At Duck River (its more like a creek) near Clyde in Sydney i was on the look out for birds on the river and then when I turned around there were a 2-3 red browed finches feeding on the seeds of the tall grasses behind me only a few metres away. I like the way they flit from stem to stem, and they seem to enjoy the little ride when they perch on a upright stem and it bends down to the ground under their weight.
I have had some good finds in this area - even though there is just a narrow strip of trees and bush by the river and it runs through residential and industrial areas - i have seen reed warbler, blu blus, new holland honey eaters, kookaburras, rufuous fantail, white plumed honey eater, and sacred kingfisher.
Gorgeous photos
.Isn't it great what a little bit of native area in a residential area can do for wildlife?
M-L
Are these native grasses? I have occasionally seen red-browed finches around my place. I would like to plant some grasses to encourage them, but I don't know where to start. Any ideas? This is in Gippsland, Vic.
- soakes
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
Hi soakes, tell you what grows well in our area and yours.
Red-fruited Saw-sedge (Gahnia Sieberina) It tolerates poor drainage and wet soil that becomes dry in summer.
Rosellas and King Parrots also love them. Also attrackts butterflies.
M-L
Sorry WhistlingDuck for using your post to answer soake's question
M-L
nice shots
Mother nature is a tuff old girl, every littlle strip of land helps and the birds & bees will follow. Does the Duck river run into parramatta
river ? WD
Have you been to Rookwood cementry, there lots of variety birds there too.
See it! Hear it!
Mid-North Coast NSW
Hey WD, fantastic images of such a small bird, love the bright red of the head, beak & tail with the green back, such a pretty little bird
.
I've got to get out in the coming days, being at work is giving me withdrawals!
Great work!
Thanks for the comments.
Soakes i cant help you with the grasses, so thanks to Araminta for her advice.
Darin - thats right Duck River goes into Parramatta river just west of the silverwater bridge. Its not much of a river and its a bit mucky and polluted, so i would not recommend it as a pleasant place for birding. I have been to Rookwood Cemetery and had some good finds there - its such a huge area so there is plenty more parts to check out there.
Love your Finch shots WhistlingDuck. Just looking at two and three in particular, I can just imagine/see them swaying on the grass stems as you've described - beautiful.
West Coast Tasmania
Red brows are very adaptable birds and I've seen them feeding on panic veldt grass (Ehrharta erecta) (south african native) and sow thistles (European).
I echo the observation made by Araminta. It seems that a little area is all that's needed to attract native birds and give them some sustenance. The place I am in at the moment backs on to a tall-treed richly under-forested gully that hosts a good variety of native birds; at least half a dozen species of honeyeater, treecreepers, robins, finches, drongoes, and many others. Sadly I think they will progressively quit the area to escape the noise and destruction of neighbourhood dirt bikes. As I intend to do also.
Soakes, I'll poke my nose into a few books for grasses indigenous to your area. Bear with me. But if red-fruited saw-sedge is indigenous to your area then that' s a great place to start. As Araminta implies, be sure to plant it in a damp or wet area. I hope it's available at a nursery close to you. Ask for it anyway to create a demand.
I can sit and watch them do this for hours, the Reed Warblers do the same at my wetlands. Great shots, WD.
Shorty......Canon gear
Canberra
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/
We have a colony of brids with very similar markings, shape etc and which we feel sure are Finches . However the body colour is dark grey/black - certainly no other colour .The red 'splashes' really stand out. Location NE of Macedon ranges - 15 K from Mount Macedon tonwship
beautiful firetail?
No - the red just peeks out from under the tail feathers - from a distance (side on) you see the red brow and the small patch of red - such a contrast against the black and such a small amount of brilliant red.
Thanks
wonderful photo whistling duck,they're great looking birds aren't they.
Another old post, revisiting some old friends.
The Red-browed Firetails belong to the Finches. So you can call them both. (most used is Firetails though)
M-L
Some old posts coming up for some reason. I haven't seen some of these posters for a while.
Samford Valley Qld.
I think you will find it is new members looking back and commenting on old posts, which is "bumping" them. Seems to happen fairly often.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania