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available in january

2/12/2025

The next book in the New Zealand bird views series is complete. It covers Australian coots, banded rails, pukeko and weka. It will be available in January. ISBN 978-0-473-76754-9.

In the mean time I have added some new photos below.

The slide show on the home page has been updated with a selection of photos from the new book. The older photos are still there but are in the second half of the sequence.

inshore seabirds

27/10/2025

It was a windy, choppy, dreary day but a large number of seabirds were active close to shore.

sparrows flying together

24/10/2025

eggs appearing

20/10/2025

The nest from 12 October - now showing some eggs.

colour contrast

16/10/2025

The green bottle fly (Lucilia sericata) contrasts against the deep pink of the cineraria flowers.

dinner

15/10/2025

This Asian paper wasp (Polistes chinensis) didn't get very far with nest-building. The South African mantis (Miomantis caffra) had a good meal.

a new season's nest

12/10/2025

Asian paper wasp queen starting out on the nest-building activity for the season. Polistes chinensis.

a family to feed

8/10/2025

The blackbird sat on a high perch while it checked for cats and waited for the perfect moment to take the food to its nest. Turdus merula.

rescued frog

6/10/2025

This green and gold bell frog had been caught by a cat who was distracted by another cat laying claim. While the cats were arguing our neighbour was able to catch the frog. We put it in our pond - which has a cat-proof fence - where it stayed for about 6 weeks before going on its way. Ranoidea aurea.

rani in the garden

4/10/2025

"i want ... "

2/10/2025

Juvenile Caspian terns (left) continue begging for food from their parents (right) long after they are capable of finding their own. Hydroprogne caspia.

pretty in pink

30/9/2025

We have 4x3 groups of planters of these pink rock orchids (Dendrobium kingianum). Every year the spring show gets better.

watching

29/9/2025

feeding on nectar

23/9/2025

As well as eating the fruit I put out, the silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis) enjoy the nectar of any aloes that are flowering. This one is Aloe capitata, seen through our lounge window.

an unusual daffodil

22/9/2025

sharing the bread

17/9/2025

These two seem to be getting along well. The sparrow is the larger bird, but the silvereye seems to have the prime spot under control (Passer domesticus and Zosterops lateralis).

not always welcome

16/9/2025

The eastern rosella (Platycercus eximius) is a beautiful bird but can be a pest when there are too many. They are known to damage crops.

go away!

12/9/2025

Silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis) competing for some kiwifruit skins. It's another favourite fruit for them.

bella watching the grumpy cat below

11/9/2025

She has sent it away a few times already.

grumpy cat

11/9/2025

A very large cat that has appeared recently. The resident cats are mostly keeping the upper hand, but there was a pile of black and white and ginger fur on the driveway one morning.

lit by the afternoon sun

10/9/2025

It's a bromeliad, most likely queen's-tears (Billbergia nutans).

a nice bite

5/9/2025

The silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis) enjoy a variety of fruit but orange is a favourite.

another tui visitor

4/9/2025

I had thought that this was the same young bird back again, but the white wing markings look slightly different.

left alone

3/9/2025

The tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) can be aggressive so the smaller birds stay away when it visits. A tui feeding on the ground like this is fairly unusual and it didn't stay long.

greenfinch versus sparrow

2/9/2025

The birds coming to feed usually get along amicably, but sometimes the sense of competition takes over (Chloris chloris and Passer domesticus).