One of the prettiest.....

.... little wrens you ever will see. This is the Superb Fairywren, (Malurus cyaneus). It's endemic to south eastern Australia - and the Fleurieu Peninsula where we were today.

We expected to be at an Open Garden, but on the radio this morning we heard about a Native Flora Park just outside Victor Harbor on the south coast, where they were to be celebrating 30 years of community involvement. So we thought we'd to go there instead.

As it turned out, with daylight saving ending today, and me being held up delayed at the Farmers' Market this morning, we got there too late.

And what a blessing that turned out to be - no people, just hundreds of birds. It was truly delightful.

So I got this Superb little bird - superb by name and superb to look at. Another new one for THE list; and the Rower also got a new bird - the Little Wattlebird. So we are both very happy possums tonight. Tummy time is nowhere near the real time - but we'll get used to that.

Brilliant blue

Just for general interest, here is what Mr. Wiki says:

The Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), also known as the Superb Blue-wren or colloquially as the Blue Wren, is a passerine bird of the family Maluridae, common and familiar across southeastern Australia. The species is sedentary and territorial, also exhibiting a high degree of sexual dimorphism; the male in breeding plumage has a striking bright blue forehead, ear coverts, mantle, and tail, with a black mask and black or dark blue throat. Non-breeding males, females and juveniles are predominantly grey-brown in colour; this gave the early impression that males were polygamous, as all dull-coloured birds were taken for females. Two subspecies groups are recognized: the larger and darker Tasmanian form cyaneus and the smaller and paler mainland form cyanochlamys.

Like other fairywrens, the Superb Fairywren is notable for several peculiar behavioural characteristics; the birds are socially monogamous and sexually promiscuous, meaning that although they form pairs between one male and one female, each partner will mate with other individuals and even assist in raising the young from such pairings. Male wrens pluck yellow petals and display them to females as part of a courtship display.

The Superb Fairywren can be found in almost any area that has at least a little dense undergrowth for shelter, including grasslands with scattered shrubs, moderately thick forest, woodland, heaths, and domestic gardens. The Superb Fairywren mainly eats insects and supplements its diet with seeds.