I saw a couple of small birds when I went to look for BOP
Black-faced cuckoo-shrike (I think it is this not the masked woodswallow because the beak is dark not light)
I need help to identify this little guy. There were heaps of them in the casuarinas and long dead grass and strappy plants. They made a zzzt sound I think, although I think I spotted a female wren, so the sound could have been from them.
Definitely agree with the Black Faced Cuckoo Shrike, but I have this feeling I've seen that bird in your second photo before but I just can't find it in my field guide! It's a beautiful photo though, where abouts was it taken?
Around the edge of the model airfield at East Maitland, in casuarinas and thick dead grass between 2 swampy areas. There were lots of them, but I have never noticed them before. I couldn't find them either
The first one is definitely a Black-faced cuckoo shrike as you said. Im pretty sure the second one is a golden headed cisticola. I recently saw one at Oxley creek common in Rocklea brisbane.
Hi amateur I don't if this helps or throws in another bird to identify - I took this one at the same place
QLDbird - thanks for your help - with the golden headed cisticola mine is darker than the ones in my field guides, especially on the belly, but the one I am about to post is closer in colour to the golden headed cisticola. I'd love to hear from anyone else
QLDbird - my field guide describes the call as zzzt, exactly as I described before I knew what it was! Same spelling even!