Our first trip of the New Year to Lake Okareka brought a profusion of birds with large rafts of moulting Canada Geese, Paradise Ducks and the usual Stilts, Dabchicks, Coots and Mallards with the occasional Shoveller and Grey Teal. The flax is having a bumper year with prolific blooms and the Tuis, among them plenty of the new juveniles form the spring breeding, were busily moving through the blooms in search of nectar. Stopping on the boardwalk we had a great view, needing only patience for a new bird to arrive once one had moved on. On a couple of occasions we had 2 on one flax plant vocalising at each other and Edin got a great image. I enjoyed seeing the perfect adaptation of the Tui to the flax and vice versa. The tuis’s bill fits perfectly into the curve of the flax flower and as it’s tongue sucks up the nectar the filaments of the flax stamens hold the anthers perfectly to cup the Tui’s forehead leaving a dense brushing of pollen to be moved to the stigma of the next bloom. The accompanying images and details show this lovely evolutionary adaptation of one to the other ensuring the success of both.

All images with Nikon D800 and Nikon 500mm f4 VR lens with 1.4x teleconverter.