best viewed at original size

When I first noticed this bird, I thought it might be injured, but I needn’t have been concerned. It is sunbathing.
Birds sunbathe fairly often, and there’s various theories as to why. These include:
* to warm up (probably doesn’t apply here because it was a pleasant 25dC in the shade);
* they enjoy it (why not?);
* it helps them with feather moult;
* it helps them produce Vitamin D; and
* it gets their feather parasites moving so they can subsequently preen them out.

This is my last posting for 2017 – ‘tis mid-afternoon on New Year’s Eve here in Oz. Hope your new year is a good one!