Ms Woko & I were lucky to be visited simultaneously yesterday by a Collared Sparrowhawk & a Brown Goshawk. The two species are normally hard to distinguish but we've spent considerable time perusing field guides & discussing their identifying features so we're very confident about what we saw. Ms Woko saw the Collared Sparrowhawk at close range: right beneath her window where it had alighted on our verandah. After the Sparrowhawk flew off we heard the Brown Goshawk near our house with the Sparrowhawk seen in nearby vegetation. The latter's call is quite different from that of the Sparrowhawk.
To add to all the bird excitement our bird baths were visited today by a Flame Robin. I've mentioned in previous posts that we had no sightings of this migratory species for many years until there were sporadic visits beginning about four or five years ago. The Flame Robin is an endangered species in the Mt Lofty Ranges thanks largely to gross over-development, habitat destruction & inappropriate plantings by humans.
While on the subject of endangered bird species I might, in fact I think I will, mention that we seem to have - at least temporarily - resident Diamond Firetails. This is interesting (to me, at least) because several years ago an Environment Department ecologist surveying birds at our place mentioned that Diamond Firetails tend to wander over large areas of countryside. Perhaps the habitat at our place is now sufficiently suitable to encourage the Diamond Firetails here to stay at least for the time being.
Fantastic Woko, some might dine species turning up for you. Again well done on your labour of love in restoration of natural habitat.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Thanks, Dale. All sorts of things are turning up now. This afternoon I saw 5 Spotted Pardalotes flying overhead. A swift perusal of my field guide told me this bird tends to gather in greater numbers in late autumn & winter. Previously, I've seen or heard only single birds - occasionally. It's all happening!
Wonderful news, Woko. Great to see your hard work paying such dividends.
Thanks, Sue. It's been very much a labour of love.
On the Flame Robin front we are having frequent sightings of 3 - a male, female & juvenile. This sighting frequency is quite different from the spasmodic or no sightings of this migratory species we've had in the past. Thrills galore! In fact, as I type, a juvenile is frolicking about on a patch of grass following the sighting of a spectacular male on a fence post as we drove in from our weekly hunting & gathering expedition to the supermarket.
Again some more good news Woko, they are such a special looking little bird. Never tire of seeing robins.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Flame Robins, I would be stoked too!
The last Flame Robin sighting was last week & I suspect they're now on their way back to the eastern states. As far as I could tell there were three of them & they stayed around our place all winter. This is the longest stay by far for this species so I'm looking forward to seeing what eventuates next year.
Nice Woko, I hope they return for you. Plenty of Flames here in Tassie, just need to find a nice grassy paddock and be patient (took me a while to work that out).
I did here the other day that our Tassie Robins tend to move to lower altitudes for winter. There is also some speculation that they migrate across Bass Straight. I think there is currently some research in that regard being undertaken.
Keep us posted.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
That's my experience, too, Dale. I now have open areas of moss & very low grass species & that's where I've been seeing the Flame Robins this year. They're often near Red-browed Finches which have increased significantly in numbers this year (I've seen up to 43) & which, like the Flame Robins, prefer open, low moss & grassy habitat. In previous years most of my observations of Flame Robins were in a neighbour's paddock which had lots of Cape Weed & other weeds of similar height.
That's interesting about the Dusky Robin. My 1984 edition of The Atlas of Australian Birds doesn't mention any migration across Bass Strait but it does say that the species lives in a range of vegetation "from eucalypt forest to heath, including buttongrass plains in the southwest". It also mentions the Dusky Robin moves to more open country after breeding season.
The Atlas of Australian Birds says some Flame Robins "probably migrate across Bass Strait from Tas". Given the similarity in appearance between female & juvenile Flame Robins on the one hand & adult Dusky Robins on the other perhaps speculation about migration of Dusky Robins across Bass Strait is a case of mistaken identity. The results of any research on this would be eagerly anticipated.
Sorry Woko, I was referring to our Tassie Flames, your information re Dusky is correct, they certainly do not migrate across Bass Strait.
One of the guys on a Pelagic said he observed a Robin, likely Flame being predated in Bass Strait by one of the larger Petrels, Giant I think, but not sure which one. There have also been reports of Flames "flocking up" on Flinders Isand at certain times of the year.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Ah, hah! That makes sense, Dale.