From distant views to the micro or is it macro? A Silver Banksia flower is nestled in the fork of a woody trunk providing a safe place for a bird to perch. The underside of its serrated leaves is silvery. Another flower on the same tree is at a different stage of growth; and another. One tree must feed nectar-loving birds over months, each flower after another gently offering its deliciousness. As a child, I remember being taught that European bees pollinate flowers. Always curious, I questioned how Australian flowers existed before European bees arrived. What did all the other insects eat, I quizzed. What about the birds that we see on flowers? Does pollen stick to their feathers? Obviously, nectar-loving birds pollinate Australian flowers. All 187 different species of honeyeaters. Native bees, butterflies, moths and other insects enjoy the nectar and pass on the pollen too. Small mammals such as sugar gliders, bats, antechinus and possums also. An abundance of food, an abundance of pollinators.
