Rainbow nation

Finally, finally, with the onset of marginally warmer weather, and with the gum trees and bottle brushes in bloom, I've been able to snap this, the Rainbow Lorikeet.

He was sprung in the wilds of Osborne Park, a light industrial area northwest of Perth city.

Lories don't really belong in Western Australia, having established around Perth from aviary escapees that were lured here from their native home 3500 kms away on the golden fringe of the Pacific.

They're considered pests in WA, outmuscling 28s and other peace-loving parrots for scarce tree hollows. But hey, their drunken antics brighten up a damp day when you're sitting in the Subaru outside a bead shop waiting for your wife to make her mind up between pink and puce.