Fan mail for a fantail

A friend, who lives in the outer NE of Melbourne, was supposed to be working on his PhD thesis this afternoon but found the perfect way to procrastinate—birdwatching from his computer.

This grey fantail (Rhipdura fuliginosa) is nesting in the eucalypt outside his office. What a view, eh? For him, that is. I don't know what the bird thinks. That exquisite nest is made of moss, strips of bark, straw and other fibrous material finished off with a coat of spider web. Fantails are terribly House and Garden.

They are abundant in eastern and south-western Australia, but also occur in New Zealand and some islands of the western Pacific.

[Thanks to RR for the photo. Lucky duck.]