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Blue-faced Honeyeater |
Sightings
Blue-faced Honeyeaters are regular customers at the Bottlebrush trees in our garden near Narrabri, New South Wales. They come in groups of 2 or more and make themselves heard upon arrival (and during their stay). Also sighted on a trip to the east of the dividing range, in the area from Armidale to Dorrigo, New South Wales.
Photos
Adult Blue-faced Honeyeater (subspecies "cyanotis") in a Bottlebrush tree in first morning light (I; click on image for larger version)
Adult Blue-faced Honeyeater (subspecies "cyanotis") in a Bottlebrush tree in first morning light (II; click on image for larger version)
Lateral view of a Blue-faced Honeyeater (subspecies "cyanotis") displaying the full splendor of its blue face in brillian sunlight (click on image for larger version)
Frontal view of an immature Blue-faced Honeyeater (subspecies "cyanotis") in a Bottlebrush tree (click on image for larger version)
Lateral view of an immature Blue-faced Honeyeater (subspecies "cyanotis"); click on photo for full-size display
Here an immature Blue-faced Honeyeater preening itself (click on image for larger version)
Habits
One can set the clock by the regular habits of Blue-faced Honeyeaters around our place. They appear almost all year round, just after sunrise and just before sunset. Only when there are lots of flowers on our Bottlebrush tree they will also come at other times of the day. They visit as pairs or families, rarely alone.
Blue-faced Honeyeaters are omnivores - they use their long tongues not only for retrieving honey or nectar from blossoms, but also to catch small insects, for example from cracks and cavities in walls of buildings.