Fairy-wrens are pretty little puffs of feathers, with long tails that stick up into the air rather endearingly. They move fast and are notoriously difficult to photograph. Most of my fairy-wren photos end up as blurs. This morning, I was luckier.

The fairy-wrens in our area are Variegated Fairy-wrens. Here’s a male, with his stunning coat of blue, black, rusty red, and creamy-white:

The flowers are, I think, Dillwynia elegans — also known as the Eggs And Bacon Flower or Parrot Pea. These flowers are tiny, but look a decent size next to the little wrens.

Here’s the female (or perhaps a juvenile), with her red eye mask and muted brown colouring. In the right light, her tail gleams a soft blue:

Common name: Variegated Fairy-wren
Scientific name: Malurus lamberti
Approximate length: 13 cm
Date spotted: 29 August 2025 (winter)
Location: Manly Dam park, near Sydney: 33°46’53.5″S 151°15’01.8″E