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.