Imagine the feeling when critically endangered fledglings flutter out of hiding and settle a few metres from where you are crouched.
Helmeted Honeyeater – Fledgling
I get goosebumps looking at the above image, not because it’s a brilliant image but because of the feeling of wonderment that comes flooding back when I look at it. This little miracle is one of a handful of Helmeted Honeyeaters that fledges in the wild. My intrepid friend, Fiona, and I brave the mossies and leeches each fortnight as part of a team of volunteers who provide supplementary feeding for the hehos each day of the year; we were busy measuring the Wombaroo mix when we noticed the flutter of tiny wings.
This fledgling is very young. It still has an orange bill, which will turn black quite quickly. Its tail is short, its head and underparts are a lovely soft green rather than the more vivid yellow they will become as it grows, and its feet are still pink.
Helmeted Honeyeater – adult and fledgling
While the honeyeaters are raising fledglings they are supplied with a limited number of mealworms to provide extra protein for the young birds.
It was an overcast day, which wasn’t ideal for photography, and I was so thrilled to see the fledglings that it was a while before I set up the camera and took some images to share. A second little one stayed partly hidden amongst the foliage.
Helmeted Honeyeater – fledglings
Sometime later the babies showed themselves again. By then their tails had grown, their feathers were less green, their yellow tufts had sprouted and their feet and bills had darkened.
Fledglings are testimony to the dedication of the team of staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure the continued existence of Helmeted Honeyeaters. There are a multitude of duties including feeding, organising the food, coordinating the rosters, habitat management, captive breeding programs and a vast assortment of associated research, administration and other tasks. If you’d like to learn more about hehos or are interested in volunteering please visit Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater. There are two earlier posts that might also be of interest: Helmeted Honeyeaters! and Helmeted Honeyeater – such creative titles!
I wanted to share something special today as it is the 2 year anniversary of lirralirra. What began as a tentative step towards trying to improve my photography and share my passion for birds has become an integral part of my week. I wanted the layout to be flexible which means it’s a harder site to find than if it was part of an online community like flickr or tumblr; so I am extra grateful for the kindred spirits who have somehow managed to find it. There have been nearly 14,000 visits, from 1282 cities in 110 countries – the world-wide web is incredible.
Thank you, and happy birding, Kim
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