White cheeked Honey Eater

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birdie
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White cheeked Honey Eater

After missing some good shots with Andy last week I was pleasantly surprised today to find a family of White cheeked Honey Eaters. I had originally gone hunting for some Combed Jacanas that I was told would be there, no sign of them but this kept me amused.
Juvenile

Adult

Parents I think

Woko
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White-cheeked honeyeaters don't feature a lot in our postings - at least not since I've been a member. I suppose I expected them to be as common as New Holland honeyeaters are where I live in SA. Just how common are they good posters of NSW & Qld?

birdie
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I have only ever seen one before Woko, and that was in heath by the beach where the swamp banksias are an attraction. I don't think they are that common, but having said that, Andy and I saw one down at Point Cartwright (where I have never seen one before) and yesterdays lot were in a suburban lakeside area that borders a national park. It appears to be the food once again that attracts them. According to Readers Digest they are common on the eat coast here in the coastal heaths and love dryandras,, paperbarks, banksias, tea trees and eucalypt blossoms. Less common In the South West of Western Australia and that is all.
I was delighted to see them and surprised at how small they are .

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Woko
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Thanks for that, Birdie. The New Holland honeyeater is the most common honeyeater here. I regularly count a maximum of over 30 at our place & there are heaps wherever there are flowering Eucalypts, Banksias, Grevilleas & Eremophilas. The even take nectar from introduced species such as fuscias. They also hawk for insects a lot, especially at breeding time when the young are still in the nest.

Birdgirl2009
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These are great. i really like this little bird, which i have seen around here. your photos tell me where to look for more - in casuarinas and banksia robur by the look of it

Elle
Elle's picture

WOW great shots. They are much better than the pics I have. I have only seen one once. ^_^

Owen1
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Sorry, missed this thread. Very cool shots. When I saw the in Sydney every time they would fly away and they moved around so much, well done.

Cheers, Owen.

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