Outside my window

Working on my computer this morning when I looked up to see a pair of Pardalotes just outside the window perched on the stem of the bamboo palm. They were quite happy to stay for some photos although through the window with not ideal light meant lots of focus and movement problems but a few shots were OK.

Pardalotes are flower peckers and spend most of the time in the tree tops but it is breeding time and they build their nests in tunnels in earth banks, tree hollows and even hanging flower baskets. There are a number of species in Australia but the two that I have seen here are the Spotted Pardalote or this one the Striated Pardalote this form being Pardalotus ornatus also called the Eastern Striated Pardalote ranging down the coastal forests from mid Queensland, NSW and Victoria. They are quite tiny birds and very attractive and I always look forward to this time of year when they are visiting. When they are in the trees one of the give aways to their presence is the pecking as they attack scale and lerp insects on the leaves of eucalyptus.

They spent some time during the day back and forth to the palm and at time some activity took place, stretching wings and fluttering which I expect was mating display.