Pamela Moresby
#11 Fantails
#12 Goldfinches
These appeared in my garden eating the seeds of the "Shoo Fly" plant, I wanted to discourage flies in summer. Im not sure "Shoo Fly" is effective, it may be.
They are seed eaters. These are introduced birds. The mother builds the nest and incubates the eggs, the male feeds the mother and the chicks. They also eat aphids and garden pests.
#13 White Eyes
I used to see these birds a lot as a child, but they are also called "Wax Eyes" or "Silver Eye". It's thought that these birds were blown across the Tasman sea by a storm.
They go around in large packs. This afternoon they were in my garden eating fruit. They like nectar, and they eat fat from lard or any fat, especially in winter. They also drink sugar water. There are many plants with nectar.
#14 Blackbirds
Black birds were introduced to New Zealand and are from Europe the Middle East and Africa. They were considered a pest because they eat seeds and fruit. They also spread blackberry plants, which were considered a pest. (not a pest to everyone as many used to eat wild blackberries which are delicious.)
They usually return to the same breeding grounds. The female usually builds the nest alone, with grass matted together by mud and lined with finer grass. They lay 4-5 speckled blue-green eggs. The females incubates the eggs but is fed by the male.
