breakfast with the birds

The flowering gums are in full bloom and bees and rainbow lorikeets are vying for the blossoms in the tree at the end of our street.
For the last few mornings Astro has sat patiently under the tree being 'rained' on by pruned flowers and leaves while I've been trying to catch a snap of these busy and very noisy birds.

Rainbow lorikeets are not native to Western Australia, accidentally released into the south west of the state in the 1960s. Pretty though they are, they are considered a pest.
In the wild they feed on nectar, pollen and fruit and orchardists pay a heavy price as flocks strip fruit trees of the ready for harvest crop.
The native bird population too pays a price, in competition for feeding resources and nesting spots.

So the appearance of these parrots is a mixed blessing.