Thursday 9 July 2009

LBJs of the rainforest

Two species of scrubwren share their patch with me. Atherton scrubwrens (Sericornis keri) travel in small mobs, flitting through the low vegetation and investigating any clump of leaves that might hold food for them. They are confiding and curious birds, but so small and lively that I've been unable to get a photo, good or otherwise. I'm beginning to suspect they do this on purpose.

Large-billed scrubwrens (Sericornis frontalis) are not so abundant in this spot, but are less camera-shy when they do appear. This one was so fixated on dismantling a bundle of dead leaves to get at the goodies that surely must have been inside, that it wasn't concerned about the person with the camera. After multiple attempts, I finally got some decent pics when it gave up on the bundle and redirected its attention to the spider web near the ground.