Eastern whipbird

Eastern whipbird, Psophodes olivaceus, Sherbrooke Forest, Dandenong Ranges

Many Australians know the sound of this bird's call but would not know what the Eastern whipbird looked like. The resonating whip-crack call can emanate from a patch of bush right in front of you but the bird(s) may never appear. I "out waited" this bird in the Sherbrooke section of the Dandenongs recently and finally got a photo - it took a good 20 minutes!! The dim light added to the difficulty and even with a clear view through my monopod-perched camera I still only managed one photo with which I was happy.

I do enjoy field guide quotes when well-written. Here is a selection relating to the Eastern whipbird:

Pizzey: Noisy but secretive (!)
Morcombe: Loud ringing whip-crack call of this species is one of the most common, widely recognised eastern bird calls. From male, a long whistle building up to an explosive whip-crack; instantly answered with sharp "tchew-tchew" from female.
Australian Bird Names (Fraser & Gray): Psophodes olivaceus (Latham 1802) so-FOH-dehz o-li-VA-se-us "olive-green noisy-bird"

Near Sherbrooke Falls, Dandenong Ranges, Vic

While this audio piece by "Wild Ambience" doesn't really do the explosive whip-crack justice (compared to hearing it at close range in the forest) it is a beautifully presented narration which demonstrates the male-female interaction well. Four minutes well spent!

Bird on!

Yellow robins, Sherbrooke

Eastern yellow robin, Dandenong Ranges National Park, Sherbrooke

Eastern yellow robin are really at home in the Sherbrooke Falls area of the Dandenongs east of Melbourne. They are readily seen and are enchanting to watch as they perch in classic robin poses!

I love to photograph them - they are both handsome and obliging. They tend not to fly too far away while hunting. On occasions a curious bird won't mind perching right in front of you if this allows a good view of a potential feed (see above!). They may only perch briefly but generally long enough to get settings and focus correct! Most importantly when perched they are extremely still - a blessing given that their preferred habitat often involves shaded forested areas with dull light!

I have not been at Sherbrooke's picnic areas on busy days but the local Crimson rosellas must be receiving food from the visiting public. They are extremely tame around the picnic tables.

A new bird for the blog and my Victorian life list is the charming Large-billed scrubwren. 

I knew there was something different about this bird. At the time of viewing my only ID conclusion was "not a Brown thornbill". In my experience of this area, this is what nine out of ten small brown birds in the under-storey turn out to be! It's always good to be reminded that it's worth a second look to check for the "10 percenters"

White-throated treecreeper

The feeble winter sun shone briefly in Melbourne earlier this week!

Bird on!