Noisy Friarbirds are "honey"eaters

The Noisy Friarbird (Philemon corniculatus) is one of the larger members of the Honeyeaters of Australia.  I have put quotes around "honey" in the title of this post since honey is a substance derived from nectar by bees.  In fact most of the honeyeaters also munch insects that have come to feed on the nectar.

The principal aim of nectar is to attract vectors, such as insects, to transfer pollen from the stamens (male organs) of one plant to the style (female organs) of another.  I hope certain NSW politicians, and Angry of Mayfair as represented by Kenny Everett, will forgive that explicitness.

Now the Noisy Friarbird is commonly known as a Leatherhead because of its bare skinned, black head.  Thus I wondered if my camera had gone spare when i took a picture of a friarbird and the head looked yellow (or at least un-black).  I then realised it was covered in pollen which it had acquired from guzzling nectar (or munching insects which were guzzling nectar) from our Callistemon bushes.

Here is the guzzling in progress.  Note that the odd colouration of the tail is in fact a couple of grass seed-heads that happened to get in the way!

The next shot (taken in rather poor light) shows that the birds don't always feed from the bush.  Whatever place is convenient seems to be their rule.