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Grey Fantail Building A Nest At Toolangi

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On Sunday, I went to Toolangi with friends to track down the black faced monarch and the many robins that were in the area. We had met up with some other birding friends when Caroline noticed this grey fantail building a nest.

At first I thought their may have been chicks on the nest so kept my distance. When I realized it was in the nest building phase, I moved forward to take more photos.

The nest is shaped completely different to what I thought it would be. The fantails would grab a little bit of spider web or other nesting material, place it in the nest, and then move their butt around to shape it. It was fascinating to see.

Late November/early December is a brilliant time for birdwatchers to visit Toolangi. I highly recommend it.

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Pink + Rose robins at Toolangi

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I love robins. When Carolyn asked if I wanted to go to Toolangi for the day I was incredibly excited. Not so much for the possibility of a black faced monarch or other rarities. I wanted a chance to get better looks at both the pink and rose robin.

It’s hard to describe what I love about them. Sure, I love the other robins I’ve seen. It could be their elusiveness – which is possibly why the red capped is my third favourite. I think it is just the magnificence of their colouring that appeals to me, how it blends with the background just right.

These guys were very busy in the Wirrawilla walk area. It was an incredibly busy day so they were quite skittish, but they would always return to the same area if you were quiet enough. I helped a number of people find this little beauty. I’d love to return on a day with less people and just spend the whole time exploring this one walk. It is a hidden gem for birdlife and other critters.

Here are my favourite photos from the day.

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Details

I took these photos so you could see the colours from alternate angles. There is a light white colour above the tail and on the wings. On the second photo, you can see white around its cloaca. I don’t know if these are relevant but they may mean something down the track.

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Rose:

We were on the other walk in the area, tracking down the black faced monarch. Suddenly someone pointed ‘rose!’

It was amazing. I had seen them from a distance but they are so much more striking up close. I’m not sure which of the two species I love more. We were also fortunate enough to see the female, something I didn’t see last time.

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Female
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So keen to return to the area. I was nicking off at every available opportunity to photograph the robins. I did get lifers and saw some beautiful birds but robins have captured my heart.