Miraz Jordan

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.

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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.

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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. 🐦

I hopped out of bed and spotted this pheasant watching me from the rail of the dog yard fence. I quickly grabbed this shot through a rather dirty window. 🐦

While looking for something else I came upon this photo I took in 2013. Oystercatcher. 🐦

Emily Graslie works for the Chicago Field Museum and is one of my favourite YouTubers. She has such a lovely manner.

If you like birds watch her 8 minute video: I put GoPros on my bird feeders - YouTube 🐦

Every few weeks I move the quail to a new spot on the flat area of grass below the house. Today Flop managed to escape in the process, but I caught him before too long. They’re all enjoying the fresh straw and fresh patch of ground. 🐦

It’s the time of year when Warou, Welcome Swallows, swoop around the house, sometimes coming in and either getting ‘stuck’ in a corner, or swooping out again. 🐦

A self-introduced species from Australia … Welcome swallows first bred in NZ in 1958. By 1965 they were common

Today’s Bird On The Flax is the humble Sparrow. 🐦

House sparrows were introduced to NZ first in the mid 1860s. They soon became abundant and were said to be combating plagues of agricultural pests. By the 1880s, however, they were regarded as pests.

Photos through a window.

Now that lupin season is almost finished, thank goodness, it’s Tui on the flax flowers season. This Tui appeared after today’s 25mm of rain stopped. 🐦 I’m so glad I planted flaxes right by the front door.

Birds at the beach. 🐦

• Godwits and Gull.
• Black Swans and ducks.
• Pied Shag.
• A flock of Black-backed Gulls and perhaps other birds.

Just a bit of photo fun.

As we arrived at the beach today a small flock of half a dozen birds startled. I was very excited — they are the first arrivals this season of the Kuaka, Bar-tailed Godwits, fresh from their 12,000 Km, 8 day flight from the Arctic. So glad I took my Fuji X-T2 and zoom lens! 🐦

Down at the beach this morning we upset a Pied Stilt who was presumably nesting nearby. 🐦

Today is Saturday 21 September 2019 and the quail have produced the first egg of the season. 🐦🥚 We have 12 hours and 02 minutes of sun today. Last year we also had the first eggs on this day. Clever girls!

Today was quail moving day. Flop obliged with a photo. 🐦