Waxeyes

Zosterops laterlis aka white-eye, silvereye, or the Maori name is tauhou.

I have been too busy for photographs today. Fortunately these little birds posed for me before it was too dark, though getting them to all stay still for a moment was too much to expect. They are 12 cm long from head to tip of tail.

While the fantails stop a while on their way to their winter homes the waxeyes winter over in my garden. My apple and bread offerings are well patronised.

Firewood has taken up most of my day. The six cubic metre load that was to see me through the winter turned out to be too green to burn. We will have to get a lot of sunshine and nor'westers to get it into shape. I fear it might go mouldy first.

I managed to get a couple of cubic metres of bone dry wood from a farmer and I had to shift a heap of offcuts to make room for it as I get it sawn. Now I need dry days for the electric chainsaw.

In case you are wondering, the white in the background is the top of my greenhouse.

One year ago- firewood was on my mind then as well.