Oh YAY! Such excitement over something so tiny but I’ve been seeing this gorgeous juvenile Eastern Spinebill flitting around the garden without having a spare moment to try to photograph it. This was my lucky week.
1/1250, f/5.0, ISO 1600
I was staggered when it perched in the open for the briefest of moments as it usually prefers the birdbath that is curtained with leaves. This juvenile Eastern Spinebill is way more subtly coloured than it will be as an adult, when it will have bold black, white, chestnut and orange plumage, a fully black bill and a red iris. I shared an image of an adult male Eastern Spinebill last week, which is probably this one’s parent. Adult males have slightly bolder markings than adult females. The species weighs about 11g (incredible when I think that a hen’s egg is about 60g) and measures about 16cm, which is also pretty amazing when most of the length is taken up by the tail and the delicate, de-curved bill.
This morning I was honoured to attend the breakfast for Women in Conservation at Melbourne’s Glasshouse, as a guest of Trust for Nature. I am very grateful for the experience, the inspiring speakers, the women I met, the kind lift into the city (which is definitely not my natural habitat) and the delicious breakfast. It was heartwarming to be among so many incredibly talented and passionate people. The event has made me think about how many of us care deeply about our environment and understand the intrinsic value of nature, and how we all help in so many ways, big and small – I thank you all for being part of such a vital community.
Happy birding, Kim
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