A wow at mention of Crimson Finch (Neochmia phaeton) led me to seek them out today. With predictable results. Distant poor pictures of finches bathing, feeding, flying, perching, preening. Luckily, the male bird of the pair using a paperbark hole ouside the Tyto hide was fetching feathers to line the nest.Females sometimes carry feathers but I'm not sure males accept any help from them. Certainly the female didn't take any part in today's hour of to-ing and fro-ing. Heavy morning showers probably limited the selection of suitable small, dry and white feathers. So trips to the nest were fewer than I've observed at other times. Perhaps the work will be continuing tomorrow.
Here's two versions of a better picture taken from my rusty mobile 4WD hide. Surprising just how close one can drive up to birds and other wildlife (but not often practicable).
Brilliant birds Tony. Yes, a vehicle can make a difference, got quite a lot of my pictures from the Toy.
ReplyDeleteWow indeed! Fantastic birds and photos too.
ReplyDeleteThat'd be one of those boy's Toys, Duncan? ;-)
ReplyDeleteWow's right, mosura. Sometimes we need the fresh eye to re-see the glory around us.
Truly a wonderful bird. Easy to take for grated I guess if you have them in the hundreds.
ReplyDeleteSorry Mick and Mosura. Got yesterday's wow mixed up with today's wow. Anywow, sorry, anyhow, they are eye-catchers, and I'll try to do them a bit more justice.
ReplyDeleteStunning little birds hey Tony?
ReplyDeleteBack in avicultural days of yore, it was observed that the Aussie finches almost always preferred white feathers to nest line with. I bought a bag of pillow lining feathers from a haberdashery and the birds would select the white ones over the other colours all the time.
Great item, you've got some wonderful birds around you up there!
Gouldiae
What a stonking bird! Wish I'd got to see that one on my one and only trip to Aus. Maybe another time.
ReplyDeleteVery exotic looking - to me here in Texas, anyway! Beautiful bird, thank you for posting!
ReplyDeleteHi gouldiae: you're a big softie ;-). But I guess the choice is part explained because the softest underfeathers of many birds are white, and white's a highly visible colour for a bird looking down(pun discovered).
ReplyDeleteJenny, you'll just have to leave the cold old country for a longer spell in the warmth and colour here!
Hi KM: Thanks. Hey, I meant to ask why nine-banded armadillos have 10-11 bands?
Not being an Armadillo expert, I couldn't begin to tell you why some have more bands than others, but apparently they can have anywhere from 7 to 11 movable bands between the scapula shield and the pelvic shields. More or less bands, they sure are cute, aren't they?!
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