Yesterday I was watching about 5,000 Zebra Finches playing around a small sprinkler-fed puddle of water.
Perching on every available tree branch and twig, these miniscule birds were having the time of their lives. Until I moved a little fast. Then they all departed with a loud whirring of wings.
And I noticed, sitting alone on a branch, a small blackish bird, about the same size as the finches.
I took a series of photographs, none of which was totally satisfactory because of its need to hide in behind the twigs and leaves. I had to use my manual focussing which is chancy to say the least.
Then I tried to identify it.
The nearest I can get is to suggest that it is a female Mistletoe Bird. Providing my “Morecombe” has got the tail wrong. Morecombe shows a straight, wedge tail while this bird has a forked tail.
Perhaps someone may be able to help.
Excerpt from Field Guide to Australian Birds, Michael Morecombe. simply the best guide to Australian birds.
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I had an unexpected visitor to the birdbath this morning and got my planned post all in a kerfluffle. Here’s My Visitor! The one I planned can just wait till next week….
love that little flash of red under the tail
My twitcher friend Barbara and I think there are two other possibilities:
Scarlet Whiteface (can’t tell whether your bird had a white eye?)
Scarlet Robin (but only if you’re in most southerly Western Australia?)
But we think the Mistletoe bird is still the most likely, forked tail or not.