I switched off the news, sick of statistics from a world grappling with Covid-19 for the third year. An Eastern Yellow Robin sat on the fence outside. It wanted to watch me as much as I wanted to watch it.
These birds are usually in pairs of family groups. This one is scanning the ground for a juicy insect.
It hasn't quite come into all it's glorious yellow breast plumage yet.
Yellow Robin chicks hatch brown and streaky white. Golden feathers are too obvious to predators.
A beautiful adult, checking me out from the Cypress Pine forest on my property.
The chicks start plain and take a while to grow into their glorious golden feathers.
The birds are such darlings, sleek and pretty.
They glide in to landing.
Sitting on a post, they come closer if you make squeaky sounds.
Two young Yellow Robins busy bathing in the heat of an Australian summer.
Robins are always searching for the next snack on the ground.
Nestmates stick together and are as cute as yellow buttons with their own individual shape.
Sometimes I can catch the robins flicking their wings in excitement.
Sometimes, I hear their clear piping whistle in the pines or scrubland past the garden, and rush outside.
But, every time I catch sight of them, Eastern Yellow Robins add a little sunshine to my day.