Elusive Rufous Scrub-birds very elusive

Following my recent post on our search for the elusive Rufous Scrub-bird in Gibraltar Range
National Park I received an email from Penny Drake-Brockman from Gloucester. 

She wrote "Interested to read your short report on search for the scrubbird in your
local range.  Maybe their not calling was due to the drought - is that
area very dry?  Hunter Bird group had little response from the
scrub-birds at Gloucester Tops this year (surveys in September/October)
and put this down to it being very dry - this has happened in the past.

I went up to Gloucester Tops mid November with some birders, and we only
heard the Munro Hut bird (which is the one that is usually most easily
heard) make a few chips, and one other further along the Careys Peak
Track - with no calls from many other previously recorded sites.   When
surveying up there in other years when we've had sufficient rain, I've
heard them loud and clear at many sites."

Penny is right about the rain.  We have had a particularly dry spring and summer.  We have had a few storms but many of the local wetlands have dried up. 

I am glad to know that it is not just the Gibraltar Range Scrub-birds that have been hard to locate.  Hopefully this is just a temporary glitch and they will be back to their vocally loud selves next year.

                                                

                                                    Rufous Scrub-bird habitat Gibraltar Range National Park