Oh my goodness, lirralirra is late (though it is still Friday in most places). I wanted to share some shots I took today but I lost track of time due to a Cabbage ‘Pink’ Butterfly (I’ll share a photograph of that too).
1/800, f/5.6, ISO 3200
Canon 5DSR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT
I see New Holland Honeyeaters just about every day but I don’t often see one spreading its tail feathers like the one in the shot above. I love the way it shows the combination of yellow, black and white.
1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 3200
Canon 5DSR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT
The pattern is often the same at my birdbaths. To start with one lone New Holland turns up, bathes, splashes, drinks and heads off. Within a minute or two a troupe turn up. Today there were seven carrying on and making me smile.
1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 3200
Canon 5DSR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT
I especially like the shot above and the way it highlights so many of the bird’s feathers and the way it is fluffed so beautifully.
1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500
Canon 5DSR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT
And here’s the butterfly, an amazing looking Cabbage ‘Pink’! I’m hoping to find out more about it, so far all I’ve found is a post from 2015 which didn’t have any answers. There were theories about staining relating to tracking research but no evidence of any such studies taking place. Fascinating. Maybe it’s some kind of chromatic aberration. Please let me know if you have any ideas.
Stay safe, happy birding, Kim
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OMG, Kim! These captures of the New Holland Honeyeaters are gorgeous! You wouldn’t have to leave home. I am so envious as I don’t get to see them very often where I live..I don’t know why. They only turn up with all the other Honeyeaters when all the Callistemons are out in flower.
The case of the mystery of the pretty pink Butterfly sounds like it may remain a mystery or you may have found a rare one. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?!Pity they only live for a few weeks.
Have a lovely weekend.
It is so good that birds have come back to my place, I missed them so much while they were on the missing list. I think it must have been due to clearing on the Melbourne Water land behind my place and that now a new balance is developing. I hope so anyway. That’s interesting about New Hollands at your place, there’s so much we don’t understand about wildlife isn’t there. And the consensus on the butterfly seems to be that it was sprayed with a dyed herbicide. It seems strange that we don’t see more of them, and I’m unaware of any local spraying, but that’s the best suggestion to date. You have a lovely weekend too!
Kim – just when I think you can’t surprise me any more with your outstanding photography – you do!
Thanks for these photos – they are stunning and bring great joy with them.
Oh what a lovely comment Sue, thank you. I was lucky to see them and super lucky to capture some shots to share, I’m glad you like them.
Beautiful photos of the NHH – they are frequent visitors to our front garden (Williamstown, Melbourne) but i’ve never seen their fanned tails – how gorgeous!
They love our birds of paradise plants plus our coastal banksia – I imagine them saying all nectar is good nectar!
Oh I can imagine how beautiful they would look on your paradise plants, very exotic! This bird is the only one I’ve seen fanning its tail like that too, I was so pleased to photograph it.
It is early (too early) Saturday now but your post is a delight to see.
The New Holland Honeyeaters are heartmelters. I rarely see them, and the numbers which have graced your birdbath would have me beside myself.
The flutterby looks dyed/stained rather than natural, but I plead ignorance and will be checking the answers to your post for information. What a delight to see.
2am is definitely too early for a morning lark like yourself (I hope you’re okay), though often a time that I’m listening to the quiz on ABC radio. The information I’ve had on the butterfly makes sense to me. The consensus is that it was sprayed when a dyed herbicide was being sprayed. Someone shared a photograph of a Cabbage ‘Blue’ and someone from Perth mentioned seeing a pink one. It seems surprisingly rare considering the amount of spraying that is done but I guess the butterflies would keep out of the way, mostly. Also they only live as butterflies for one to three weeks – fascinating!