These exuberant little birds come here and leave periodically, but while they are here, they certainly make their presence felt.
During the hottest days just a few weeks ago, they'd dive-bomb (the only word) into the bowl of water put there for birds in general, but THEY made it clear whose they thought it was.
Even the normally assertive New Holland Honeyeaters would wait for the Silvereyes to leave, though with some evident impatience from the wings (sorry).
Now that it is cooler they are zipping through the bush in a small flock of about a dozen.
This straggly un-named plant, which is close to the house and NOT in the "bush", is a current favourite.
Sometimes they fly, with wings audibly whirring, in front of a hanging bud, much as a hummingbird is often shown to do. While there they can be heard snipping their beaks at the tiny bugs which cover the buds and the backs of the leaves.
At the moment they ignore the flowers, despite being nectar (and fruit) feeders ... they have certainly benefited from the urban landscape and I understand can be quite serious pests in orchards.
So far I've only been able to catch them in portrait type poses, but one day I WILL catch one on the wing.
Links: Providing water for birds. http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/Bird-Baths
Silvereyes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvereye and http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Zosterops-lateralis
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