Christmas Bells

Christmas Bells
Christmas Bells - Blandfordia nobilis

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Yellow-throated Scrubwren nesting record

Several days ago I was with Allan Styles in the Robertson Nature Reserve. We were photographing ferns and Allan was helping me with correct IDs for them. He is very experienced with Ferns, and more generally with the plants of the Robertson Rainforest. He was one of the lead authors in compiling the "A Guide to the Yarrawa Brush".

Anyway, while we were looking there for ferns I happened to notice a pendant nest, which I knew to be a nest of one of the Scrubwren species. I actually thought it was likely to be the nest of the Large-billed Scrubwren, which I have seen nesting high in a pendant Dagger Orchid plant, growing on a tall Coachwood tree. I have seen nests of the Yellow-throated Scrubwren before, but usually in wet gullies, often suspended over a creek.

Anyway, I resolved to go back today, in the hope that, with the cool moist weather, I might find the parent birds at home. I got lucky.

It turned out to be a Yellow-throated Scrubwren. Sericornis citreogularis
Yellow-throated Scrubwren
in her pendant nest.
It surprised me, as I have not seen that species up here in Robertson. I have found nests of that species lower down in the wet forest close to Tourist Road, in East Kangaloon. But not up here in Robertson - until today. This species is commonly found in the wet coastal forests. As far as I know, this is a first record for the Robertson Nature Reserve. I would welcome any advice of other records from birdwatchers.

I have reported this find to the Robertson Environment Protection Society, as their Journal "Eucryphia" is a journal of record, as far as reports of such items.

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