I was visiting my sister and brother in law at Hazelbrook on Friday night, and on Saturday morning I wandered around their garden with my camera. The Bowerbirds were about.
The Bellbirds were Satin Bowerbirds, and they all seemed to be juveniles. Part way up the drive was a bower. It was hidden in the foliage.
I had looked at the bower a few times and noticed a few blue items, as you would expect. But a visit to the bower a few minutes later revealed a quite different number of blue items. In fact they all seemed to have gone. I stayed close by and watched.
A Bowerbird soon arrived and deposited a blue bottle top. Then a short while later, another blue item was brought to the bower.
But I also notched another Bowerbird stealing the blue bottle top.
These juvenile Satin Bowerbirds were finding clue items, then depositing them in bowers, while other juveniles would find them in another bird’s bower and help themselves.
I also photographed this Eastern Spinebill –
Meanwhile, the Bowerbirds were still busy –
