Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The Banksia and the Bird....

Hello Dhaaarlings...


More photos from my recent adventure tho the Botanical Gardens


Introducing...





I just love these blooms. They look quite majestic and I used to love working with them in fresh arrangements from my days as a florist...

During my recent snap-a-thon... there was I... busily snapping away with the camera among the Banksia bushes... as I'd never seen them actually growing on the bush before... (we would fly the cut blooms in from interstate)... totally oblivious to the rest of the world around me...





When suddenly I was shuddered back to reality by the vision in my view finder...







Sadly... it was not one of my imaginary naked  gardeners coming to give my bush a good raking over....


But it was as you will discover a "New Holland Honeyeater" settling in for his mid morning feed

Read more about this endearing little bird at this link 

As I was saying...

One of these little darlings... no... not the gardener the little bird.... landed on the Banksia drift while I was busy snapping away... 





So... I zoomed in for a close up and fortunately he obliged me...






Then proceeded to demonstrate his adeptness... with his beak... in obtaining the sweet sugary nectar from deep within the flower head
I'm not too sure but I think he ws putting on a show for my camera...
It is just a shame that the gardener wouldn't...






Their beak has adapted over time to be able to reach right down into the individual flower heads... which I think is quite clever... If you are a nectar chaser...

I think that the bird and the Banksia are both quite stunning

Don't you?





Princess had such a lovely adventure...



5 comments:

  1. I'll have the Sukiyaki with Teriyaki sauce, please!

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  2. What lovely blooms, lovely big heads. The only whiff of the Orient you'll find round here is from the local Chinese take-away. I can't stomach their foreign muck.

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  3. Hi XL

    Sukiyaki is something that I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of... but I'll have a houseboy pop over with your order directly...

    Hello Miss Mitzi

    I'm quite partial to the occasional big head.
    I guess they don't do "Bangas and Mash" then?

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  4. How about that? You take pictures of a lovely group of blossoms only to catch a rare bonus foto op of beautiful bird doing what nature intended for it to do!

    Fantastic shots! Thanks for sharing them! I luv looking at the native plants and animals from your part of the world.

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  5. Thanks Eros

    It is a pleasure to be able to bring them along to share with friends.

    I was surprised to see him land there on the blooms. Nature is wonderful... and I began to think that if I had gone there to try and specifically get a shot of the honey eater I would have been sadly disappointed... sometimes there is just an element of serendipity to these things... And I am very greatful

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