Green’s Bush is exploding with activity at the moment with spring well under way and the weather finally warming up. A walk into the southern section and I found the little boss below tsking and telling me to move along. I had actually stopped to photograph some bracken in nice light when he popped into the scene and tried to pick a fight.
White-browed Scrubwren, Greens Bush, Mornington Peninsula National Park, Vic
Bracken, Greens Bush, Mornington Peninsula National Park, Vic
One of the regular birds I see along the tracks of Greens Bush is the White-browed Scrubwren. I see them often but dont often photograph them due to their constant movement and the shady and dark areas they lurk. When I find them I try to phish and psst to attract their attention. The one below was with a bunch of juveniles that were hunting in the mottled shadows and I managed to actually get a clear shot. I liked its intensity as it grabbed a spec of food and gave it to one of the juveniles.
White-browed Scrubwren, Greens Bush, Mornington Peninsula National park, Vic,
The bush reserve below the Navigation Point at the beach along Elwood foreshore is full of small birds hunting the prolific insects currently available. The insect numbers have exploded due to the wet weather and perfect insect conditions. The local birds and a few migrating through are enjoying the bounty and are well under way with their breeding season. Both the species below seem to have an angry, annoyed expression when they look at you…
Grey Fantail, Point Ormond Coastal Reserve, Elwood
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White-browed Scrubwren, Point Ormond Coastal Reserve, Elwood
Taking a mouthful of insects back to the nest…
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While photographing the Rufous Bristlebird at Point Addis recently, a White Browed Scrubwren decided it was safe enough to feed alongside the Bristlebird. It foraged amongst the leaf litter hunting for small invertebrates. These small birds usually are very timid and are more often heard scolding trespassers than actually being seen. The adult birds have very distinctive brows that always seem to make them look angry…
White browed Scrubwren, Point Addis, Great Ocean Road.
Turning over leaf litter and small pieces of bark to find invertebrates…
At Elwood’s Point Ormond is a section of old seaside vegetation. Much of the area has been cleared with just a few scraps of native vegetation left. In this small pocket beneath the Point and its navigation tower, live a few species of birds – Superb Fairy-wrens, Brown Thornbills and White-browed Scrubwrens, with many other species stopping by for a feed and rest while migrating elsewhere – Rainbow Lorikeets, Black Faced Cuckoo-shrikes, Pink Robins, Grey Fantails, Singing Honeyeaters and Silvereyes to name a few. On the last few visits we have been watching a nest of Scrubwrens and the busy parents feeding their chicks. A visit on the weekend seemed to indicate that the chicks had fledged and had moved from the nest but were still being fed by the parents.
White-browed Scrubwren – looking for juicy morsels for the chicks
The Scrubwren returning a grub to its chicks..
The Gap Year and Beyond 