Bird bath bird watching blitz

Who needs a television when you have a bird bath for visual entertainment?  The beautiful autumnal weather had seen the observers sitting on the verandah a lot. The warm weather, a few brief showers, and the weather conditions seem to have brought on a flurry of bird activity around the bird bath.
 What are the requirements? A bird bath placed in a strategic position, providing shelter for the birds and clean water filling the bath.  Get a cup of tea, a comfortable seat on the verandah, binoculars and a bird book enhance the experience.  Just sit and wait. 
A very busy time at the bird bath seemed to occur at about the same time each afternoon.  For an exercise in observation we took 30 minutes (from 4.10pm – 4.40pm) one afternoon and recorded all the visitors to the bird bath.
First there were Superb Blue Wrens, and then bees were drinking at the water’s edge.  Next came the White Eared Honeyeaters, then a Grey Fantail, later joined by another.  Very small birds followed, Yellow Rumped Thornbills, Silvereyes (about 15 of them) and a small group of Weebills.
There were not as many birds on that particular occasion as on some other afternoons, but it was still great viewing!
What brought this on?  Looking out the window one lunch time we sighted a bright yellow bird drinking at the bird bath.  Checking the bird book we identified the visitor as a Golden Whistler.  This would be a new addition to the bird list that we have been recording for over a decade. A previously unrecorded sighting to add to the list was quite exciting. The Golden Whistler has been seen twice more at the bird bath.
Article by Wedderburn Conservation Management Network “Observers”