The traditional first day of spring is cool, calm and sunny. We've had many winter days with settled weather, so it's been easy to get out and about. There have been signs of spring everywhere. The noisiest are the tui, usually solitary birds, they're gathering together, chasing, swooping and flying around the bay from tree to tree.
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| Five Tui silhouetted in a tree |
Other birds who are making themselves heard in bush gardens are warblers - riroriro, and fantail - piwakawaka. And everywhere kowhai trees are coming in to bloom.
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| Tui in Kowhai tree |
And in the bush look out for another sign of spring, the beautiful flowering native clematis - puawhananga - a vine which climbs to the canopy and covers the canopy with large white flowers.
