World Bird Wednesday - A Dogfight in the Sky

I was lucky enough to witness the White-Plumed Honeyeater,

Lichenostomus penicillatus, arriving for the summer season.

I heard an inordinate ruckus outside, reached for my camera

and was greeted by a whirring of wings and shouting of insults

as a few very early summer bird arrivals (it is still winter by

the calendar) were homing in to the main food source at this

time of year, a bush of red flowering Grevillea.

Protecting the larder was this very vocal and aggressive

New Holland Honeyeater.

It took a while for me to separate the combatants from the

onlookers, a whole flock of noisy common House Sparrows

jockeying for best vantage points on the wing to watch the goings

on. The whole thing was reminiscent of a Harry Potter Quidditch

match. For once, the birds were completely oblivious of me as

they fought and I could get close enough to get some clear shots.

Occasionally five or six House Sparrows would subliminally

sit in the cherry tree before the next engagement.

Although the beak to beak combat was very loud, no actual

feathers flew and a couple of these tiny Yellow-Rumped

Thornbills blithely went about their business of feeding on

tiny insects while the drama roared around them.

After a while, honour was satisfied and everyone went for

a drink (of nectar) in the bushes.

I am glad the Prof planted the natives below my rose bed,

they provide nectar for the birds when not much else is

flowering and now that they have reached a decent height,

are a good wind-break besides.

Hope all has been Quiet on the Western Front where you are.

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