Red-backed Fairy-wren
Malurus melanocephalus
Maluridae
While many of Australia’s fairy-wrens feature various shades of blue in their plumage, the Red-backed Fairy-wren is equally as striking, but with an eye-catching patch of red feathers on its back and rump, contrasting with the rest of the plumage, which is glossy black. They are commonly seen in grassy areas of northern and eastern Australia.
The Red-backed-Fairy-wren is among the least faithful birds in the world, with extra-pair mating commonplace — the result is that the eggs in any given nest are often fathered by various different birds. These fairy-wrens are often seen in flocks, with one colourful bird surrounded by a bevy of brown ones, which comprise females, males in non-breeding plumage and young birds.
Description
The Red-backed Fairy-wren is the smallest of Australia’s fairy-wrens. Males are glossy black with a striking red patch on the back and rump. Like most other fairy-wrens, when in non-breeding plumage they are brown above and off white below. Females and juvenile birds also have brown upperparts above and whitish underparts.
Similar Species
Adult males are unmistakable when in breeding plumage, but females, males in non-breeding plumage and young birds could be mistaken for Variegated and Superb Fairy-wrens in similar brown plumages.
Distribution
The Red-backed Fairy-wren is widespread in northern and eastern Australia, with a range that stretches from the Kimberley Region of Western Australia, across the Top End to Cape York Peninsula, and from there, south through eastern Queensland to northern New South Wales.
Habitat
Red-backed Fairy-wrens inhabit a wide variety of grassy habitats, especially grasslands or open forests and woodlands with a grassy ground cover.
Feeding
Red-backed Fairy-wrens usually feed on small insects that are pecked from the foliage of shrubs or trees, among grass or from the ground among accumulated leaf litter. They regularly forage together in pairs or small family groups.
Breeding
Three or four white eggs with brownish spots are laid in a domed nest that is made from grass and strips of bark, and lined with fine grass, rootlets, feathers and fur. Only the female incubates, but both parents, along with a band of helpers, feed the nestlings.
The cache is NOT at the posted coordinates
This Wherigo converts your player into a virtual version of the "Reverse Cache Box" which tells you the bearing to the cache, but not the distance. You may begin your search from any spot in the world using your Smartphone or Whereigo compatible GPS to navigate to the cache.
**As the cartridge produces whole number degrees, the triangulation is not accurate from long distances especially if the 2 readings are taken close together producing an acute angle at intersection, so don't be disheartened by a GZ that seems wrong, go near there and take more readings.**
The cartridge was created by day1976 and is available to download from the wherigo website. day1976's Open Source Reverse Wherigo .
Start up the player, find and load the cartridge. > NewGame > Find a Geocache > Answer > Enter First Code > xxxxx > Answer > Enter Second Code > xxxxx > Answer > The bearing to this Geocache is xxx degrees. This bearing is from where you are standing. It is now up to you how many times you relocate and obtain different bearings so as to triangulate the cache. The ultimate goal would be to find the cache with just one bearing reading, but for most, it would need a minimum of two bearings. Bearings are with respect to True North, so If using an OS map, allowances will have to be made, as Grid North, Magnetic North, and True North are all different!
To begin, you will have to type these two codes into your player when prompted:
jm34a
7ovvs
It is suggested that you take the code with you on your journey. It will be needed if it becomes necessary to restart your player for any reason.
Have Fun!
How to download the Whereigo Cartridge
You may begin your search from any spot in the world using a Whereigo compatible GPS unit or phone app.
Link to day1976's Open Source Reverse Wherigo cartridge.
Log into wherigo.com using your geocaching.com player name and password. The cartridge type used on phone apps is the Pocket PC Device.