CORELLA TIME

It's that time of the year when the long-billed corellas come to visit...

Since a couple of years ago, we have been hanging a seed bell in a tree in the park to attract the birds...it's proven a real treat for the birds, especially rainbow lorikeets -- who are very territorial -- and less often, the long-billed corellas. Sometimes they arrive at the same time and then there's a territorial dispute ... corellas prevail every time! But it's still fun watching the lorikeets trying to muscle in.

The seed bell is also a great magnet presenting an opportunity for photography practice. Choosing an appropriate background is a juggle - traffic appears if I shoot from one angle, houses from another. And just occasionally deep shadows in the afternoon sun mean the corellas appear in front of what looks like a black background.