Red Browed Finch

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WhistlingDuck
Red Browed Finch

At Duck River (its more like a creek) near Clyde in Sydney i was on the look out for birds on the river and then when I turned around there were a 2-3 red browed finches feeding on the seeds of the tall grasses behind me only a few metres away. I like the way they flit from stem to stem, and they seem to enjoy the little ride when they perch on a upright stem and it bends down to the ground under their weight.   

I have had some good finds in this area - even though there is just a narrow strip of trees and bush by the river and it runs through residential and industrial areas - i have seen reed warbler, blu blus, new holland honey eaters, kookaburras, rufuous fantail, white plumed honey eater, and sacred kingfisher.

Araminta
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Gorgeous photosheart.Isn't it great what a little bit of native area in a residential area can do for wildlife?

M-L

soakes
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Are these native grasses?  I have occasionally seen red-browed finches around my place.  I would like to plant some grasses to encourage them, but I don't know where to start.  Any ideas?  This is in Gippsland, Vic.

- soakes

soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia

Araminta
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Hi soakes, tell you what grows well in our area and yours.

Red-fruited Saw-sedge  (Gahnia Sieberina) It tolerates poor drainage and wet soil that becomes dry in summer.

Rosellas and King Parrots also love them. Also attrackts butterflies.

M-L

Araminta
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Sorry WhistlingDuck for using your post to answer soake's questioncheeky

M-L

darinnightowl
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nice shots

Mother nature is a tuff old girl, every littlle strip of land helps and the birds & bees will follow. Does the  Duck river run into parramatta 
river ?  WD

Have you been to Rookwood cementry, there lots of variety birds there too.

See it!  Hear it!

Mid-North Coast NSW

Dennis
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Hey WD, fantastic images of such a small bird, love the bright red of the head, beak & tail with the green back, such a pretty little birdsmiley.

I've got to get out in the coming days, being at work is giving me withdrawals!crying

Great work!

WhistlingDuck

Thanks for the comments.

Soakes i cant help you with the grasses, so thanks to Araminta for her advice.

Darin - thats right Duck River goes into Parramatta river just west of the silverwater bridge. Its not much of a river and its a bit mucky and polluted, so i would not recommend it as a pleasant place for birding. I have been to Rookwood Cemetery and had some good finds there - its such a huge area so there is plenty more parts to check out there.      

Annie W
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Love your Finch shots WhistlingDuck.  Just looking at two and three in particular, I can just imagine/see them swaying on the grass stems as you've described - beautiful.  

West Coast Tasmania

zosterops
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Red brows are very adaptable birds and I've seen them feeding on panic veldt grass (Ehrharta erecta) (south african native) and sow thistles (European).  

Night Parrot
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Araminta wrote:

Gorgeous photosheart.Isn't it great what a little bit of native area in a residential area can do for wildlife?

I echo the observation made by Araminta. It seems that a little area is all that's needed to attract native birds and give them some sustenance. The place I am in at the moment backs on to a tall-treed richly under-forested gully that hosts a good variety of native birds; at least half a dozen species of honeyeater, treecreepers, robins, finches, drongoes, and many others. Sadly I think they will progressively quit the area to escape the noise and destruction of neighbourhood dirt bikes. As I intend to do also.

Woko
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Soakes, I'll poke my nose into a few books for grasses indigenous to your area. Bear with me. But if red-fruited saw-sedge is indigenous to your area then that' s a great place to start. As Araminta implies, be sure to plant it in a damp or wet area. I hope it's available at a nursery close to you. Ask for it anyway to create a demand.

rawshorty
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I can sit and watch them do this for hours, the Reed Warblers do the same at my wetlands. Great shots, WD.

Shorty......Canon gear

Canberra

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/ 

wendy.hamilton@...
wendy.hamilton@gmail.com's picture

We have a colony of brids with very similar markings, shape etc  and which we feel sure are Finches . However the body colour is dark grey/black - certainly no other colour .The red 'splashes' really stand out. Location NE of Macedon ranges - 15 K from Mount Macedon tonwship

zosterops
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beautiful firetail?

wendy.hamilton@...
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No - the red just peeks out from under the tail feathers - from a distance (side on) you see the red brow and the small patch of red - such a contrast against the black and such a small amount of brilliant red.

Thanks

ekrishnan
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wonderful photo whistling duck,they're great looking birds aren't they.

Araminta
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Another old post, revisiting some old friends.

The Red-browed Firetails belong to the Finches. So you can call them both. (most used is Firetails though)

M-L

Reflex
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Some old posts coming up for some reason. I haven't seen some of these posters for a while.

Samford Valley Qld.

dwatsonbb
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I think you will find it is new members looking back and commenting on old posts, which is "bumping" them. Seems to happen fairly often.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

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