Outside my Studio Window: Blue Faced Honeyeater & Banksia robur

I have planted 2 large banksias just outside the very large windows in my drawing studio. They are a Banksia serrata and a Banksia robur. I have done this deliberately as they attract some beautiful birds, as well as the usual annoying culprits like the native noisy miner.

One of my regular visitors are a pair of Blue Faced Honeyeaters.

As you can see it has been raining here, quite regularly – am actually feeling slightly sodden, but they seem to carry on wet feathers and all.

They seem to particularly love feeding on the nectar from the local species Banksia robur, and often sticky beak into my studio studying what’s going on.

They have the most stunning green/gold feathers in their wings – but as you can see are easily distracted and can be quite skittish. Although when our small indoors cat ‘Ren’ is stalking along the windows yowling I guess they have good reason although there is no possibility of her ever getting to them.

Just look at the stunning colour around the eye and down onto the beak. This one must be a young one as they say the skin around the eye can be a yellow-green and the more nature birds like in the photos above have that beautiful brilliant blue that gives them their name.

Apparently they are also known as a Banana Bird as they feed on the flowers/fruit of the banana trees.

Their call can be heard here on the Birds in Backyard website – they are early risers and start their call about half an hour before sunrise.

Not that I would notice – tend to be up late with the Owls and sound asleep before sunrise!