Funny how nature proves again and again you cannot trust small children and animals to do what you want – on command - today was no exception.
I walked up to my garden, via a section of Wellington’s city to sea walkway, through Central Park (see this photo of United States troops camped there during WW2) and this time had my regular camera with me … I didn’t want to see a rosella or kaka and not be able to get a photo - again.
Neither birds showed up in the 30 mins I was there but on leaving, I saw a kingfisher (kotare) on the power line: I stop, get my camera out, the bird moves into a tree. I turn my Cannon on - you would think it sounds like its name as my target flies off – adding yet another bird seen but not captured on film. (Going to the International Birding Conference in Gujarat India has started me on the slippery slope of becoming a birder perhaps!)
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| Kaka |
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| Kaka ( at Zealandia) |
My daughter saw a kereru (native wood pigeon) while on her only, so far, visit to the allotments but I haven’t seen one. It’s great the Wellington hills have so much native bush as it encourages the bird life … and of course Zealandia ( Karori Wildlife Sanctuary) is a fabulous nursery for them too. I suspect that's where the kaka I saw came from: see more about their kaka breeding and banding here
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| Kereru in Botanic Gardens, Christchurch |
I have just received a fabulous photographic guide (Birds of NZ – Collins Traveller’s Guide) which I know will be useful for me. It’s authored by Julian Fitter and Don Merton (who was, and still is, one of NZ’s nature heroes, and who died before the book was published in 2011).
See more about Collins Birds of NZ here
However, as this is a blog about my garden, it’s time I made a list of what’s growing in my plot in my next blog.
