A family of sparrow-sized birds are sometimes seen around the fenceline

[Ozzie_Traveller]

G'day all

While here on the farm with our house-sitting in progress, I have seen this family of a dozen or so tiny birds flitting around, but with any movement by me, and they're off up into the canopy. But yesterday via my sitting quietly I managed these pics. Each image is heavily cropped as a 900 x 600px image as that's the best I can manage
typical exif- Panny FZ-300; 1/400sx F4,0;ISO-100; lens at max zoom / 600mm FFequiv

1) presumably the male




2) presumably the female




Alan - maybe you can help here ... I've been thru the Aussie Bird ID site and can't find a match

As always, feedback welcome

Phil

[wigz]

Hi Phil,

The first two are Double-Barred Finches, and male and female are similar. I don't think I know the last two, but there's not enough detail for me to pick. Where were these taken?

Decent detail in the last shot.

[Grumpy John]

You beat me too it Alan, I was busy typing out a long winded answer

[Ozzie_Traveller]

Alan - Thanks for the reply - locality is Tabulum, northern NSW
Phil

[Grumpy John]

G'day Phil, once again excellent images from the 300. You are giving me so much incentive to get out and use it.

As for identification I use an App on my iPhone called Merlin Bird ID and I used it to identify this bird.
you have several options to identify the bird:

Start Bird ID which runs you through several questions
1. where did you see the bird? - I entered Coffs Harbour (I don't know exactly where you are)

2. when did you see the bird? - I used today's date

3. what size was the bird:
Sparrow size or smaller
Between Sparrow and Blackbird
Blackbird Sized
Between Blackbird and Crow
Crow Sized
Between Crow and Goose
Goose sized or larger
I entered Sparrow sized (based on your information).

4. What were the main colours? - select from 1 to 3.
Black
Grey
White
Buff/Brown
Red/Rufous
Yellow
Olive/Green
Blue
Orange
I entered White, Buff/Brown and Black.

5 Where was the bird?
Eating at a feeder
Swimming or wading
On the ground
In trees or bushes
On a fence or wire
Soaring or flying
I entered On a fence or wire.

It then thinks for a while and comes up with a list of possible birds. You bird did not appear in the list. Obviously the Garbage In - Garbage out rule applies so I used the second option for identification which is photo ID. I took a screenshot of the bird with my iPhone and used that and the App came up with Double Barred Finch.

This is an excellent free App.

[Ozzie_Traveller]

GJ- as you say it (seems) an excellent App
Phil

[Grumpy John]

Using a screenshot and the Merlin App I came up with Jacky-winter for the 2nd. bird.




https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

[wigz]

I thought possibly Jacky Winter, but I'm weak on small grey/brown birds, particularly without a good view of eye and side.

[Isac]

Lovely birds Phil and well captured. The first of the Jacky-winter shots (which I thought was a dusky robin) is just a tad soft but I reckon you know that.

[Ozzie_Traveller]

G'day Fellas

A double-sized 'thanks' for all the help above
On the laptop I've been using the "Birdlife Aus - Find A Bird" mob ... and when I go back I can now see the Double-Barred stripes- I was visually obsessed with the wing pattern that I missed the second black stripe under the belly

So the next Q is (but not needing any answers) is do these 2 species of bird live and associate together, because as I noted in the OP, the family group of a dozen or so birds decamped from the yard and quickly disappeared high into the canopy

ps- Today (Fri) is our last day house-sitting on the farm, so we're off again tomorrow)
Phil

[Grumpy John]

Range map for Double Barred Finch


Range map for Jacky Winter