It’s the time of the year when birds and insects do their best to feed on the nectar and pollen of flowering plants, thereby fertilising many plants. Here is a red Wattle bird (named because of the red ‘wattles’ on each side of its face) feeding on a native plant then coming up with pollen on its beak ready to place into another flower while feeding. Wattle birds, both Little and Red are very common on Phillip Island and are the ultimate survivor, feeding on nectar, pollen, insects, spiders, beetles both on the ground, in the air in flight and in the trees. These two portraits by Lisa Schonberg.
