Word from the Bird

Stories, Insights, and Chirps Worth Sharing - Metalbird Blogs

Backyard Installations That Stop Traffic

Backyard Installations That Stop Traffic

By phil walters Nov 21, 2022

Let’s get one thing straight: A Metalbird in the garden isn’t just décor. It’s not the same as popping down to Mitre 10 for a wind spinner or nailing up...

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What Is Corten Steel, Anyway?

What Is Corten Steel, Anyway?

By phil walters Oct 17, 2022

People ask me all the time: "What’s this made of?" They hold one of our birds in their hands, feel the weight of it, run a thumb along the edge....

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When the Nest Empties

When the Nest Empties

By phil walters Sep 9, 2022

You spend years teaching them to fly. First it’s learning to walk. Then it’s how to cross the road without getting flattened. Later it’s bigger stuff... how to fix a...

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Made Local. Made Sustainable. Made for Birds.

Made Local. Made Sustainable. Made for Birds.

By phil walters Aug 7, 2022

You know that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you do something right, like helping your neighbour with their flat tyre or picking up rubbish on your morning walk? That’s...

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Unboxing With Mum

Unboxing With Mum

By phil walters Aug 7, 2022

We all know the feeling of a package arriving. Doorbell goes. There’s a box on the step. You think, What did I order at 1am that I forgot about? Turns...

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Not Just a Bird. It’s a Reminder.

Not Just a Bird. It’s a Reminder.

By phil walters Jul 20, 2022

I used to think I was making art. Cutting birds out of steel, shaping them by hand, climbing a ladder and hammering them onto lampposts around Auckland. It started as...

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Still Flying, Patina and All

Still Flying, Patina and All

By phil walters Jun 19, 2022

I got an email last week from someone in Grey Lynn. The kind of email you don’t expect but secretly hope for. No complaints. No customer service drama. Just a...

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