232) Birds in Blooms

New Holland Honeyeater

You'd strike a superman-showoff pose, too, if you looked like one of these dashing birds!  As we entered into Giraween National Park there was a frenzy of activity as the New Holland Honeyeaters darted about, enjoying the nectar from a variety of blooming Banksias.  It's a wonder these guys managed to stay still for the split second needed to capture their portrait.

White-naped Honeyeater

Apostlebird

There are three honeyeaters which look very similar.  The field mark for White-naped Honeyeater is the bright red crescent above their eye.  White-throated Honeyeaters look almost exactly the same, but have a blue crescent above their eyes, as do Black-chinned Honeyeaters.  But the Black-chinned Honeyeaters, as you may guess, have black chins, but are also quite rare.







Apostlebirds are companionable social birds.  We love to hear them nattering about, rough and tumble birds.

Little Lorikeet  

We were very pleased to find these Little Lorikeets in winter-blooming Eucalypts. We have heard them before and glimpsed their silhouettes as they flash past overhead at just under Mach 1. We were wondering if they ever actually stop flying! But here they were mixed in with the both Musk and Ray-loes (aka Rainbow Lorikeets).  The lorikeets have brush-tipped tongues to eat both the pollen and nectar from the blooms.

Musk Lorikeet

The Musk Lorikeets were another 'legendary' bird--we didn't think they truly existed, but here they were.  We still marvel that trees bloom year-round, here, and the birds are able to follow and find the blooms among the vastness of the terrain they must need to cover.

The Rose Robins are moving down from the higher-elevation rainforest, and lighting up the open woods where we can enjoy their beauty...












...the female Rose Robins are a bit more subdued with just a hint of delicate pink.

This group of White-winged Choughs were hanging out in our campground.  One bird was the leader, and one bird was sweep--they kept an eye on everyone in between them, calling back and forth to keep contact.















Every bird is our favourite until the next one comes along, but we can't resist exclaiming over the exquisiteness of the Diamond firetails...we were lucky to see several on this trip, only a few birds at a time, though.

Diamond Firetail