Fairy-wrens are a reasonably common sight in this area of Australia. What’s not common is my being fast enough to catch one of them in the camera lens! Most of my photos of Fairy-wrens show a blue blur or an empty branch.

Today I managed to catch this male Variegated Fairy-wren fairly and squarely in my sights:

There’s something about the solid blocks of colour on this bird that makes it difficult to capture a clear image, even when the bird is still long enough for a photo.

The bird was with two other males, which is also fairly uncommon. Usually I’ve seen a male with a group of females.

That ridiculous tail, so much at odds with the round puffy appearance of the rest of the bird, makes you think there’s something wrong with the photo:

Common name: Variegated Fairy-wren

Scientific name: Malurus lamberti

Approximate length: 13 cm

Date spotted: 25 September 2020 (spring)

Location: Manly Dam Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’50.6″S 151°15’04.7″E