Tauhou (waxeye, Silvereye)

This wee bird is really too small to have so many names.  

I caught this one (and a dozen of his mates) having a feed in a pomegranate tree today.  

It was cold this afternoon.  Now coming from me, that really means something.  The temperature dropped really rapidly about 2 oclock and we figured there must be snow around somewhere but the cloud cover was too low to see.

At 4.30 I headed for Nelson as I have meetings here tomorrow and I wasn't too sure what the roads would be like in the morning.  Good decision.  

By the time I got to the Owen River it was 1 degree (C) outside.  Brrrr.  By the Glenhope the hills were dusted with snow.  By the top of the Hope Saddle the trees were weighted down with it and there was slush all over the road.  The Nelson side of the hill had even more snow on it.

I should have stopped and taken photos but it was below 0 outside and I was in my usual winter work clothing - which is pretty  much my summer clothes with a light cotton cardigan.  I did have boots on as a concession to winter, but that wasn't enough layers for braving the elements.   Brrrr