Battling the winds

In Wellington for two days of Council meeting to be followed by a day at the Crisis Team on Thursday before returning to Auckland. Left a very foggy Auckland early this morning to arrive in Wellington with a moderate wind and bright sun. Over the day (while we were sequestered in a meeting room) the wind picked up (I was told that the forecast was for "severe gale force" by this evening), and the dark clouds rolled in.

After the meeting I walked back to the hotel at times having to adjust to the wind gusts. I decided against a run, and went instead for a walk. Near the hotel, on top of a building was a framework to which some of the starlings that roost in the trees on the edge of Post Office Square were flying and landing. They paused there for a time and then left to land in the trees. Or go back to the ironwork.

I'm not sure why the pause on the way to the trees; many birds did appear to go directly to the trees, which were already sounding full of birds. 

I've tried adjusting the colour a bit, and will keep trying. It was even more purple than this as it came from the camera. and there was little purple to my eyes in the real.

EDIT: I was perturbed by the colour being so unreal that I have converted to B&W and replaced the original, despite the favourable comment. I've put the originally posted version into the extras.