We often see Zebra Finches at the pooh farm, mostly in small groups perched on the wire fences. They quickly fly from the fence wires along the road another 10 metres and wait for the car to catch-up before flushing again. We rarely get decent photos. Last weekend we drove down to Kirk’s Point to look for Blue-winged Parrots and while watching the parrots and waiting for good opportunities for a photograph, my fellow birders discovered a good sized flock of Zebra Finches. We photographed the colony and watched them continue to build and reshape their nests. There are so few suitable trees in this flat sea side landscape that this colony chose a small bushy tree amongst a few stunted wind swept trees. They need dense prickly bushes to protect them from predators. We sat near the tree and photographed the birds go about setting up for the next generation.
Male Zebra Finch, Western Treatment Plant, Werribee, Victoria
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Male Finch with a female below
A par of finches near their nest site…
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A bit of a nuzzle…
Zebra Finches nest, part of a small colony of nests in a stunted tree…
Zebra Finches nest tree at Kirks Point (You Yangs in the background)
Zebra Finches, Western Treatment Plant, Werribee, Victoria
The Gap Year and Beyond 