Blog Archives
Sacred Kingfisher dives on a robin
This morning, I was trying to get a good photo of this Eastern Yellow Robin:
The robin took flight and I followed it with my camera. Suddenly, a splash of bright colours dived at the robin, there was a flurry of dust and a soft thunk, and the robin took cover in the low bushes. A kingfisher had taken umbrage with the robin! Or perhaps the two birds had simply made a beeline for the same tasty-looking insect.
The kingfisher perched nearby to check for other interlopers, or perhaps to recover from the mid-air collision:
I think it’s a Forest Kingfisher, but it could be a Sacred Kingfisher. They’re very similar, but the Sacred Kingfisher is usually more green in colour.
Update on 31 December: Thank you to Andrew for the comment below, identifying the bird as a Sacred Kingfisher.
Here’s another view of the bird:
It’s interesting to see how the kingfisher seems to rest on its stomach, with its foot hanging down alongside the branch. Perhaps it’s perching on the other leg.
The next photo shows the strong blue colouring of the bird in the bright sunlight:
Common name: Sacred Kingfisher
Scientific name: Todiramphus sanctus
Length: 20-23 cm
Date spotted: Saturday 30 December 2023 (summer)
Location: Manly Dam Park, New South Wales, Australia: 3°46’31.2″S 151°14’46.6″E
Pale-yellow Robin eating a spider
This robin was cheeping loudly enough to attract my attention. I snapped a shot of it, to see what it was up to. When I zoomed in to the picture, I could see that the bird had caught a spider. Perhaps the loud noise was a boast or an expression of glee at the coming feast.
I think this is a Pale-yellow Robin, though it could be an Eastern Yellow Robin. Pale-yellows are smaller than Eastern Yellows (12 cm in length as opposed to 15) and have more white around the beak and throat.
Common name: Pale-yellow Robin
Scientific name: Tregellasia capito
Approximate length: 12 cm
Date spotted: 12 September 2020 (spring)
Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’24.0″S 151°15’08.0″E
Call of the Pale-yellow Robin is a bit dull
From high above the bush path came an insistent cheep-cheeping. After a bit of searching amongst the swaying branches (it was a windy day) I spotted the noise-maker: a Pale-yellow Robin:
Pale-yellow Robins are very similar in appearance to Eastern Yellow Robins. I’ve seen a few of the latter (see all my robin posts) but if my identification is right then this is the first time I’ve spotted a Pale-yellow Robin. Pale-yellows are smaller than Eastern Yellows (12 cm in length as opposed to 15) and have more white around the beak and throat. My bird book says they’re sedentary and common. They like rainforest and dense eucalypt forests.
Common name: Pale-yellow Robin
Scientific name: Tregellasia capito
Approximate length: 12 cm
Date spotted: 7 September 2019 (early spring)
Location: Manly Dam National Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’27.0″S 151°15’01.5″E
Not all robins have red breasts
The Eastern Yellow Robin is a reasonably common sight in the bush around Sydney, Australia. This one was perched on a twig in a marshy area around a creek:
Common name: Eastern Yellow Robin
Scientific name: Eopsaltria australis
Approximate length: 15 cm
Date spotted: 22 July 2019 (Winter)
Location: Manly Dam National Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’24.2″S 151°15’05.8″E
Eastern Yellow Robin near Sydney
A quick glimpse of an Eastern Yellow Robin from my walk today. The bird was in a dry creek, in Manly Dam National Park near Sydney. Eastern Yellow Robins are quite a common sight. I’ve seen them frequently in this particular spot, though it’s rare for one to sit still long enough for a decent photograph.
This short video shows the short shrift that the robin gives a worm, You can also hear the sounds of the other birds in the bush around the robin:
Common name: Eastern Yellow Robin
Scientific name: Eopsaltria australis
Approximate length: 15 cm
Date spotted: 8 October 2017 (Spring)
Location: Manly Dam National Reserve, near Sydney: 33°46’24.3″S 151°15’05.5″E
Eastern Yellow Robin
Usually the little birds (robins, wrens, finches) flit fast through the bush, coming to rest for only a few seconds before moving on. That makes photography challenging. This morning, a little Eastern Yellow Robin stayed in one spot long enough for me to take a few photos.
On the point of flight:
Common name: Eastern Yellow Robin
Scientific name: Eopsaltria australis
Approximate length: 15 cm
Date spotted: 13 March 2016
Season: Late summer
Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia
Latitude/longitude: 33°46’10.7″S 151°14’28.0″E
Sydney Birder 