Pardon Me Mr Pardalote 1

Description

Open Edition Reproduction
This little guy (a striated pardalote) was a real character, posing in the knobbly branches of an old coastal banksia. He was watching me closely, as if to say, “What are you doing here, this is my place?” To which I respond, “It’s ok little buddy, I’m just passing through, but you took my breath away with your spectacular oranges and yellows against that vibrant blue sky.”
It is not often that it is possible to get so up close and personal with many of the smaller birds, and these guys are tiny, only about 9 cm from tail to beak. Given that they are typically found in the tops of gum trees feeding on lerps, they are usually very difficult to spot.
So, sometimes I like to paint little birds really big, to share a perspective and insight that many don’t get a chance to see. For my mate the pardalote, you often don’t get full appreciation of the beautiful variation of yellows and oranges in his plumage due to the shade in the treetops. He is also a peculiar shape, with a tail that seems to short, but a body that is reasonably sleek, and a stubby little beak.