Rani (behind) wanted to play. Simba didn't.
 Rani was playing with something that on investigation turned out to be a dead blackbird on the lawn. We're very sure it was already dead when she found it.
 I was untangling some bird net when Rani suddenly appeared and thought it might be a fun game.
 Aurora Australis was active again but we were too far north to really see anything.
 Birds in the garden can sometimes be seen out feeding even when it's raining. This one is a silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) looking for nectar in the gladiolus flowers.
 The fight between these two male blackbirds went on for several minutes. Eventually the loser flew away.
 The variable oystercatcher (Haematopus unicolor) was feeding on tuatuas (Paphies subtriangulata). The shellfish can dig themselves in to the sand remarkably quickly, but the bird usually succeeded in getting the meal.
 Simba was up on the house roof watching the sparrows in the tree behind. They were safe from him (this time).
 When there is change to cope with you just lie in the middle of it and let it happen around you.
 Simba took over the spare piece of insulation for a soft bed, even when some tools were stacked next to it. He wasn't perturbed by the presence of the spirit level.
 A Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica, centre) behind a bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) roosting with a flock of pied stilts (Himantopus leucocephalus).
The pied stilts are common New Zealand native birds. The bar-tailed godwit is a migratory bird that breeds in Alaska and frequents NZ estuaries from September to March, with a few non-breeding birds remaining here over the winter. The Hudsonian godwit was a first for me. It also breeds in northern North America and usually migrates to southern South America but a few end up in NZ instead.  The banded rail was out foraging while it was still quiet in the adjacent campground.
 This ledge wasn't really a great place for a den but the octopus stayed there for at least two weeks. The hollow was open to the sea even at low tide so there was no rest from the wave motion. At times the octopus was almost completely buried in the sand with only its eyes showing. It was reluctant to engage with me but did accept food on some days.
|
AuthorThis page highlights one photo from each outing. The subjects will vary - it will be whatever caught my eye or was most special on that day. Categories |
RSS Feed