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.