The Amazing Mrs T.

In the Spring about two years ago Tony Spite saved a baby Song Thrush from drowning in his lily pond in Paraparaumu, a beach-side town just north of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.

One morning a few months later, a young thrush walked boldly through the open door into his house where he and his wife were having breakfast. She hopped straight up to Tony and watched him closely as though seeming to know him. He and his wife were absolutely convinced she was the same thrush he had saved, as no other bird had ever walked into the house like that. Naturally they gave her a few bits of grained bread, weetbix and apple.

All through that summer 'Mrs Thrush' visited every morning at breakfast and also at lunchtime, and eventually introduced her own fledglings to them as well.

Tony started to photograph Mrs Thrush's visits and commenced to tell her remarkable story for his grandchildren, but eventually decided it would be more intriguing to tell it from Mrs Thrush's point of view, 'The Amazing Mrs T.' was the result.