Australia is home to several small species of wren collectively known as fairywrens. Considering they have been given common names such as splendid fairywren and superb fairywren, it should come as no surprise that they are stunning little creatures. The most common one in Victoria is the superb. While the dominant breeding males in their brilliant blue are more showy, the females still manage to look pretty in their red eye shadow.
They're flighty little creatures and are reluctant to let you get close. I've been trying for years to improve on the few shots in my portfolio which I thought did them any justice. However, on a recent weekend away, I hit the jackpot. There were a couple of breeding colonies inhabiting some bushes near a house where I was staying. They probably had some degree of familiarity with humans, which made them easier to get close to, but it was the sheer numbers which made it somewhat easier to get good shots. It was as close as I've come to filling the frame with these beauties, and well worth the trip.
