Birding

A posing Yellow Chat

September 26, 2021 by Clare M 2 Comments

The photograph above is your typical photograph of a Yellow Chat around Broome. You will be walking along and there is a little bit of movement on the ground and you observe a couple or more Yellow Chats. Recently we encountered a flock of over one hundred Yellow Chats, but they did not stay still and they were impossible to photograph. Often the Yellow Chats will sit on the top of the saltbush near the coast, but once again only briefly. Mostly we just enjoy looking at Yellow Chats through binoculars, because they flit around too much.

I have photographed Yellow Chats in amongst the grass before and the male Yellow Chat is quite beautiful. We have also encountered Crimson Chats in Broome and Orange Chats when we have been travelling. Paul is also lucky enough to have Chats in Mexico!

On this recent occasion there were only three Yellow Chats and they were being quite vocal. There are a couple of old rusty fence posts in the area and we could hardly believe it when a Yellow Chat got onto the top of the post and basically posed for me. We were even more surprised, because it was windy and not very pleasant from either our point of view or the birds.

We were surprised at how long the Yellow Chat posed for us and it was also calling out. It didn’t take me long to realise it was worth taking some photographs to capture the moment!

Posing Yellow Chat

There’s nothing better than a bird that wants to show itself! Observing birds is always very satisfying, but the chance to make memories with your camera is also rewarding!

Written by Clare M
Clare and her husband, Grant, have lived permanently in Broome, Western Australia since 1999 after living in various outback locations around Western Australia and Darwin. She has lived in the Middle East and the United States and traveled extensively in Europe. She monitors Pied Oystercatchers breeding along a 23km stretch of Broome's coastline by bicycle and on foot. She chooses not to participate in social media, but rather wander off into the bush for peace and tranquility. Thankfully she can write posts in advance and get away from technology!