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Fluffy little Scrubwren has big feet
At the entrance to Manly Dam Park, a little White-browed Scrubwren examines the tarmac for tasty bits of seeds. I watched this bird for a while as it hopped about. One thing that struck me is how big the bird’s feet are! The little wren is also quite fluffy, and the white markings on its face aren’t as distinct as I’ve seen in other birds of this type. Perhaps it’s a juvenile, the season being spring and all.
Common name: White-browed Scrubwren
Scientific name: Sericornis frontalis
Approximate length: 12 cm
Date spotted: 28 November 2022 (spring)
Location: Manly Dam Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’55.7″S 151°15’25.3″E
Scrubwren at a forest pool
Yesterday I spent some time sitting near a forest creek. Birds flitted around me. A Red Wattlebird dived repeatedly into the water and retreated to a branch for some serious grooming. A little scrubwren explored the mossy rock near the pools and running streams formed by the creek.
An aerial view showing the bird’s back:
Here’s one with a somewhat whimsical view of the water:
Common name: White-browed Scrubwren
Scientific name: Sericornis frontalis
Approximate length: 12 cm
Date spotted: 12 April 2021 (autumn)
Location: Manly Creek, New South Wales, Australia: 33°45’49.6″S 151°14’14.7″E
A Scrubwren I think
I’ve pored through my bird book and decided this little bird looks most like a Scrubwren of some sort. It’s a very small bird, around 11 centimetres long. It has a relatively long beak, a dark grey mask around its eyes, and white tips on its shoulder feathers. What’s confusing is that this bird seems largely grey, while the pictures of Scrubwrens are largely brown.
The bird was flitting around an area of the bush where I often see and hear movement, but am never fast enough to snap a picture. Today I managed – just!
Here’s a picture of the bird’s surroundings – lovely, quiet, dense bushland:
Common name: Some kind of Scrubwren?
Approximate length: 11-13 cm
Date spotted: 29 April 2018 (Autumn)
Approximate location: Manly Dam National Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’22.0″S 151°14’56.8″E
Sydney Birder 