Hurrah for the fairy-wrens!

The Superb Fairy-wrens have finally raised some babies! I’ve been worried about them since their numbers dropped from nine individuals down to three. Two nests failed and I have been concerned that the three remaining birds would be taken by the resident goshawk before they could raise a family. This week I heard the chatter of a larger group and saw three delightful fledglings keeping their parents busy.

 

Changing coloursSuperb Fairy-wren
Canon 7D, 100-400mm L IS USM, no flash, other details to follow

 

And the handsome chap above could be the father of one or more of the fledglings but the social life of fairy-wrens is fascinating and it could be that he is helping to feed the babies without having fathered any of them.

I took this photograph when the fairy-wren was moulting into the blues and black of his breeding colours, he’s over half way there and looking mottled and messy as the last feathers of his non-breeding plumage are about to be lost. There were only a few more minutes of daylight left when he flew towards me, perched and posed. His wings aren’t settled to his sides, like all small birds he paused very briefly. I love the challenge of photographing small birds, being able to see their exquisite detail is a tremendous reward to me.

Last week I asked which of the three Hooded Plover images people liked best and the third image, ‘Tailwind’, was the clear winner. The first image with the breaking wave in the background gained second place while the one that I’m most attached to, with the bubbles, only received a couple of votes. I love how subjective photography is.

I’ve had some beach time this week and am hoping to have some exciting images to share next week.

Happy birding, Kim

 

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