My wife is an avid grower of Australian native
plants. She also has more than a passing interest in birds. Yesterday as we had
lunch in our sun room, we were delighted to have 9 New Holland Honeyeaters
giving one particular plant a thorough going over for their lunch.
The plant was an Eremophila
metallica, a low shrubby spreading plant covering some two square
metres and no more than 50 cm high. The resident Singing Honeyeaters, Spiny
Cheeked Honeyeaters and Red Wattlebirds are also frequent visitors to this
plant, though these are somewhat more genteel eaters than the enthusiastic New
Hollands.
Trevor Hampel Murray Bridge (80 km SE of
Adelaide) South Australia
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