It was late afternoon a couple of days ago when three prominent members of the flock of Spangled Drongos appeared on the balcony railing.
It was time to say goodbye as their winter migration to our part of the coast was over. They were preparing for the long flight back to North Queensland and New Guinea.
Click on images for a larger view.
Click on images for a larger view.
It had become a morning ritual to be greeted by these beautiful birds, sometimes up to fifteen.
They mainly feed on flying insects including dragonflies and cicadas. They return to this location annually, most likely to feed on bees from a hive in a Tuckeroo Tree across the road. The bees seemed to have been absent this year so they were treated to a little mince on occasion.
It was a wet winter and some sheltered on the balcony for long periods during the day.
From a distanced they look black, up close in the right light they have beautiful shades of blue.
They all seemed to have their own unique personalities and were quite aggressive towards each other at times.
A large Dracena growing in our courtyard provided a great perch for the Drongos'.
The courtyard wall was also a good vantage point to watch for passing insects.
Anyway they will be missed and hopefully we will be visited again next year.
My SLR camera tip for today is create environments in your gardens that will attract native birds and wildlife. A bird bath or water feature surrounded with the right plants should do the job.
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