Kowhai Flowers

Daylight saving started at 2.am this morning. But we have stepped back into winter with heavy rain through the night, strong south-easterly winds and cold temperatures. There was little of interest to photograph on my dog walk so I drove over to Pollard Park for opportunity and inspiration. There is a kowhai tree in a sheltered corner of the park with little wind to disturb the blossoms.
The kowhai is one of the best known native trees in New Zealand and it is our unofficial national flower. They are best known for their brilliant yellow flowers that appear in profusion in spring and stand out among the forest greenery. Kowhai grow from a seed in the ground to become a tree up to 25 m high. It is found throughout New Zealand in a diverse range of habitats from riparian forests, coastal cliff faces to inland grey scrub communities. Native birds such as the tui, bellbird, kaka and New Zealand pigeon/kereru all benefit from kowhai trees..... Info from DOC.