Graceful Honeyeater (Meliphaga gracilis) Crystal Creek Queensland

[Rod Warnock]

Graceful Honeyeater (Meliphaga gracilis) Crystal Creek Queensland
Canon EOS 7D Lens 400mm L USM ISO400 F6.3 1/1000 flash used 16 August 2011

The Graceful Honeyeater and the Yellow-spotted Honeyeater are a headache in the field for identification and indeed I initially I had thought I had photographed the latter species. Lloyd Nielson of Mount Molloy renowned birder had this to say on the above image: " This is a great example of how difficult these birds can be. When I first looked, I thought - sure, it is a Yellow-spotted - shortish bill, apparently light striations on underparts, does not look like a small honeyeater the size of a Graceful etc etc. However, the ear-spot did not seem right - should have been slightly different for a Yellow-spotted even though ear-spots in YS and Graceful do vary a bit. Then I blew it up to get a good look at eye colour - it is dark blue which is diagnostic for an adult Graceful. Yellow-spotted and juvenile Graceful have a brown eye. So that is what it it - an adult Graceful. The flank feathers are plain which again means that the seemingly striated pattern on the underparts is only a trick of the light." So all is not what it seems initially when in it comes to this pair of Australian Honeyeaters. My thanks to Lloyd for again for helping with difficult IDs.
Thanks for viewing
Best regards
Rod Warnock

[Dave Leroy]

Good for you to get the ID. Looks like an excellent pose to help out with just a bit of head turn. A very nice clean shot as well. Perhaps a bit over sharpened but see what others have to say. I would go over the birght pink spot with some brown to either remove it or at least mute it some. Very well done.

[Don Lacy]

Beautiful subject nice HA and pose would tone down the pink spot as mention and the image is way over sharpen on my monitor