Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Little wattlebird

Wattlebirds must like wattle. Right? I assumed so as a kid. That's how they got their name, yes?

Wrong. I now understand that these honeyeaters are so named because of the bits of coloured flesh that hang from each side of their neck which are of course called ... "wattles". When Australians hear the word "wattle" they think of trees and shrubs belonging to the genus "Acacia".

To confuse things further we have here the Little wattlebird whose wattles are so "little" they are non-existant!

These pictures from last weekend were taken using the bathroom window as a hide while this fellow was feeding on a planted garden grevillea.


Brutal sunlight & 35 deg celsius outside. 

Head rush anyone?
This is how I get my rufous wing patch.

2 comments:

  1. From the bathroom window!!
    Well you did well especially if it was closed!
    The plant looks a bit like some Proteas we had in our SA garden!
    Oh, and could you send me a few °C please, here it's the middle of winter!! I'll send you a few snow flakes in return! LOL!
    Only teasing since it is the best time for birding!
    Cheers Pete!

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  2. I didn't realise someone who is striving for mediocrity could be so interesting! Great facts and photos Pete.

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