Now I’m beginning to get it

The quest this season is to be able to identify the LBJ’s (little brown jobs), those birds of indeterminate species that to the untrained eye all look the same as they go about their daily business – in particular the Thornbills.

With names like the Buff-rumped Thornbill and the Yellow-rumped Thornbill one would assume the task would be easy. But in reality when these critters are sitting down or flitting high in the tree tops the rump can either not be seen or is too far away to determine the exact hue. So the plan is to get a reasonably good photo of each so that I can get a really good look at them.

This is the start – and telling them apart is really not that difficult if you know what you are looking for.

Pictured above left is the Yellow-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa). Apart from its obviously yellow rump it has a black crown with white flecks. I should be able to see that at a distance.

Pictured right is a Striated Thornbill (Acanthiza lineata). It has a tan crown with dense white streaks (I think the streaks are the give-away).

I think I have these two sorted. Only two or three more to go (in this district at least).