It’s mid-winter here in Sydney: cold, wet, and grey. Yet I’ve noticed some of the birds are already preparing for breeding season. On Friday, I saw a group of Australian Ibises in breeding plumage. And a few days ago, I watched a Spotted Pardalote gathering material for its nest:

Pardalotes are tiny little birds (10 cm from head to tail). They nest in burrows in the ground, usually at around ankle level. This one was unusual, in that its nest was in the side of a low cliff, overlooking the water of Sydney Harbour. Here’s the view that the bird would see:

Some distance away on the same walk, another Spotted Pardalote stopped on a branch for a few seconds:

Even when stopped on a branch, these birds don’t stand still for any time at all! I was lucky to get some usable shots from the many that I took. Another view of the same bird:

Common name: Spotted Pardalote or Diamondbird
Scientific name: Pardalotus punctatus
Approximate length: 10 cm
Date spotted: 26 June 2024 (winter)
Location: Forty Baskets (33°48’05.7″S 151°16’09.3″E) and Dobroyd Head (33°48’35.0″S 151°16’18.8″E) in Sydney Harbour