This morning was one of those days that I should have stayed in. It was windy, very overcast, and not the sort of day to be birding, and definetly not a day for bird photography. I drove round most of the local traps, and was returning from Pipeclay Lagoon along Clifton Rd., when I noticed what I assumed was a Turtle Dove on the wires. I slowed as I passed for a positive ID, and realised it was a Common Bronzewing--U-turn--time for a couple of pix! I don't get the chance to photograph them that often and although the wire doesn't add anything to the shot, at least I got it.Back in the '70s I regularly birded the South Arm Peninsula, and on one memorable morning, found 8 Common Bronzewing (and 2 Beautiful Firetail) nests. The Bronzewings were amongst the more common birds in the light timbered sandy heath behind Mortimer Bay. Today, with the area having been sub divided into 5 acre blocks, most of the Bronzewings have gone. At least I still have my memories.
We find the Brush to be generally much more common that the Common, though we did see four Commons feeding out in the open at Dru Point, Margate, a week and a half ago, and a couple of them along the "Monument Walk" on the Forestier Peninsula, out from Dunalley last Thursday.
ReplyDeleteWe also got a flleting glimpse of a Spotted Quail-thrush near the northern end of that walk - very exciting!
As was my trip to Perth, WA, over the weekend - 5 new 'lifers' for me, including 3 WA endemics (Western Thornbill, Red-capped Parrot, and Short-billed Black Cockatoo). The other two were Laughing Turtledove and Western Gerygone.
Hi John,
ReplyDeleteI think it depends a lot on what sort of habitat you normally bird in. Certainly in this area of the Eastern Shore the Common are much the commoner, but in wetter areas, the reverse is true.In the Meehan Range, both occur, but the Common are more numerous.