Friday Photo: 1 June
June 1st, 2012 at 9:00 am by ChthoniidAnd today, a bird that needs no introduction
Click for larger, higher res image
It’s a beautiful morning in Auckland today, so I shall nurse my grudge about being in the office with a steady inflow of espressos… 
June 1st, 2012 at 10:04 am
a sparrow?
Vote:June 1st, 2012 at 10:05 am
Friendly little buggers, beautiful birds, better then that Ozzie thrash you had last week.
Vote:June 1st, 2012 at 1:35 pm
I used to see these on the farm quite often.
cheers
David Prosser
Vote:June 1st, 2012 at 1:52 pm
Nice! I used to think that they were being friendly, flitting around when i was out walking the old gold-trails in the West Coast bush, but apparently they do that to eat the insects that are being stirred up.
Thanks for another great pic.
Vote:June 1st, 2012 at 1:55 pm
We get a few around our place, they are so friendly! They buzz literally within a few feet of me – I could almost touch them.
Which is probably their downfall and explains why the cats catch so many …
Vote:June 1st, 2012 at 2:02 pm
No wonder the Possums, the Weasels, the Ferrets and the Stoats do so well here. There aren’t enough giant eagles swooping in to drink their blood…
Vote:June 1st, 2012 at 2:09 pm
The cats have had the occasional weasel, but not often – they do a good job on the rats though, and as for the mouse population around here …
Vote:June 1st, 2012 at 2:17 pm
@cows4me
Yes, the plover didn’t get a lot of love last week. This species though is also Australian, just made it over the ditch successfully earlier. I do prefer it
@DJP6-25
We have some quite close to us in the bush around our house. This guy though was photographed in Rotorua.
@DavidR
Yeah, their motives are entirely devoted to food. If you look closely at the breast you can see its feathers are damp. It’s been diving very close to a pond to catch mosquitoes and the like.
@graham
Cats and native birds aren’t good mix, no. It’s a shame the cats won’t just focus on the rats and mice.
@RRM
Even so, eagles are diurnal and most of these mammalian pests are nocturnal. I think it’s up to us to get rid of them now.
Vote:June 1st, 2012 at 2:27 pm
Yeah, we do tell them off when they bring the birds in (especially at 3:00 in the morning and they make a big noise about it because they’re so proud), but they just don’t get it
But on the plus side, we had mice in the aviary the other week. So take the birds out, put the cat in, wife thumps around a bit to flush them out, and bang – 8 or 9 mice gone, one well-fed cat!
Vote:June 1st, 2012 at 3:17 pm
We have dozens of fantails around our place in Mangamahu. You cannot move outside without half a dozen of them flitting around. I love them – one of the joys of living where I do.
Vote:June 1st, 2012 at 6:24 pm
We’re lucky enough to have plenty around the property including “black” ones – just another plus to living on the mainland.
On the cat topic I can recommend neopreme bibs for your supposed tame moggy.
Our great white hunter (not allowed out at night) got collared as soon as he caught a fantail when we got our lifestyle block – he was pulling down waxeyes daily. The collar lasted about 18mths and he now only nails mice, not birds as he’s well out of the habit.
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