The end of winter can't go by without a view of a tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) in a Taiwan cherry tree (Prunus campanulata). Whether treasured cultivars or hated weeds, there is no doubt that the tui love the nectar.
 The black shag (Phalacrocorax carbo) on the left hopped onto the branch from the water below and claimed the spot. The bird on the right left a few seconds later.
 The bright white spots of the new season's feathers will soon wear off to leave dark iridescent breeding plumage. (Sturnus vulgaris)
 The male blackbird (Turdus merula) waited at the compost bin for me to turn some over to give it an easy meal. The first bite was a centipede, probably the common brown centipede (Lithobius forficatus).
 We have a few regular greenfinch (Chloris chloris) visitors at the moment.
 The silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis) enjoy the fruit I put out for them.
 The blackbird (Turdus merula) usually prefers worms, but this female seemed happy to find a snail to eat.
 The purple colour is most likely a form of chromatic distortion caused by the lens focussing part of the light spectrum in a different plane from the rest. Usually it's considered a problem but I have to admit I enjoyed the unexpected effect here.
 This is mussel beard (Amphisbetia bispinosa) attached to the edge of a green lipped mussel shell (Perna canaliculus).
 These juvenile black-backed gulls (Larus dominicanus) were feeding on the trough shells (Spisula discors) within the weed that had washed up on the beach.
 The thrushes fought for a few minutes then the loser went on its way.
 Thrush (Turdus philomelos) foraging among the ajuga.
 These goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis) were enjoying a big puddle following recent rain.
 New Zealand dotterel (Anarhynchus obscurus) with coloured leg bands. The coloured bands make for easy recognition of the bird to report the sighting to the banding office at DOC, although a view of the other leg is also necessary. In this case, I did have other photos showing both legs so was able to make the report. The bird was probably one of those rescued after the Rena grounding disaster in 2011.
 Fantails (Rhipidura fuliginosa) are often in the garden at this time of year.
 The afternoon sunlight caught the leaf perfectly. It's a peace lily (Spathiphyllum).
 The flowers on our Aloe thraskii are appreciated by the nectar-loving birds, including this silvereye (Zosterops lateralis).
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AuthorThis page highlights one photo from each outing. The subjects will vary - it will be whatever caught my eye or was most special on that day. Categories |
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