Crimson Chats!

Imagine sitting on the bank of a Mallee dam, red dirt at your feet, flies at your eyes, and Crimson Chats warily walking towards the water – absolute bliss!

 

Crimson Chat (Epthianura tricolor) – breeding male and female
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 400, focal length 560mm
Canon 5DsR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT

 

In recent weeks there has been an irruption of Crimson Chats into areas further south than they are usually seen. This happens in times of drought when the saltbush doesn’t fruit and invertebrates are in short supply; this year they have come a long way south.

Crimson Chats are a small, insect-eating species that measure about 12cm and weigh about 11g. They walk rather than hop, so were quite comical to watch as they made their way to the water’s edge.

Birds are vulnerable when they drink and even more vulnerable when they take the time to bathe. This beautiful pair checked the area before taking the plunge, watching a distant raven.

 

Crimson Chat (Epthianura tricolor)
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 400, focal length 560mm
Canon 5DsR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT

 

The male ducked first for his bath. It’s a large dam and he seems to be looking just to my right, I was snuggled beneath my Realtree fabric hide.

Breeding male Crimson Chats have bright red heads, underparts and rumps that are set off perfectly by their black face mask and white throat. They have white edges to their wing feathers, pale irises and slightly down-curved bills.

 

Crimson Chat (Epthianura tricolor)
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 400, focal length 560mm
Canon 5DsR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT

 

As the male plunges into the water the female keeps watch; there is no cover for them at this dam. Females in their breeding plumage retain their red uppertail coverts and develop reddish patches on their underparts.

 

 

Crimson Chat (Epthianura tricolor)
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 400, focal length 560mm
Canon 5DsR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT

 

They remain very watchful during their bathing session. I didn’t see any raptors at the time but there were ravens calling to their left so I assume they were making sure the larger birds weren’t heading closer.

 

 

Crimson Chat (Epthianura tricolor)
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 400, focal length 560mm
Canon 5DsR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT

 

Then it was the female’s turn to bathe, sending water droplets flying, while the male kept watch. Bathing helps to cool birds and control parasites.

 

Crimson Chat (Epthianura tricolor)
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 400, focal length 560mm
Canon 5DsR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT

 

I enjoy taking photographs of birds behaving naturally. They were clearly not bothered by me and I would never risk disturbing them by using a flash, the bird is always more important than the photograph.

 

Crimson Chat (Epthianura tricolor)
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 400, focal length 560mm
Canon 5DsR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT

 

The way the female is bathing and the male’s expression in the photograph above makes me smile. This week’s images are heavily cropped, going from an initial pixel size of 8688×5792 to 1070×713.

Several years ago I spent many hours hoping to see these beautiful little birds at Lake Mungo, all I saw was a tantalising flash of red that was so fleeting that I wasn’t entirely sure I’d actually seen it. I feel incredibly lucky to have spent so much time with them in the Mallee.

Happy birding

Kim

 

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