Our native kowhais are in bloom right now at Struan Farm. There's a large one in the Homestead gardens, and at least two in the QE II Trust block up by the new house. While they are lovely native trees, I'm telling you about them because the tuis (native birds) LOVE them. Kowhai flowers are popcorn at the movies for tuis.
At one point this past week I looked up from raking in the Old Orchard Paddock and counted ten tuis gorging themselves on kowhai flowers in the Homestead tree. Seriously think this is a record! Basically they strip the flowers off the tree, the remmants of which fall to the ground. Sort of like leaving your empty popcorn bucket on the cinema floor, under your seat, after the movie?
And for those not familiar with tuis, these NZ native birds look black, but are an irridescent blue/green, with a tuft of white feathers at their necks. They are members of the honeyeater family, and feed mainly on the nectar of flowers. Interestingly, they are important pollinators of many native trees. During summer we put out a bowl of sugar water in the garden at the Homestead, which they enjoy (and remind us when it's empty!).
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