Breakfast time!

Wax-Eye, also known as a SilverEye; Zosterops lateralis

These pretty little birds are common in New Zealand, and can readily strip a plant not only of it's unwelcome insect visitors, but also of its berries and fruit. It's probably the greatest culprit in distributing seeds around the countryside and throughout the bush. Its Maori name is Tauhou, and it flocks in large numbers throughout New Zealand.

My bird feeder is a great source of food for them at present. Although the starlings are much bigger, and seem to be bossing the little wax eyes around, I notice that the wax eyes can more than hold their own and sometimes a group of them will come around in rush and the starlings, well, um, they take to their wings! It's all a great source of fascination for me :)

The weather was quite random and unpredictable today. There were patches of sunshine and my house warmed up really well, to be followed by dark boiling clouds rolling over the sea, followed by fresh driving showers of rain. I noticed that the tops of the waves were being blown backwards by the wind, so there must have been a fair old southerly ripping up from the Antarctic - it was very fresh - (for fresh, read cold!)