Also known as Waxeyes, these little birds have been feeding just a few meters away from the end of our verandah.  The feeder was set up to attract a tui, but instead a couple of dozen of these guys squabble around it all day.  Here are some character studies:

The wings lowered and fluttering, with the feathers on top of the head fluffed up, seems to be a threat display.  They can look quite fierce from some angles:

While at other times they just look cute.

They’re quite small, usually less than 100 mm long.  Here are a few more images showing their colouring:

The much anticipated tui actually showed up yesterday, but only for a few seconds before being frightened off.  I hope I can get some pictures of him, because they are quite spectacular birds.