Only ten metres away

Just as how near I got to this one amongst many was a guesstimate, I want to say that this is a juvenile Kotare (Sacred kingfisher). There was more justification for saying I had got as close as 10m away. However both with the distance and the identification, that is what it felt like.

I look at this photo and I see it as being a young bird. My identification book (Birds of New Zealand, a photographic guide) describes the difference between adult male and female birds (this is clearly not an adult male Kotare), and then states that the juveniles of both genders are like the adult female, with the amount of rust-brown colouration on the collar varying with age and gender.

It just looks like a young bird.

We went to the new house again today to meet with electrician, builder, 'plumber'. As on Saturday, and Monday, we were greeted on arrival by the call of a tui. I fancy it is the same one; it is certainly in the same tree.