Who's this singing his heart out in the early morning? The sweetly-shrill notes of a Rufous Songlark (Cinclorhamphus mathewsi) rise from a bare bit of ground in the light industrial area I cycle through when entering Tyto by the 'back door' (from the south).
For four days the bird has been running parts of its song sheet. Won't do much good I'm afraid. All very well for the guide books to show Ingham and further north as songlark territory. The birds simply don't often make it this far northeast. When one does, it's likely to stay lonely till it gets the message and heads southwest.
In the meantime the mature male is more than holding its own competing for food against assorted trillers, woodswallows and - naturally - Willie Wagtails. As to voice, no contest!
And speaking of mannikins, this pair of Chestnut-breasteds caught the eye in the morning sun today. As did the Crimson Finch (below).
As predicted (he said smugly), the wader count in Tyto continues to rise. Six Marsh Sandpipers today, plus two Sharp-taileds, and the lone Wood. Looking close to their spectacular breeding plumage best were a pair of Glossy Ibises.
