On Friday I visited the Western Treatment Plant Werribee with 2 overseas birders and an experienced Aussie birder. A short distance down Paradise Rd we observed what was almost certainly (based on colour and bill shape – the light was not good) a Yellow Thornbill perched on the overhead power lines. It was probably 100m or so from the nearest bushes or trees. It periodically took off and flew very high before returning to the wire, and then eventually flew down into the grassland where we lost sight of it. I have seen Yellow Thornbills at the WTP before but this seemed to be very strange behaviour! ===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Dave
OK Merry Christmas, am going off to have a sleep now, too much food and wine.
Greg
Sent: Sunday, 25 December 2011 1:17 PM Cc: birding-aus
I guess we’ll never know!
It’s interesting that we have two choices – either a Yellow Thornbill (which is what 2 experienced observers thought it was) behaving strangely or a strangely marked Cisticola behaving strangely (even if not calling it did not look like one in flight either) – I certainly would go for the first! Or I guess a 3rd is a Weebill.
Dave
Maybe, but it is more likely that a Cisticolla was quietly behaving like a Cisticolla than a Yellow Thornbill performing something completely out of character for YT’s.
Greg
Sent: Sunday, 25 December 2011 12:25 PM Cc: birding-aus
Absolutely – the only other possibility given the colouring was Weebill but the bill looked wrong. And a Cisticola would usually call when doing such flights in my experience
Dave
Are you sure it was not a Cisticolla? Merry Christmas.
Greg Little
Sorry Dave… For my two cents worth, I would say it wasn’t a Yellow Thornbill, but a cisticola – or maybe even a plainly coloured Yellow-rumped Thornbill, if it wasn’t a cisticola. But that would also be a bit odd too. Cisticola for me!! Cheeeeers, Martin Cachard, Cairns, 0428 782 808
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Dave
Are you sure it was not a Cisticolla? Merry Christmas.
Greg Little
Dave
Maybe, but it is more likely that a Cisticolla was quietly behaving like a Cisticolla than a Yellow Thornbill performing something completely out of character for YT’s.
Greg
Sent: Sunday, 25 December 2011 12:25 PM Cc: birding-aus
Absolutely – the only other possibility given the colouring was Weebill but the bill looked wrong. And a Cisticola would usually call when doing such flights in my experience
Dave
Are you sure it was not a Cisticolla? Merry Christmas.
Greg Little
I guess we’ll never know!
It’s interesting that we have two choices – either a Yellow Thornbill (which is what 2 experienced observers thought it was) behaving strangely or a strangely marked Cisticola behaving strangely (even if not calling it did not look like one in flight either) – I certainly would go for the first! Or I guess a 3rd is a Weebill.
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Absolutely – the only other possibility given the colouring was Weebill but the bill looked wrong. And a Cisticola would usually call when doing such flights in my experience
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================