It’s fig time.
Canon 5DSR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM
Silvereyes visit the fig tree early each morning at this time of year and sometimes I can capture a photograph as the early morning sun shines low through the branches of the nearby apricot tree. The warm light looks beautiful on these tiny birds, they glow, especially against a shadowed background.
Canon 5DSR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM
They are surprisingly agile when eating figs or when savouring nectar from the bottlebrush flowers (shots I will share another time). They twist around the small branches and their fine bills make short work of the sweet, ripe figs.
Canon 5DSR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM
Sometimes they seem to pause and look towards me, looking surprisingly innocent.
Canon 5DSR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM
Although the background can look quite expansive it’s often a tiny area, which is easier to imagine when you think of these birds as being less than half the size of your hand. The soft brown background in the shot above is a tiny patch of dried grass clippings.
Canon 5DSR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM
Talking of backgrounds, the browns and greens in this shot are of a wattle tree bedecked with brown seed pods. I love the upright stance of this little Silvereye as it glances towards me before tucking into the fig beside it.
Canon 5DSR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM
Lighting makes a huge difference to a shot. The warm glow of the early morning and late afternoon generally creates a much nicer photograph. The shadows are long, contrast is low, detail is exquisite. Overcast days can give a reasonable shot too, if the ISO can go high enough. This shot was taken in awful conditions but I do like the way it shows how thoroughly they enjoy the figs.
My thanks to everyone who contacted me, in a variety of ways, about last week’s duckling post. The Victorian Government has now announced a full 90 days duck shooting season, starting 16 March 2022. We need more kindness in the world, and fewer guns. I’m sickened…
Happy birding, Kim
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Gorgeous photographs. I am always struck by the fact that the Silvereye colouring and fig colouring compliment each other. I am recalling the photograph you had in the Mont De Lancey exhibition. A favourite!
That’s your artistic flair at work Margot! I know exactly the photograph you mean, I think of it as my renaissance shot, it’s one of my favourites too. In fact I think I’d like to treat myself to a print of it…
Absolutely beautiful shots of one of my favourite birds, Kim!
My neighbour has left the netting off her tree this year as the birds were getting in underneath and I was always sneaking over to let them out. Silly birds came in on ground level but wanted to fly up of course to leave.lol. It’s been a Godsend for me as it’s open slather and I get to stand on my verandah photographing them. Unfortunately, only the Eastern Koel, Figbirds and Wattle birds have found them so far. I hope the dear little Silvereyes turn up here like at your place.
Have a good weekend xx
Netting! I should buy some safe-for-birds netting to put around one branch so I get some figs too this year, if it’s not too late already. Lovely of you to rescue the trapped birds. I threw all my nets away a few years ago as the trees are too big (I should prune more heavily) and the nets weren’t the newer kind. Interesting that koel like them. I’ve heard them in my garden but am yet to see one close up or get a photograph. And I’ve never seen the ubiquitous wattlebirds take any interest in the figs. Which is interesting. I hope the Silvereyes will visit you too! Have a lovely Sunday xo
Sensational shots Kim!!
Thanks heaps Tess 🙂