Muscari

My first grape hyacinths of the season. Quite good in large.

Bellbird update.

The female bellbirds (see yesterday) continue to call frequently at the honey water and apple feed station outside my kitchen window. We have become used to seeing each other just 6 metres and a pane of glass apart. This afternoon, however, I was startled by the very loud peal of a male's wonderful call. And there he was, perching on a branch above the female as she sipped honey.

I managed to get a reasonable shot of him. The light was poor again today. The males differ from the females in that their plumage is a brighter green, they don't have the yellow stripe under the eye, and in good light their eyes are bright cherry red. The female's eyes are brown. This fellow seems to have an injury on the top of his head. It should not look like that.

This is very exciting for me. Until I began putting out honey water a couple of weeks ago I had caught only the vaguest glimpses of bellbirds in my garden.