Photos

A rainbow lorikeet drinks nectar from a pincushion hakea flower, in a typical upside-down pose. These birds are common in Melbourne, especially in the leafy suburbs such as Greensborough, where this photo was taken. The parrots are difficult to see, despite their bright colours - they tend to hide in the foliage. But they make their presence known by loud squawking. Pincushion hakea, a native Australian plant, is also widespread as a small ornamental tree in Melbourne.

The photo was taken with maximum optical zoom, as the bird was several metres away. I used a contrast mask in Photoshop to lighten the shadows a bit.