Nature Blue faced honey eater

Blue faced honey eater · **5 Likes**

Finally, after countless attempts, I was able to make some photographs of a group of Blue Faced Honey eaters.
Not an indigenous plant I know. Taken over the fence in our neighbours yard. No sticks, flowers, grass, in fact no things between me and the birds.

slowpez · 03-16-2016, 07:21 AM

Very pretty bird. We don't get them here of course but it is so nice to see them in their natural habitat.

rednax · 03-16-2016, 12:21 PM

A very artistic pic I think. The dense greenery, the flowers and the blue sky frames the bird very nicely !

Murra54 · 03-16-2016, 04:55 PM

Thank you both, for looking and commenting. Also thank you to those who liked the photograph. Right spot, right time, mostly luck.

They are interesting birds to see up close. The skin patch around their eye is quite iridescent and, to my eye, seems to have a distinctly green hue.
These birds have been a tad difficult to get close to, so I could not believe my luck when four or five landed in the bush 2 metres from where I was standing
.
Where I live appears, from a very small map, to be on the very eastern edge of there range. as with many birds and animals the changes to our weather patterns may have caused them to extend that range

**Cee Cee** · 03-16-2016, 05:29 PM

A nice capture, the foliage frames the bird well, Bendigo is well south for these, I've only seen them in Echuca, and up north in Townsville

Murra54 · 03-17-2016, 01:46 AM

I guess I haven't been photographing birds for all that long, but I don't recall having seen many before.
Chris Tzaros book " Wildlife of the Box-Ironbark Country" mentions sightings in Bendigo since 1970, so I assume that I am wrong and that they do inhabit this area.

Murra54 · 03-17-2016, 01:51 AM

This is another from the same set

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Morgoth924 · 03-17-2016, 02:44 AM

Stunning, amazing birds, well captured!

**Cee Cee** · 03-17-2016, 04:36 AM

Originally posted by Murra54

I guess I haven't been photographing birds for all that long, but I don't recall having seen many before.
Chris Tzaros book " Wildlife of the Box-Ironbark Country" mentions sightings in Bendigo since 1970, so I assume that I am wrong and that they do inhabit this area.

just looking at a distribution map from Neville W. Cayley "What Bird Is That" and it shows they extend down into central Vic regions. (from the 1930's).

I'm suprised, I'd never seen one until one day up on the Murray.

rawr · 03-17-2016, 05:46 AM

Great shots.

I have about 6 of them in an extended family group show up in the backyard almost every day [northern rivers, NSW]. They love to bird-bath in the afternoon.

Janse · 03-17-2016, 11:29 AM

Very nice shots!

Murra54 · 03-17-2016, 02:52 PM

Originally posted by Cee Cee

just looking at a distribution map from Neville W. Cayley "What Bird Is That" and it shows they extend down into central Vic regions. (from the 1930's).

I'm suprised, I'd never seen one until one day up on the Murray.

I use "The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds" second edition, which I find really good to use. It is small in size and can be carried around,
it is also very well indexed and the birds are easy to find. The illustrations have, so far, been accurate and useful. The down side is that the maps are about the size of a matchbox.

None of this detracts from the pleasure of watching and photographing them.

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03-16-2016, 07:21 AM	#2
slowpez Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: South Carolina, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 18,462	Very pretty bird. We don't get them here of course but it is so nice to see them in their natural habitat.

03-16-2016, 12:21 PM	#3
rednax Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 152	A very artistic pic I think. The dense greenery, the flowers and the blue sky frames the bird very nicely !

03-16-2016, 04:55 PM	#4
Murra54 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Bendigo, Victoria Posts: 389 Original Poster	Thank you both, for looking and commenting. Also thank you to those who liked the photograph. Right spot, right time, mostly luck. They are interesting birds to see up close. The skin patch around their eye is quite iridescent and, to my eye, seems to have a distinctly green hue. These birds have been a tad difficult to get close to, so I could not believe my luck when four or five landed in the bush 2 metres from where I was standing . Where I live appears, from a very small map, to be on the very eastern edge of there range. as with many birds and animals the changes to our weather patterns may have caused them to extend that range

03-16-2016, 05:29 PM	#5
Cee Cee Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Glenroy, Melbourne Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,441	A nice capture, the foliage frames the bird well, Bendigo is well south for these, I've only seen them in Echuca, and up north in Townsville

03-17-2016, 01:46 AM	#6
Murra54 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Bendigo, Victoria Posts: 389 Original Poster	I guess I haven't been photographing birds for all that long, but I don't recall having seen many before. Chris Tzaros book " Wildlife of the Box-Ironbark Country" mentions sightings in Bendigo since 1970, so I assume that I am wrong and that they do inhabit this area.

03-17-2016, 02:44 AM	#8
Morgoth924 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 44	Stunning, amazing birds, well captured!

03-17-2016, 04:36 AM	#9
Cee Cee Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Glenroy, Melbourne Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,441	Originally posted by Murra54 I guess I haven't been photographing birds for all that long, but I don't recall having seen many before. Chris Tzaros book " Wildlife of the Box-Ironbark Country" mentions sightings in Bendigo since 1970, so I assume that I am wrong and that they do inhabit this area. just looking at a distribution map from Neville W. Cayley "What Bird Is That" and it shows they extend down into central Vic regions. (from the 1930's). I'm suprised, I'd never seen one until one day up on the Murray.

03-17-2016, 05:46 AM	#10
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Great shots. I have about 6 of them in an extended family group show up in the backyard almost every day [northern rivers, NSW]. They love to bird-bath in the afternoon.

03-17-2016, 11:29 AM	#11
Janse Inactive Account Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 4,460	Very nice shots!

03-17-2016, 02:52 PM	#12
Murra54 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Bendigo, Victoria Posts: 389 Original Poster	Originally posted by Cee Cee just looking at a distribution map from Neville W. Cayley "What Bird Is That" and it shows they extend down into central Vic regions. (from the 1930's). I'm suprised, I'd never seen one until one day up on the Murray. I use "The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds" second edition, which I find really good to use. It is small in size and can be carried around, it is also very well indexed and the birds are easy to find. The illustrations have, so far, been accurate and useful. The down side is that the maps are about the size of a matchbox. None of this detracts from the pleasure of watching and photographing them.