Finding Food in Flowers
December 2007
Queensland has spoiled us—Kangaroo Island certainly doesn’t have the bird diversity that we’ve been used to up until now. And the land birds are proving hard to approach. I’ve been seeing honeyeaters of several species in flying in small flocks everywhere, but the question is, how to photograph them? Amid this parched landscape I’ve seen few trees or shrubs flowering that could provide a consistent nectar source to attract the honeyeaters, but they must be finding food somewhere.
Out driving one day I notice several flowering bottlebrush shrubs along the roadside. On a hunch I pull over and watch a while. A few birds are indeed coming to feed on the nectar from these fuzzy red flowers, so I resolve to return and photograph there.
Next morning I am in place ready at sunrise. I have to wait a while but eventually birds begin arriving to sip from the bottlebrush flowers. There are boldly patterned, black and white New Holland Honeyeaters, more subtlely colored Crescent Honeyeaters, and once a small flock of tiny Silvereyes. The birds flit from flower to flower, probing with their bills to reach the nectar, before flying off for the next snack. And they don’t always perch in an optimal position, since there are plenty of branches to obscure them. It’s hard to focus and compose quickly, but I thrive on that challenge so a couple of hours later I have several shots I’m delighted with. As the day heats up, the feeding activity slows. Always wanting more and better photos, I plan to return the next day.
Next morning it dawns cooler and overcast. I am ready at the same spot, anticipating the action. I wait and wait, but not a single bird shows up. Suddenly, around me I can almost hear the dessicated earth begin to sigh—Kangaroo Island is getting its first rain in months.