endangered Brown Treecreepers. As you can tell from the pcitures, the Robins like perching on any branch and are inquisitive. They dart onto the ground to catch their prey. They feed on insect, spiders and anthropods.

After we enjoyed a picnic lunch in the winter sun and out of the winter breeze we went for a walk up a nearby hill where this view welcomed us!

Panorama from the top of Lower Bottom Mountain TSR, Barraba

 After a short rest up top it was time to return to the car and continue on our journey. My wife headed off and arrived at our picnic spot first. I saw her motion for me and she had her "I've found a bird" look..... I was able to get one photo of the bird she found before my camera battery ran out of charge.

Male Turquoise Parrot

She had found a small group of Turquoise Parrots Neophema pulchella. They are endangered. In fact they were considered extinct in 1915 before returning gradually since then. They had been caught for averies and shot for pie-fillings! Their beauty is not really shown by that photo. 

Sadly, since my camera had ran out of batteries I couldn't get any more photos. Thus, the next bird landed in a low bush right next to me and it was a male Golden Whistler..... oh well let's hope I can get his picture next time!

Scarlet Robin's Braving the Cold Weather

I admit it I hate the cold! Let me also admit that I admire all creatures which call the cooler climates their home. Here in Tamworth our idea of cold is probably only mild to most people around the world but I'm a softie. One of our most colorful birds inhabits the cool mountain regions east of Tamworth. The Scarlet Robin is found in south-eastern and south-western Australia, as well as on Norfolk Island. In Australia, it is found south of latitude 25°S, from south-eastern Queensland along the coast of New South Wales (and inland to western slopes of Great Dividing Range) to Victoria and Tasmania, and west to Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. It can also found in south-west Western Australia. In these parts it is hard to find. In New South Wales it is listed as Vulnerable.

Scarlet Robin distribution map (source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet_robin)

So I went out in search for this species as it is one of my favorite being among Australia's petroica "red robins". In many places they move during winter to the lowlands but it seems these days around here they don't bother anymore. Maybe its global warming, who knows! I found them only a minute after arriving in the Watsons Creek area in the right habitat: tableland open forest / farmland that hasn't been over-farmed. Initially the birds were some distance away as can be seen in the first photo. They feed by sitting on a perch and flying down to catch prey. As they returned to a new perch, each perch was successively closer until I could nearly touch them! The vividly colored bird is the male, and the female is pastel but still very beautiful! I hope you enjoy the pictures.