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Today a wonderful surprise, five Splendid fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus) appeared in my garden. They flitted around the undergrowth and explored everything before flying off after about 10 minutes. I was beside myself with excitement, there was one male (pictured) and four females (or non-breeding males) who were pale brown above and buff to white underneath.
My camera was on them just as soon as I could manage, this was the first time I have seen these birds in my yard in ten years. They are very small and move fast, getting a good focus on the male was a real challenge. This is the best of the shots I got. Hopefully they will return tomorrow and I will be ready for them.
Here are some facts about the Splendid fairy-wren: Splendid Fairy-wrens live in communal blended families. This matriarchy is run by one single female, the mother. Dad is the only breeding male, and the rest of the flock can contain up to six helpers, including adult sons born in previous seasons.
Splendid Fairy-wren females incubate their eggs for around two weeks. The chicks are then fed by the group for just 13 days. These social wrens usually live in the same area all year long, so I really hope to see them again.
This is the same little fairy wren I posted a day or two ago, and so is taken under the same dark conditions that resulted in ISO 25600 filling the image with noise. Fellow flickr friend Eleanor Dilley told me about Topaz Denoise, and very kindly offered to put this image through the denoise treatment. (So, this image file has been all over the place this morning!) This end result is a great demonstration of how much noise it can eliminate while retaining some sharpness. I am convinced enough to try this myself now.
Thanks again to Eleanor Dilley for her processing of the original image through Topaz!
The male Superb Fairywren (Blue Wren) is easily distinguished by its rich blue and black plumage above and on the throat.
The wings are brown and the belly is grey-white and on some males blue bleeds below the black plumage to colour the upper most belly feathers a distinct shade of blue.
Females and young birds are mostly brown above with a dull red-orange area around the eye and a brown bill. Females have a pale greenish gloss, absent in young birds, on the otherwise brown tail. The legs are brown in both sexes.
The ‘coloured’ males are often accompanied by a band of brown ‘jenny wrens’, often assumed to be a harem of females, but a proportion of them are males which have not yet attained their breeding plumage.
The superb fairywren is a passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae, and is common and familiar across south-eastern Australia.
Like other fairy-wrens, Superbs live in family groups consisting of an adult male together with several “helpers”, usually progeny from previous nestings consisting of subordinated males.
Like all fairywrens, the superb fairywren is socially monogamous and sexually promiscuous meaning that although they form pairs between one male and one female, each partner will mate with other individuals and even assist in raising the young from such pairings. Male wrens pluck yellow petals and display them to females as part of a courtship display.
Superb Fairy-wrens are found south of the Tropic of Capricorn, throughout eastern Australia and Tasmania and across to the south-eastern corner of South Australia.
The superb fairywren can be found in almost any area that has at least a little dense undergrowth for shelter, including grasslands with scattered shrubs, moderately thick forest, woodland, heaths, and domestic gardens as it has adapted well to urban environments.
The superb fairywren eats mostly insects and supplements its diet with seeds.
It was voted as 'Australian Bird of the Year' for 2021.
It isn't Easy being Blue. . . . .Male superb fairy-wrens change colour every year, from dull brown to bright blue. But being blue may be risky if you are a tiny bird that is easily spotted by predators.
Thus, male fairy-wrens adjust their risk-taking behaviour after undergoing their colour change, becoming more cautious while brightly coloured.
A little patience paid off this morning at the Valley Lake conservation area. I could hear them all around me so I sat for half an hour, and sure enough, along they came!
I was with another photographer at the edge of Lake MacIntyre watching a small colony of nesting royal spoonbills, waiting for them to stir into life as the sun got low. Suddenly a flash of blue totally distracted me and I missed the action of the spoonbills taking off from the nest. But I did manage this to compensate for it!
Happy Wing Wednesday!
Happy Bokeh Wednesday!
These insect eaters are usually found in their family groups. They like the woodlands, parks and gardens. Often seen on the ground and lay 3 or 4 pale pink eggs.
A superb fairy wren eyeing up the passing buffet of small flying insects at Lake MacIntyre near Millicent in South Australia.
Zoom in for detail!
These like low vegetation in bush land also often seen in parks and gardens. They lay 3 or 4 eggs and feed on insects.
This little Superb Fairy Wren was one of many birds we saw on an outing to our local Valley Lake Conservation area here in the heart of Mount Gambier. (more to come).
Happy Wing Wednesday!
Happy Bokeh Wednesday!
When the breeding season finishes the male Splendid Fairywren loses his amazing blue colours and becomes an Eclipse.
I desaturated the greens and yellows in this image of a Splendid Fairywren to imitate a painting I saw. I’ve already been told by the first person I showed it to that the green background was nicer but being stubborn as I am, I decided to go with it anyway 😂
#whitewingedfairywren #fairywren #bluewren #birdsofaustralia #DMforPrints
#splendidfairywren #outbackaustralia #fairywren
I have sometimes heard these female superb fairy wrens referred to as Jenny Wrens, and this little lady was checking me out from a distance - maybe 50 feet away. I had the long lens of the Nikon P900 to help me out here. Not the sharpest with its tiny sensor, but it gets a long shot, and is always handy to carry around here in the Valley Lake conservation area in Mount Gambier, South Australia.
Happy Wing Wednesday!
Happy Bokeh Wednesday!
White-winged Fairywren
SE Queensland
OZ BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY © 2022
#whitewingedfairywren #birdphotography #bluewren
Dad or the Alpha male (right) and Son from last spring. The family group usually consists of a breeding pair - Alpha male & female, and non breeding offspring from previous seasons. The male offspring can stay with the family group for 1 or 2 years.
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
Superb Fairy-wren ♀ (I think? Maybe a ♀ red-back?)
Scientific Name: Malurus cyaneus
Description: Adult male Superb Fairy-wrens are among the most brightly coloured of the species, especially during the breeding season. They have rich blue and black plumage above and on the throat. The belly is grey-white and the bill is black. Females and young birds are mostly brown above with a dull red-orange area around the eye and a brown bill. Females have a pale greenish gloss, absent in young birds, on the otherwise brown tail. The legs are brown in both sexes. Males from further inland and in the south-west of the range have more blue on the back and underparts.
Similar species: Several other species of fairy-wren are found in Australia. The males of each species are quite distinct, but the females and young birds are often difficult to separate. Of the species that overlap in range with the Superb Fairy-wren, the female White-winged Fairy-wren Malurus leucopterus and Red-backed Fairy-wren M. melanocephalus lacks the chestnut colour around the eye, while the female Variegated Fairy-wren M. lamberti has a dull grey-blue wash. Both the Superb and White-winged Fairy-wrens are similar in size. The Variegated Fairy-wren is slightly larger in size and has a longer tail.
Distribution: Superb Fairy-wrens are found south of the Tropic of Capricorn through eastern Australia and Tasmania to the south-eastern corner of South Australia.
Habitat: Seen in most habitat types where suitable dense cover and low shrubs occur. They are common in urban parks and gardens, and can be seen in small social groups. These groups normally consist of one dominant male and several females and young birds.
Feeding: Superb Fairy-wrens feed on insects and other small arthropods. These are caught mostly on the ground, but may also be taken from low bushes. Feeding takes place in small social groups.
Breeding: The nest is a dome-shaped structure of grasses and other fine material. It is usually placed in a low bush and is constructed by the female. The female incubates the eggs alone, but both sexes feed the young. Other members of the group will also help with the feeding of the young.
Male Superb Fairy-wrens have been labelled as 'the least faithful birds in the world'. Females may be courted by up to 13 males in half an hour, and 76% of young are sired by males from outside the social group.
Calls: The Superb Fairy-wren gives a series of high pitched trills, which are given by both sexes. The male often extends these trills into song.
Minimum Size: 13cm
Maximum Size: 14cm
Average size: 14cm
Average weight: 10g
Clutch Size: Three to four.
(Source: www.birdsinbackyards.net)
© Chris Burns 2019
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When the male Splendid Fairywren turns Eclipse his tail and wings stay a light blue and his head and back become grey.