Ben Cruachan – natural history

I was a bit concerned about dragging Peter up to the Green Gully again as he’d been there several times recently, but I needn’t have worried, it turned on a good show for us once again. I particularly wanted to see the nesting Rufous Fantail that he photographed recently, and after crossing the now dry creek bed we soon saw the nest, built on to dry blackberry canes, only four feet from the ground, and in a completely exposed position. These fantails can be infuriating birds to watch, in contrast to their grey cousins they tend to flit around in the shady undergrowth, rarely sitting still for long enough to give a birder a decent look. The nest was unattended when we first saw it, and a peep inside revealed two tiny naked babies. It wasn’t long though before we saw movement in the bushes, and then one of the parents was perched on the edge of the nest pushing food into two yellow gapes. It settled on to the nest then, and to my surprise and delight sat placidly while we approached to within five feet, taking pictures.
Leaving it in peace we walked on up the track, seeing the usual complement of small birds, and then with a clatter of wings a Wonga Pigeon took off and disappeared up the slope. These magnificent pigeons were hunted in earlier times, but have survived, and in the breeding season their monotonous calls seem never ending.
The birds were thinning out as we got further away from water, but the next sighting was a blinder, Peter pointed, and there was a male Lyrebird heading up the side of the ridge with its spectacular tail in full view. Their tails moult in the summer, and are renewed in January, ready for the breeding season which runs from autumn to spring. The forest floor is moist then, with a good supply of invertebrates to feed the growing chicks.
We’d been hearing the calls of Gang-gang Cockatoos in the distance, suddenly they were louder, and a flock of fifteen or more flew down from the head of the gully and wheeled around the tree tops on the ridge above us. Eastern and Crimson Rosellas were already on the list, and shortly after we turned to make the return journey, King Parrot was added. The birding had gone quiet as mid-day closed in and the temperature climbed, so we were soon back at the fantail’s nest taking a few more pictures before having lunch at the vehicle. We’d missed quite a few species that we saw on our first trip there, but still had 26 for the morning, and with sightings like the Wonga Pigeon, Lyrebird, and nesting fantail we weren’t complaining. Here are some shots of the Rufous Fantail, click for larger versions.