Poker faced by Spinebill

On of the frustrations of trying to photograph birds around our garden is trying to capture Eastern Spinebills as they hover at Salvias.  They do a good job of imitating Hummingbirds but - like hummers - rarely stay at one flower long enough to get an image.

Matters are much more controlled when the front up with Red Hot Pokers (Kniphofia sp.).  The great number of florets present on these spikes keeps the birds engaged for quite some time.  My impression is that the pokers have flowered a tad early this year - possibly reflecting some transplanted specimens achieving maturity.



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