The Elusive Whip Birds of the Rogers Reserve Highfields

7th February 2020

The Eastern Whip-Birds make an iconic call across the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields, and have called it home for as long as I can remember.  The reserve has thick natural mulch and they at times can be seen scratching around in this looking for insects, mostly though they are rarely seen - only heard. On this visit, I happened to see two whip birds doing exactly that but they would then hop up into the branches and were secluded by foliage.  These are the best photos that I managed of them during this visit.

The birdlife is always a wonderful distraction when weeding or doing rubbish collection during our Friends of Rogers Reserve Bushcare working bee days.

J. Gray

Elusive Eastern Whip Bird at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, February 2020

Elusive Eastern Whip Bird at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, February 2020

Elusive Eastern Whip Bird at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, February 2020

Pale-headed Rosellas at Rogers Reserve Highfields

7th February 2020

PALE-HEADED ROSELLAS (Platycercus adscitus) at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve.

Pale-headed Rosella at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 7/02/20

Pale-headed Rosellas are an exquisitely beautiful bird and one that is fairly consistent with sightings at the Charles and Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve at Highfields. The reserve provides excellent nesting habitat with plenty of tree hollows and a plenty of food source with a range of flowering eucalyptus trees, native fruits, seeds, shrub flowers, insects and native grasses.

Even though it is brightly coloured, the Pale-headed Rosella is very well-camouflaged when feeding amongst leaves in the canopy of trees. The call is similar to that of the Eastern Rosella: 'kwik, kwik' calling in flight, or when perched a high pitched rapid 'pi-pi-pi-pi-pi' and soft chattering. (Source http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Platycercus-adscitus)

Pale-headed Rosella at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 7/02/20

Pale-headed Rosella Pair at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 7/02/20

Pale-headed Rosella Pair at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, 7/02/20