At last! A Tui in my garden

When the Tui sits in the Kowhai tree
and the sun tips the mountain tops with gold
when the Rata blooms in the forest glade,
and the hills glow with sunny tints untold.
I love to roam through bush and fern
and hear the Bellbird sing
and feel the touch of the wind on my face
while the joy in my heart does ring.

from the NZ Folk song "Homeland Aotearoa"
Lyrics by A.G. Hall 1920's


For many weeks I have have heard him singing in the bush. His harsh but melodic song was a welcome change from the call of the less than welcome Indian Mynah birds and magpies squabbling over territory. The only one I welcome right now is Mr Hawk. Mr Screech has vanished again so I guess he'll appear again sometime soon. Finally at last the Tui (pronounced Too - ee) made an appearance and I had the camera ready as he fed on the flax flowers just near the house. Tuis are wonderful birds and found only here in New Zealand. I'll plant some more flax for him and his little family then make sure the possums are well and truly kept down in numbers. Hopefully I 'll see him again and soon. Native bush just isn't the same without a tuis' call to give it a voice with a wonderful song. Just like the wonderful song lyrics above I learned as a little girl of just six for a school end of year concert. Strange how some songs just never leave your memory long after you've ceased to sing them.

Comments

  1. remind me to give you those flaxes too that I have here.

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  2. Hi amy

    Yes !!! That would be cool.

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  3. Just sent an email to you, my friend.

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  4. Yo Ice I'll log back in and have a read.

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  5. Cool! I've never heard of the song or the bird. How interesting!

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  6. Hi Doda!!!! Great to hear from you. Yes i have to catch up with your blog as well. so much happening with Christmas things around our area at the moment. Hope you are well and that lovely daughter of yours too.

    Merry Christmas to you and your family
    Liz

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  7. The song and the bird are beautiful,as well as the trees and flax flowers. You have so much beauty there and it is awesome.I just love your blog. Have a happy day.

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  8. Hi Liz,

    What a pretty and interesting bird. Never heard of a Tui before either. And I love the words of the song. No wonder it stuck in your mind since you were a child.

    Now I'm also curious about Christmas in NZ. Will you do a blog about it? The traditional Christmas dinner, etc. It would be so interesting to find out ore about it.

    Have a great day!

    Hugs,

    Renie

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  9. Hi Leslie 2. Glad you liked to Tui he's so lovely and unique. We have some amazing birds in NZ and would have had more but sadly introduced animals wiped many of them out. I have never forgotten that sone. Strange but true.

    Big hug
    Liz

    Hi Renie,

    We will be having Christmas a week early as far as my huge family goes. I have four sisters and a brother. Three sisters live in Auckland area so Mum, me and the girls are going this weekend for a family christmas. Christmas day is quiet but I think we need one.LOL!
    We celebrate it much the same as the US with some differences on the food. We still have turkey and ham and also lamb with mint sauce. YUM. I'll write a post about a crazy christmas we had when I was little.

    Big hug and love
    Liz

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