This is a first sighting for me. I spent last weekend beyond the Blue Mountains, about three hours’ drive west of Sydney. During my early morning walk in the countryside near Capertee, this attractive little bird alighted long enough for a photo:

I’m pretty sure it’s a Speckled Warbler. It’s small and round, clad in tones of yellow and brown. The top of its head is chestnut brown with lighter stripes, and its breast and belly are a light yellow with brown stripes. The eyes are quite large, relatively speaking. It looks to have a reddish-brown line above its brow, which means it’s a female.

Here’s a slightly different angle:

According to my bird book, these birds are scarce to moderately common, depending on geographical area. They’ve been spotted mostly west of the ranges, which is exactly where I saw this bird.

Common name: Speckled Warbler
Scientific name: Chthonicola sagittata
Approximate length: 12-13 cm
Date spotted: 23 April 2023 (autumn)
Location: Long Ridge, Capertee, New South Wales, Australia: 33°09’53.9″S 150°00’06.2″E