A fairly exciting morning, this one. Had a few hours spare this morning to sneak down to Mt Compass Wetlands on the off chance I might spot a southern emu wren or two. After a frustrating half an hour or two listening to the local fairy wrens titter away somewhere out of sight, I got a bit lucky when two emu wrens started poking their beaks out of the bushes now and again.
This was my first definite sighting of them and it was an amazing feeling when I first caught a flash of the blue throat plumage through the foliage.
There were two birds following one another around, but only one ever popped out of the depths long enough for me to grab a couple of photos. Not the finest work, and I was kicking myself for not bringing the bigger/heavier camera gear, but I'm really happy to have seen them. It's not as special as it would be seeing them truly in the "wild", but I might never get that chance. Seeing rare or endangered species anywhere gives me the warm fuzzies.
This is the only shot where the tail feathers are properly visible. Unfortunately this was also the last picture I could get. It was straight back into the bushes from here! (And a long sit in the sun for me in case they came back.)
I don't have the best ears, but I felt like the difference in their call to that of the superb fairy wrens was noticeable. Easily mistaken maybe, but when they're both calling nearby the emu wren seems a bit higher pitched and less confident. Twiddly, twee little things!
Congratulations, detritus! Those are some spledid shots! I've never even seen an Emu Wren before and I am surprised by its long and beautiful tail...and the blue on its chest is such a pretty shade, too.
M.M.
Great work detritus! They are high up in the list of birds that I want to see
Ryu
Canberra
Aiming for DSLR-quality shots with a bridge camera
Congratulations and nice images captured, good detail and colour. I remember those same
feelings on my first sighting. Agree with your comments on the sound.
Thanks for sharing these.
Congrats! I love their long delicate tails, really nice photos
Tegan - Melbourne Vic.
Stunning photos Detritus and I'm another that can't believe in the length of that tail. SA has some of the most interesting places to visit.
Samford Valley Qld.
Most places on Earth have interesting aspects, no doubt. SA is no exception.
Southern Emu-wrens once had a much more secure foothold on SA's Fleurieu Peninsula. Unfortunately, many of the swampy areas they once inhabited have been vandalized for agriculture purposes. Fortunately, there is a recovery plan & a number of landholders who own swamps have been recruited to help prevent the local extinction of this species. Unfortunately, there is pressure for deadly uranium exploration to occur in or near areas of Southern Emu-wren habitat.
Detritus, it's marvelous you've been able to photograph this species. Let's hope there'll be many more opportunities.
Well done, I would be very happy indeed to get some shots like this. I love how you managed to get the very long tail in also.
congrats on getting some nice shots for your first sighting, my first time seeing these little guys gave me a good buzz too.
LM
Thanks for checking out the photos and sharing in the moment everyone. The comments on the tail are spot-on. Despite my distraction trying to get a couple of worthwhile shots, the size and beauty of it stood out immediately. It's almost comical in length. Very pretty little birds and a welcome change to the more common wrens.
Reflex, I think as always, the grass is always greener.. I am forever seeing and hearing of peoples' encounters interstate or elsewhere in SA and thinking how good it must be to have such opportunities at hand. I don't know how easy it is to come across these wrens in throughout their range in the other states, but having a smallish area here in SA where they comparatively easy to spot is a bonus.
A project like the boardwalk down at Mt Compass seems great. It provides some protected habitat for the emu wren and other birdlife, but also helps build community awareness. I hope it's not taken for granted, and I hope it encourages some mindfulness of the environment among the students at the adjacent school. Also makes it easier for casual birders like myself to witness something a little special. Just sad that wildlife winds up in such an endangered state in the first place.
Agreed. Weighing off the native flora and fauna against the riches of the state's natural resources makes for a queasy feeling in the belly. On the one hand I'd like to think it's always a natural decision to protect any species's habitat, but I feel like most of us wouldn't be willing to give up a lot of the economic and lifestyle benefits that come with industry, mining etc. One would hope common sense prevails in cases of threatened species and precious ecosystems, but we've seen the opposite much too often.
Here's hoping these little guys and their mallee cousins keep pushing on against it all, whatever we may throw at them.
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Mike
https://flic.kr/ps/aF4bq
There are certainly benefits that come from industry & mining but it's so often the ham-fisted way in which industry & mining are conducted means that those benefits are outweighed by the costs. It will be a sad day indeed when wall to wall luxury yachts & fancy cars cover the landscape as far as the eye can see but that is the direction in which we're heading, I fear. In this day & age it's known as aspiration. If we ever wake up it may come to be known as expiration.