Radiant Robin

I’ve been crazily busy, working ten-hour days on the property but still unable to keep up with how quickly everything is growing and how many sticks, branches and (sadly) trees are coming down.

Eastern Yellow Robins used to be in my garden every day, they nested at the edge of the bush every year and were the first bird I heard calling every morning. Now I hear them occasionally and see them rarely, so imagine how rapt I was to see two in the bush this week.

I took this photograph in the garden a while ago and it won the Victorian Print of the Year, which was wonderful. I was lucky to capture the robin posing so beautifully, with its tiny wing held ready to pounce and with that intent look in its eye that can spot a tiny bug at a surprising distance.

Eastern Yellow Robins are about 16cm from the tip of their bill to the end of their tail, and they weigh about 19g. Whenever I think of the weight of these smaller birds I think of the weight of a hen’s egg. It would take three of these robins to weigh the same as an average chook egg. I love the detail of their feathers, the pattern and colour of the yellows, olive greens blending with some of the greys, and the soft white throat. The scientific name Eopsaltria means dawn-harper, relating to them being one of the earliest birds to start the dawn chorus.

Happy birding, stay safe, Kim

~ Browse prints and gifts Lirralirra Shop
~ Facebook page Kim Wormald – lirralirra
~ Facebook group  Ethical Bird Photography