My favourite photographs from March

My camera has been quietly resting for the last few weeks but I have been out and about on a few days in March this year.

Here are my favourite photographs from March. I really like the contrasts between the brown bleached hills and the lush greens seen in the trees and leaves of other photos.  Nature showing so much of its best around or near my home.

The big dry on the Belmont Hills

Early morning at home

Silhouette of a Fantail. A fleeting moment of stillness.

Kereru feasting on Karamu berries ( I think)

The stunning work of a small spider.

This ball of feathers is a fantail preening – so little stillness with these delightful birds

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The winter garden

Winter officially began yesterday.

The winter garden holds different views as some autumnal aspects hold on while other aspects are in winter mode.
The Golden Elm shedding its leaves slowly, slowly.

The perky face of a self -sown pansy.

The blood-red branchlets of the near bare Japanese Maple tree. Doesn’t this colour speak of things to come in spring?

A small toadstool that survived for a day.

The wet outdoor garden chair after the hail showers earlier in the week.

Views from our two back doors

Celi over here has recently invited her sizeable readership to post photos of the view from their back porches or back doors.

We have two back doors, although one technically is a side door. It is the one that we use all the time to access the back part of the section.
This is a view from this door.

The other door, the official back door, is very rarely used and looks out on to some pots and my collection of tubs in which I grow a few vegetables and a peep through some deck railings to our Golden Elm tree and Cabbage tree.

Do go and look at the many and varied views that Celi has collated on her blog. It has proved to be a colourful challenge that many have met with their stunning photos.

Good night

It has been a lovely sunny afternoon. The light lingers on and the sun has only set in the past ten minutes.

The blackbirds were singing a good evening song and I spotted a Fantail in the garden.

I had no joy finding the Fantail but I did capture some photos showing the end of a calm, golden, late spring afternoon.

Friday photo

The Golden Elm tree begins to leaf

Stunning weather, stunning visitor

Today has been a hot, sunny day. The sort of February day we expect. Sadly such days have been few and far between since Christmas time 2011.

At lunch time I heard the prettiest song and as I looked out into our back garden I saw a grey- fawn coloured bird darting amongst the leaves of the golden elm tree.
It was bigger than a sparrow but smaller than a blackbird and it sang with such clear, bell-like sounds interspersed with more ordinary chirrups.

It was gone before I could look for the camera and I doubt that I would have managed to capture it without a zoom lens and more technique than I have.

I checked my NZ birds book and was delighted to find that I had seen a New Zealand Bellbird, or Korimako, its Maori name. It was Mrs Bellbird. I had heard her song a couple of times in the previous weeks but I could not see the singer.

I am so thrilled that I have finally seen a Bellbird in the wild and even more thrilled that the bird was in my garden. I hope Mrs Bellbird returns soon and brings Mr Bellbird with her.