Two Silvereyes perched on a twig, lending a touch of colour to the winter chill. Here’s one of them, showing the buff colouring on its front, under the wings. And, of course, that characteristic white-ringed eye:

Another view shows the olive green on the birds’ backs and wings:

Common name: Silvereye
Scientific name: Zosterops cornwalli
Length: 11-13 cm
Date spotted: 13 July 2024 (winter)
Location: Dobroyd Head, New South Wales, Australia: 33°48’36.1″S 151°16’24.1″E

Silvereyes are tiny birds (about 11cm from beak to tail) that flit around the scrub, chirping and twittering merrily. Their colouring is muted but lovely, with a soft olive head and wings, a white front, and a chestnut blush on each side. And of course, the silver ring around the eyes that gives them their name.

Unfortunately, a twig got in the way of my photo. Still, you can get a good idea of this pretty little bird:

Common name: Silvereye
Scientific name: Zosterops cornwalli
Approximate length: 11 cm
Date spotted: 6 August 2022 (winter)
Location: Dobroyd Head, New South Wales, Australia: 33°48’35.4″S 151°16’19.3″E

Silvereyes are tiny puffballs that flit through the shadows of a gum tree. This one stopped a moment to glance up at the sky:

There are a few variations of Silvereyes in New South Wales. According to my bird book, this one is a Zosterops cornwalli. It has a yellow throat, which differentiates it from the white-throated lateralis also found around here.

Weirdly, the birds migrate up the eastern coast of Australia as winter approaches, but we’re still likely to see them around even in winter – it’s just that the ones we see have come from even further south, while the ones that live around here in summer have moved northwards for the winter.

I took a shot of the tree too, so that you can see the bird’s habitat:

Last time I managed to snap a shot of one of these birds was at a mossy puddle, way back in 2016.

Common name: Silvereye

Scientific name: Zosterops cornwalli

Approximate length: 11 cm

Date spotted: 19 May 2018 (Autumn)

Location: Manly Dam National Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’35.3″S 151°15’11.0″E

This photograph is more of a study in colour than a picture of a bird. I’d forgotten that I’d played with my camera settings on my previous outing. The result is rather Constable-esque.

Two tiny little Silvereyes at a mossy puddle:

A zoomed-in view, to make it easier to spot the birds:

Common name: Silvereye

Scientific name: Zosterops lateralis

Approximate length: 11 cm

Date spotted: 30 July 2016

Season: Winter

Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia

Latitude/longitude: 33°47’02.0″S 151°15’18.5″E