Angry and blue

This little blue chap has been really angry lately, and is not afraid to take action. He attacks his reflection in the kitchen window every morning. He's a Superb Blue Wren. Surprisingly, his head and cheeks are very blue and in the sunlight he's superb. Australians are good at naming their birds like that. We also have Red-browed Firetails, small green finches with red tails and - wait for it - red brows. We have Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos which frequent here as well. Guess what they look like? Our Yellow Wattlebirds have yellow wattles, but the Red Wattlebirds have red ones. Red Rumped Parrots have, incredibly, red rumps. The multicoloured lorikeets that steal all our fruit became a bit long-winded to describe in one name however so they are simply known as Rainbow Lorikeets.


Amazing bird nomenclature aside, Bluey, as he's come to be known, spends a lot of time seeing off the would-be usurper to his territory in our kitchen. At least, he believes it's in our kitchen. Often we see his wren d'amour on the knocked-up frame that holds a grapevine over the window but she is most often found flitting about the shrubbery holding the bank behind the house together. For the days are getting longer now and soon it will be wren breeding time.


In the meantime, before the love of his life is secured in her nest, this little black, blue and white ball of angry feathers will provide our breakfast entertainment. For, like humans, what he's really angry at is himself.