Honeyeaters

Birds one does see often in southern gardens sometimes every day New Holland honeyeatersin black and gold and gray Of pale eyes with dark iris and dark beard of feath Hollanders under chin And for sucking nectar from the flowers dark bill long curved and thin In cup shaped nest ofgrass and twigs the female birds does lay In prickly bush two to three spotted eggs they are territorial in their way Their nesting borders and feeding trees with aggression they defend They do not tolerate any other species in their territory as a friend Their chattering grating familiar song not hard to recognize That they are known to many is not any surprise They can be heard singing in the back garden in the dawn's gray light And where the banksias are blooming they are a common sight In southern gardens birds one does see often they have ways of their own The New Holland honeyeaters are birds to many known.