Miraz Jordan

Glee the Japanese Quail decided to sit on eggs a couple of weeks ago. Her sister Fliss helps occasionally. I thought they’d pretty much stopped laying so left them to it, but now there are a good dozen toasty eggs in the nest. There’s no male, so nothing will come of it… 🐦

For the longest time I thought we had Banded dotterels at Waikawa Beach but after close investigation I now think they are the very similar Wrybills. I’m pretty sure that beak has a curve to the right.

Length: 20 cm; Weight: 55 grams.

🐦

I should have taken some photos of the Pukeko chicks at the nearby lake a couple of weeks ago when they were fluffier. Look at these ridiculous gangly legs. And when the chicks run their legs look like cartwheels, like Roadrunner in the cartoons. Photos: chick; adult. 🐦

I haven’t posted any photos of my two remaining Japanese quail for a bit, so here are Fliss and Glee. 🐦

I’ve been hearing a bird with a call that sounds like a piercing ‘pee you, pee you’. It’s taken me a while to track it down, but apparently it’s a European goldfinch 🐦:

Voice: a liquid, tinkly calling, often given by flocks in flight. Also a shrill, clear pee-yu.

I was down at the lake taking photos of the Royal Spoonbills when this Matuku, White-faced heron, arrived. 🐦

Yesterday I visited the Wildbase Recovery in Palmerston North and saw this Kākā. The facility is amazing, helping wild birds recover and recuperate until they can be released. 🐦

These ducklings in the gardens in Palmerston North were very bold. 🐦

Neck bending competition this way! 🐦 Pied shags by the river.

Variable oystercatcher / tōrea pango — bird and egg. Eggs bigger than a hen’s egg; birds smaller than a hen. (Bird weight 720 grams — 25.4 ounces.) 🐦

Some birds reach 30+ years of age.

highly aggressive towards people close to nests or chicks … undertake distraction displays

I spent $10 on a 1 metre arm extender aka selfie stick and climbed the ladder. I was able to take a photo along the gutter and determine that it is not in fact full of bird party supplies. Perhaps we’ve been imagining the noises? Or perhaps they cleaned up before I came along? 🐦

While looking for something else I found this pigeon photo from May 2004. 🐦

Clockwork quail. In 2018 and 2019 my Coturnix quail laid their first egg for the season on 21 September. Today, 21 September 2020, they kept the trend going.

They require 12 hours of daylight to lay, which we achieved yesterday with equilux. Clever girls! 🐦

The Equinox | MetService Blog:

Equinox is on Wednesday, but due to refraction+width of sun the equilux (day with 12 hours of daylight) occurs today or yesterday in NZ depending on latitude.

☀️🕶 🥳

It’s about time my two remaining quail started laying eggs again. 🐦

“Our” black swans have so far managed to keep all 5 cygnets alive. Perhaps the alarm calls even as I was still quite far away are an element of their success? 🐦

And in today’s superb news: ‘our' swans at the lake a couple of hundred metres away have 5 babies. 🥳 🐦

I thought I’d sneaked up, but no… Two of the cygnets hitched a ride on mum as they all glided away.

Last year most babies disappeared. I hope things go better this year.

The high-pitched Riroriro or Grey Warbler at start and end, ducks and magpies. Sorry about the background which is either or both of slight wind and the nearby sea. 🐦 I’ve never actually seen a Riroriro as far as I know — only heard them.

I cleaned the window so I could see the Tauhou better. The more I watch them, the more I love them. Look at this little cutie! 🐦

By lunchtime the Tauhou had completely emptied one feeder and the other was disappearing quickly. I bought more ‘cakes' and decided to only put food out for a few hours each day. I don’t want them to forget to forage… 🐦

One bird at the new feeder was bullying the others away so I added another feeder yesterday. We now have a flock of about 15 feeding! Egads! They are so cute! 🐦 Tauhou FTW.

I think Tauhou are one of my favourite birds. I put up a bird feeder near the front door a couple of days ago, and three have been visiting off and on all day. Photo through the window. 🐦

Cold southerly at the beach this morning. For once I took my camera. Photo of Kuaka (Godwits), which usually return to the Arctic for our winter, but these stayed. Oshi and Sasha also enjoyed their outing.

🐦 🐶

Last night Oshi drove me crazy with almost continuous barking for about 90 minutes when I went to bed. 👿

Today I may know why: one dead quail and one missing quail who left a lot of feathers behind. I think a stoat halved my flock! 😤 🐦

Every 6 weeks or so I move the quail to a new spot. Here they are, near the house. It was a major effort to move the run uphill, but we got there in the end. The quails favourite shelter is the low plastic thing with the tree branches on top. 🐦

This Thrush was hanging round near the kitchen window this morning. 🐦