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Piwakawaka or fantail have always been one of my favourite native birds. I have many memories as a child of sitting under the trees in my grandparents garden watching the fantails flitting about. We have fantail in our garden most of the time often coming around and investigating when I'm gardening but mysteriously disappearing when I go outside with a camera.  They are tricky little birds to get good photos of because they are always on the move and rarely sit still for more than a fe …

It's still officially winter, but the cherries have blossomed early and it seems like spring. The garden is full of birds with 30 or 40 tui in the cherry trees drinking nectar and chasing each other around. The tui are very territorial and defend the cherry trees chasing other birds out. A game of chase has developed between the tui and the silvereye.The tui tend to feed in the top of the tree and the silvereye keep sneaking into the bottom branches until the tui spot them and chase them out. Th …

I spent a couple of hours at Lake Mangamahoe earlier this week watching dozens of fantail/piwakawaka hunting insects over the water. Watching them fly and pluck insects off the surface of the lake is just amazing. Getting photographs of them flying over the water is quite a challenge though perseverance pays off. Out of dozens of shots of blurred birds and wings and tails vanishing out of the frame I managed to get a couple of decent shots.Also spotted a dabchick which was just within reach of m …

I have always loved fantails or piwakawaka in Maori. I can remember, as a small child, sitting quietly in the bushy corners of my grandparents country garden watching fantails flitting around me catching insects. We have a healthy population of fantail in our garden and have seen a lot of young birds over this summer so it must have been a good breeding season. In a good season a pair of fantails can raise up to six broods. They are very nimble flyers and I have often been fascinated watchi …