Wild Bird Wednesday 648 - Some Robins at Christmas

As this week's WBW falls on Christmas Day, I thought I'd share some images of that most Christmassy bird - the Robin.  Now, as many of you will know, there are a large number of birds around the world that have the word Robin in their common name.

These are just a few of them!

European Robin  - Erithacus rubecula

European Robin  - Erithacus rubecula

Red-capped Robin (Australia) - Petroica goodenovii

Red-capped Robin (Australia) - Petroica goodenovii

Rose Robin (Australia) - Petroica rosea

Pink Robin (Australia) - Petroica rodinogaster

Hooded Robin (Australia) - Melanodryas cucullata

Eastern Yellow Robin (Australia) - Eopsaltria australis

Southern Scrub Robin (Australia) - Drymodes brunneopygia

Oriental Magpie Robin (India) - Copsychus saularis

American Robin (Canada) - Turdus migratorius

And with that world wide journey over, I'll wish you a Happy Christmas and such like - and send my best wishes to you all.

Cheers  SM

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Wild Bird Wednesday 647 - New Zealand Fantail / Pīwakawaka

The New Zealand Fantail or Pīwakawaka (Rhipidura fuliginosa) is a small, active bird found throughout much of New Zealand.

It has a distinctive fanned tail and loud song, and often approaches within a metre or two of people. Its wide distribution and habitat preferences, including frequenting well-treed urban parks and gardens, means that most people encounter fantails occasionally. 

There are two colour forms or ‘morphs’ of fantail, with the more common pied morph occurring throughout its range, and the black morph comprising up to 5% of the South Island population, and occasionally occurring in the North Island.

This bird - which was feeding on the insects attracted to seaweed thrown up on to the strand line of a beach on Stewart Island - is the common pied morph. 

This bird was feeding very actively on the beach are rarely stayed in one place for more than a few seconds. 

As ever, to join in with WBW click on the blue button below.  Cheers and best wishes, SM

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Wild Bird Wednesday 646 - Silvereye

The Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) is a common small bird in the eastern and souther parts of Australia, all of New Zealand and some South Pacific islands.

We get them in our garden, and my attention is often caught by their high pitched calls.

Silvereyes are between  11 to 13 cm in length and around 10 g in weight, and they have conspicuous ring of white feathers around its eye.  There small size does not prevent them from migrating internally in Australia, including flying across Bass Straight from Tasmania to the mainland of Australia.

These birds were photographed on Stewart Island in New Zealand.  The Maori name for this species is Tauhou.  This means "stranger" or "new arrival", and this name related to its relatively recent arrival in New Zealand. The Silvereye was first recorded in New Zealand in 1832. It then arrived in greater numbers in 1856, and it is assumed that a migrating flock was swept eastwards from Australia by a storm. 

These pictures were taken on Stewart Island, in the main settlement - Oban. I saw this little flock of birds as the sun was setting, and the bushes were just outside the hotel I was staying in, and I may or may not have been having a pint when I first saw them!  In my opinion, anyone planning a trip to NZ should consider a trip to Stewart Island.

Hope all is well.  As ever, to join in with WBW click on the link below.  SM

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Wild Bird Wednesday 645 - South Island Robin

The South Island Robin (Petroica australis) or Kakaruwai is an endemic bird of South and Stewart Islands in New Zealand.  The South Island Robin is a small passerine, 10–18 cm in length and weighing around 35 g.

The North Island Robin (Petroica longipes) is closely related to the South Island species, and was in fact considered the same species at one time.  The birds in these pictures - South Island Robins - show the clearly divided dark grey upper chest, and pale yellow-white lower chest that separates them from the North Island Species.

These robins are both closely related to the Robins of Australia - and are not that closely related to the European or North American birds with which they share a common name.

The South Island Robin is a remarkably inquisitive bird, and it will willing investigate soil that has been scuffed with the toe of a boot or scratched with a stick.  Once the soil has been disturbed, the birds will come within a few meters of humans.

Like many birds in NZ (and elsewhere for that matter) their range and abundance have been reduced by habitat damage and the introduction of non-native predators.

These pictures were taken on Stewart Island.

As ever, to join in with WBW click on the link below.  Hope all is well.  SM

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Halls Gap

Just back from a a four day, 50 km walk in the Grampians - in Western Victoria.

The walk was great - if a little hard on the feet, and we were 'blessed' with weather that was just a bit hotter than normal for this time of year.  Pictures from the walk to come soon.

Halls Gap (where the walk ended) seems to have a few amusing signs - which I of course noticed.

It would seem that playing dice with kookaburras is forbidden

When in doubt, advertise the sale of your business on a paper bag!

It's probably best not to write an important word in ink that fades in the sun!

And this is just wrong!

Hope all is well.   SM