• It’s the time of year when Warou, Welcome Swallows, swoop around the house, sometimes coming in and either getting ‘stuck’ in a corner, or swooping out again. 🐦

    A self-introduced species from Australia … Welcome swallows first bred in NZ in 1958. By 1965 they were common

    Small bird on a railing. SMall bird on a railing, and looking upwards.

  • Today’s Bird On The Flax is the humble Sparrow. 🐦

    House sparrows were introduced to NZ first in the mid 1860s. They soon became abundant and were said to be combating plagues of agricultural pests. By the 1880s, however, they were regarded as pests.

    Photos through a window.

    Sparrow sitting on a flax flower. Sparrow sitting on a flax flower, turned away from the camera. Sparrow sitting on a flax flower, facing the camera.

  • Now that lupin season is almost finished, thank goodness, it’s Tui on the flax flowers season. This Tui appeared after today’s 25mm of rain stopped. 🐦 I’m so glad I planted flaxes right by the front door.

    Bluish and brownish bird on a flax spear.
  • Birds at the beach. 🐦

    • Godwits and Gull.
    • Black Swans and ducks.
    • Pied Shag.
    • A flock of Black-backed Gulls and perhaps other birds.

    Just a bit of photo fun.

    4 Godwits and a GullTwo Black Swans and two ducks.A Pied Shag sitting on a branch in the stream.A flock of Black-backed Gulls and perhaps other birds.

  • As we arrived at the beach today a small flock of half a dozen birds startled. I was very excited — they are the first arrivals this season of the Kuaka, Bar-tailed Godwits, fresh from their 12,000 Km, 8 day flight from the Arctic. So glad I took my Fuji X-T2 and zoom lens! 🐦

    Kuaka in flight. 3 Kuaka feeding in shallow water. 4 Kuaka, close-up.

  • Down at the beach this morning we upset a Pied Stilt who was presumably nesting nearby. 🐦

    Pied Stilt flying.

  • Today is Saturday 21 September 2019 and the quail have produced the first egg of the season. 🐦🥚 We have 12 hours and 02 minutes of sun today. Last year we also had the first eggs on this day. Clever girls!

    Chart of sunrise and sunset times.Quail egg.

  • Today was quail moving day. Flop obliged with a photo. 🐦

    White Japanese quail on a pile of straw.
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