The so-called 'Big Daddy Honeyeater'. The honeyeaters are a diverse and interesting group of Aussie birds, but even with your first cursory glance through the field guide there is one of them that just leaps off the page at you - Regent Honeyeater. Throw in the fact that it is now an endangered species, and that I had dipped it before, and you have a recipe for a huge target bird on my 2008 custom trip. Luck was on our side that day though for, as we arrived in the general nesting area, we met up with a very helpful local guide and regent expert, Karol, who directed us towards an area she had recently found a nest. Unfortunately this huge slice of luck turned bad when it transpired that the nest had since been taken over by a local friarbird. So close. A short time later a vision in black and gold shot past, leaving us in no doubt that we had just seen the 'royal' honeyeater, although also leaving us thirsty for more. We hung about anxiously for a while, when a couple of large dark shapes moving around in a cypress canopy turned out to more regents, but frustratingly difficult to get a decent look at. Finally though hats off to Karol who returned from a foray further along the creek and had found a pair feeding low in some young trees, that finally led us to this master honeyeater.