I drove over 1000km to get the nicest close-up I’ve taken of a bird that lives in my garden!
Striated Pardalotes are extremely tiny and extremely beautiful. They are about 9cm long and weigh just 10 grams, that’s about 3.5″ and one third of an ounce.
I’m on the road again and am struggling with poor internet reception. Hopefully this post will work and hopefully I’ll soon be able to share some of the beautiful photographs I’ve been taking over the past couple of weeks, including today in the Little Desert. I’m thinking I’ll use this one in next year’s calendar, so I hope you like it too.
Happy birding! Kim
~ Browse prints and gifts Lirralirra Shop
~ Facebook page Kim Wormald – lirralirra
~ Facebook group Ethical Bird Photography
What an exquisite little bird, Kim! It looks like a gilded sparrow – and what huge claws it has, in relation to its small size. I’ve had a bit of a bird drama for the last few weeks, and with all your expertise in the world of birds, I hope you can advise me. For the past few months, I had been delighted to hear 2 pairs of magpies caroling right outside my window – which they had never done before, at my bayside flat in Melbourne. There aren’t many gumtrees around here anymore, sadly, as selfish home builders and renovators are bulldozing them off blocks of land, and building right up to the fence line – so the maggies are now pretending to themselves that tall apartment blocks are just a modern type of gumtree, and they perched high on top of my building to greet the dawn – lovely for me, but bad for them, ultimately. Anyway, one of my neighbours enjoyed feeding these maggies, and all 4 of them would hop into his kitchen, and sing to him. Naturally, he loved this. But foolishly, he decided to record their song on his phone – and he thought it would be fun to play it back to the maggies. As soon as he did this, he said, they freaked out and flew away. We have not seen them since – not a trace. My boofheaded neighbour is bewildered by their disappearance. I told him that the maggies must have thought that there was another group of maggies close by, declaring their territory, and our maggies fled in a panic. I’m really sad about this – but as maggies are so territorial, do you think that’s the reason why they fled? Of course, they could not have possibly known that it was themselves that they were hearing! I’m going to beg my silly neighbour NEVER to record bird calls and play them back to the birds, again. What a stupid thing to do. Birds really do put up with so much crap from humans, don’t they? Anyway, Kim – enjoy your time on the road – hope you get some more brill photos.
Stunning! Have fun in the desert!
Thanks Liss! So many beautiful sites here
Blessed blogger is messing with my mind again and refused to allow me to comment earlier. I hope it has relented.
I adore this photo and hope you will include it in your calendar. They are tiny pieces of perfection aren’t they?
Enjoy your travels and I look forward to seeing more magic.
I think it may have been a fault here EC as I’m in the middle of nowhere. You’ve sold me on the picture for the calendar, though I’m concerned I’ve left it all a bit late. If you’d like to email me your birthday month I could put it there if you’d like me to (or another species if you have a preference and I have a suitable shot).
Definitely use this tiny miracle in your calendar. And happy travels. I look forward to seeing some of the photos.
I spent some wonderful time with Rainbow Bee-eaters today, hopefully the photographs will be good to share.