ML228869511

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

We were a little apprehensive going down to the Whistlers favourite glade; would it still be there? Had the time come for it to move along? But then, soon enough... there!! That terrific whip-crack whistle!! Those cheerful, burbling notes!! The Rufous Whistler at last!!! And oh, I will never forget seeing it for the first time, distantly at first, the white of the throat absolutely popping out from the shadows and its subtle washes of rufous and grey! We set off in hot pursuit, cameras whirring, and it vanished for a minute... only to pop up DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US, just metres away on its clear branch, wings and tail quivering ecstatically as it sang and darted glances everywhere!! This was the pattern repeated over and over again; it would vanish, only to reappear astonishingly close in. Of course, he would hop off behind a screen of branches when fed up with us, but besides this he was one of the most joyous birds I've ever seen, a picture of energy and good spirit; for a bird that was very far from home, he was certainly delighted with his new accomodation!! I still can't shake the incredulous astonishment of hearing this most evocative desert song in the middle of Geeveston... this was a magical moment!!

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX P610

ISO

400

Focal length

179.2 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/160 sec

Dimensions

1600 pixels x 1200 pixels

Original file size

927.78 KB