Rata Weekly: Basking bird

When I was in the Botanic Gardens the other day trying to photograph the waterlilies (with only limited success!) I suddenly noticed this sparrow only about a metre away on a gunnera leaf, lying unmoving with his beak open. I thought he might be dead, or dying...

...but of course once he realised I had seen him, he stared paying attention to me...
...and within a few seconds he flew off.