I had a whinge a little while ago about how I couldn't get a sharp photo of a R-b FW and couldn't understand why, so I finally managed to get a sharp photo of this little fellow and that makes me happy. Someone with more knowledge than me might tell me if this is a juvenile coming into adulthood or a male changing into breeding colours.
Very mottley, isn't he, but so cute. I've only seen the all black fronts on the male red backed wrens. Do the females have the lower white bodies? Because of the way wrens of different sorts mingle in the wild, I've never been able to ID female wrens easily.
Karen
Brisbane southside.
The females are beige/browny colours Karen ...nothing at all like the male except in stance and shape.
Clif2 lucky to get a shot at all and I like the 2nd one especially .... you have to forgive his motley appearance as he did turn sideways and stay still for you !
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Thank you birdie. I see so many brown wrens and at the park I go to, the redback wrens and the superb wrens mingle, so I don't know if the browns are one, two, or even three species.
Karen
Brisbane southside.
Yes... I have learned to recognise the red backed females just by seeing them when they are with their males and observing over a period of time I guess. Do you use a field guide Karen? That is the best way to learn. Also the female RBFW has no blue in the tail like most of the others and no eye ring like the Superb female.
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Birdie, I don't get to see one close enough to study it and I am sight impaired, so the jolly little things need to learn to sit still long enough so I can make out some detail. I've been very lucky in getting the few pics of the males I did get. The conditions have to be right for me to sit and wait them out.
Karen
Brisbane southside.
G'day clif2, it's a funny thing about this forum, people don't like to answer questions. I will have a go. I believe this is a juvenile just getting his colours. I'm fairly sure from my observations that the males keep their colours all through the year. Brilliant photos anyway, it is almost impossible to get these little birds to sit long enough to get a shot. I would say these two photos were taken in a very short time because the bird hasn't moved, only turned a bit.
Ray
I just read in Michael Morcombes guide that the young males moult into a dullish brown more like the females for 5 - 6 months. The older dominant adult males apparently go straight into their bright breeding plumage,.... still wouldnt know which this is though. I would think you are right ray that it is younger.
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Cute photos and interesting to learn more about them
Thankyou all, First of all thanks "birdie" for that info on the females as I thought the ones with the blueish tint in the tail were also juveniles at some stage and I couldn't tell the difference between the others, I do have quite a lot of photos of the females as they are the boldest and most curious in my opinion and often appear first to have there photos taken. I do think the females are as nice to look at even though they don't have the bright colours of the males. Also thanks for your ID of a juvenile coming into adulthood.
"raysimula" there were about 4 or 5 photos on that series and I only kept 3 in the other ones the litle fella was behind that branch and the third he poked his head up over the branch. I have never really had a problem getting photos of Wrens as usually when I hear their calls I just wait in the vicinity and they usually come out for a look, I had only just finished taking photos of some Chestnut-breasted Mannikins a few metres away ( which I put up on a previous post ) and turned around to see this spritely little bloke, a good day I think.
"Karen" it must be hard for you sometimes, but I am glad you haven't given up on it because you have submited some lovely photos and you are one of the first to give credit to other peoples photos. After you took some photos at meadowbrook I went to have a look for myself. I wasn't sure where you were, but I went to the environmental park at the end of queens road and was surprised by the species that I saw and dissappointed at the state of scrubby creek. The day before I was at Berrinba Wetlands and found a sign near the lookout at the main lagoon which stated the water was unsuitable for contact, I will be looking into this further.
Even though I have quite a few photos of Wrens I still can't resist taking more as they seem to put themselves into nice photographic positions and there curiosity is charming.
Regards
Shane
Hi Clif2...thanks for your nice response...I just wanted to draw attention in particular to your reference to Karen and her being the first to give credit to others on their photos. I feel this is a huge part of being involved in a forum..... also as a result of her info you have gone out and investigated some birding sites. For me personally it is the "to and from" conversations and transfer of information that makes this forum work. I don't think any of us feel good when you put a post up that is largely ignored by people . It is a human trait to enjoy feedback when you put yourself out there whether you are a talented photographer or just a keen amateur. You are obviously talented with your camera and thank you for being so grounded on our forum. It really helps those aspiring to improve and makes for pleasant browsing.
Karen... it must be hard with vision problems and I know that I have found it hard over the last year as my vision was impaired due to treatment I was having .... very frustrating ! However I bet your hearing can pinpoint them better than most. I find sound the best pointer ... especially for those illusive little wrens .... but I am sure they have learned to throw their voices :)
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Thanks for your comments birdie and it is true about information being thrown around for others to use or learn something from, as I have only been photographing birds for maybe 6 months, I have a lot to learn. This forum has very helpful advice from people and they are courteous, you only have to look at the rubbish that gets said on other forums to know that this forum is a comfortable place to be and I hope it stays that way, because in my life experience one of the biggest destroyers of interaction and useful debate is the human Ego amongst other things. This forum isn't full of it. By keeping attitudes towards this forum healthy any new members stay because they like the way it operates and the legacy of this forums' intentions survive. I do like to find out how some photos and there settings were achieved and I know others don't, I like to take the best photo I can given the conditions and opportunities I may have had and If just one of my photos inspires someone to look at their world in a better way, well Bingo. Birdie you have inspired me and made me think of how I would go about taking better photos of BOP and bird flight and only in the last week have done this with mixed success, Owen1 and his photos of the Broad-billed Sandpiper got me to go and photograph Shore birds, also mixed success, but in the process I got some good ones and some interesting ones of other birds and butterflies etc. This forum has improved my health because of the walking and lugging a heavy camera and lenses around so I guess I owe it to you all and respect you for making my life sweeter.
Regards
Shane
Wow!, clif2. Not a bad endorsement! It's interesting to hear of the spinoffs from the forum for you. It can be very inspiring. I find it's a great place for learning, particularly about birds I've never seen but hope to one day.
I agree, it is nice to have our pics acknowledged. Sometimes the pics come easy, but mostly it takes a lot of pics to get just one. I love seeing all the birds you've "captured" on your cameras and do appreciate the effort it takes to get those pics to share. My partner is always with me on my treks and if I can't see to get a pic, I just hand him the camera. He is my eyes. It can be frustrating doing it that way though as I know what I want.
Shane, I am wondering why the waters at Berrinba wetlands is unsuitable for contact? Sounds odd. Though it is part of Scrubby Creek, a rather long creek I think they should nearly call a river. It is very prone to flooding and has undergone a lot of bridgework in various places to try to overcome that problem. The end of Queens Road used to go underwater every time we got heavy rain, but they built the road up when the hospital was built further down. The big assault to Scrubby Creek now is the roadwork going on at Nugooloo Road. It hasn't looked clean there for a long time now.
I actually haven't checked out the Queens Road swamp area. Didn't know there was a way in. I go to Riverdale Park, on Armstrong Road, up past the hospital, past the Tafe college, to the end of the road. It's very much a family park and not so good to go on a weekend (too many people). The lake is where the swans bring up their chicks (they've left for the season now), but its down the back tracks where the wrens thrive, in the grasses and lower trees. There are finches too, but I don't see them as often. There are tracks there I haven't been up yet. Will get to them one day. Sadly, no animals have survived, except snakes (plenty of those, bad ones too). Berrinba is probably a better park but I haven't explored that really, not yet.
Karen
Brisbane southside.
Hi Karen, thanks for the info about Meadowbrook, It gives me another option. Karen if you do go to the swamp at Queens road make sure you have got some insect repellant, I think they got about a pint out of me before I left, so be warned, or you could do as I do sometimes and take my partner and the mossies always go for Her first, it's usually a short lived reprieve though as I know I am gonna cop it soon . I am not sure whether it's the eyes glazing over and turning red or her really long hair starting to go serpentine that alerts me to Danger. Jokes aside there are 2 tracks through the swamps and I saw and heard quite a few birds, I didn't manage to cross the bridge and go over the other side and a good place to park the car was just left at Queens Rd onto Loganlea Rd and there is a small turn in area with a boom gate across it only a few hundred metres down. Here is the sign I mentioned.
Regards
Shane
Oh ha, yes, we breed giant mossies here. I know where that parking spot is, as I see it everytime I go past there. I didn't realize there was a track in from there though. The info here is two way, which is great. I am learning of new areas I didn't know existed too. I still want to get that perfect shot of the red back fairy wren, I'd love to get a pair together.
Karen
Brisbane southside.