I saw this bird near thornbills, wrens, red-browed finches etc; in casuarinas and shrubs near a pond. It was slightly bigger than the other little birds
It was near Newcastle in NSW
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Looks like a Brown Honeyeater. Either a female or a non-breeding male, because it doesn't have the patch behind the eye.
Nice shot - they don't usually sit still for very long!
I meant to say it doesn't have the "yellow" patch behind the eye. They have a very loud call for such a small bird - was it calling when you saw it?
No just hopping about in a grevillea behind another shrub. It was hard to focus on. I thought it looked like a honeyeater with that bill. I had a look in my Slater - it shows the yellow streak near the bill, but not the yellow-olive belly and breast
Simpson and Day show a yellow-ish breast, so I reckon you can be fairly confident with the Brown Honeyeater id.
As a child I saw hundreds of them in my garden (not all at the same time!). Now, just a few suburbs away, I never see them. Sweet little birds.
Brown H E for sure Birdgirl, very variable in colour and size and as Andy says very loud for a little guy, the yellow gape line and dark bill indicates a female.
Ed Townsville NQ
Thank you both for your help. It's always a thrill to find a brand new bird in your own backyard or suburb