Jon Sullivan

The kōwhai trees are in fabulous full bloom across Ōtautahi-Christchurch city, NZ. They're blooming about a month late this year and are making up for that with a huge number of flowers.

That's making the korimako and kererū in the Cashmere hills happy. The korimako are pollinating the kōwhai flowers, which I guess also makes the kōwhai happy, to the extent that a kōwhai tree can be happy. The kererū, on the other hand, are eating the kowhai's flowers and young leaves.

korimako: https://inaturalist.nz/observations/315198237
kererū: https://inaturalist.nz/observations/315196715

#NZ #nature #Christchurch #Ōtautahi #birds #pollination #herbivory #Anthornis #Hemiphaga #kererū #korimako

Sep 20 at 9:42amWeb
Show threadzkarjSep 20
@joncounts I hope my big Kōwhai waits until I get home!
Show threadLynda DelphSep 23
@joncounts I love kowhai so much that my friends got together and bought me this print when I finished my PhD at Canterbury. I still love it.
I haven’t been in NZ at the right time of year to see them in flower since 2019.
#NewZealand
Show threadMargaret ThomasSep 23
@LyndaDelph @joncounts How lovely! I never seem to be there at this time of year. It's usually Autumn or Winter.
Show threadJon SullivanSep 23

@LyndaDelph That’s an excellent print.

I haven’t figured out yet what cues kōwhai is using to start flowering. Sophora microphylla can get started any time from May to September. If that timing can be figured out, maybe it will be useful for botanical tourists. 😄