Miraz Jordan Profile Photo

Miraz Jordan

I love simplicity and silence. I enjoy taking photos of birds. I live at Waikawa Beach in New Zealand, and strive to be an actively decent human being. In 2025 I expect to move to Ruakākā near Whangārei. Apparently the bizarre is normal now. Almost 70, I'm super happy to be getting old — it means I'm not dead yet! Proudly a Free Being. 100% human (she / her). I am so much more than anyone thinks I am. I joined the MB community on 05 January 2018. Follow me on Micro.Blog at https://micro.blog/miraz .

  • Down at the beach today I thought I saw a piece of fluff blowing in the wind. Then I realised it was actually a Black-fronted Dotterel (16-18 cm; 30-35 grams; orange beak). Then I spotted a Banded Dotterel (20 cm; 60 grams) too. Then I managed to get both in one photo. 🐦

    Banded and black-fronted dotterels near one another.

  • Being mid-winter there are few birds around. I was pleased to see the spoonbill back. It was joined by a couple of spur-winged plovers and a dozen Pied Stilts. 🐦

    Spoonbill, spur-winged plovers, stilts in shallow water on the beach.

  • This fine pheasant was feeding in the paddock next door. 🐦

    Brightly coloured male pheasant in a paddock.

  • When I prepared apples for stewing today I put the cores on the picnic table. The Tauhou | Waxeyes were very happy with that arrangement. 🐦

    Small birds on the picnic table eating apple cores.

  • An unusual sight on the beach today: a Karetai hurukoko | Cape petrel, probably exhausted — it didn't move when I came close but managed to get away from a small wave. 🐦

    New Zealand status: Native; Conservation status: Naturally Uncommon.

    Gull sized bird with black head and black and white chequers on its body, sitting on wet sand.
    The bird has its wings spread as an incoming wave bubbles round its legs.

  • On the beach this morning: a (seeming giant) Spur-winged Plover next to a (truly small) Black-fronted Dotterel. 🐦

    On the left a tiny dotterel, next to a much larger spur-winged plover.

    Plover: Length: 38 cm; Weight: 350 - 370 grams

    Dotterel: Length: 16 - 18 cm; Weight: 30 - 35 grams

  • It was dusk when we left the movie yesterday and birds were roosting in the big trees along the Square in Palmerston North. 🐦

  • At dawn this morning there were 3 Royal Spoonbills in the ponded area of the beach where the Pied Stilts like to hang out. I was delighted, as I thought the spoonbills had abandoned us. 🐦

    Pied Stilt: who dis?
    Pied Stilt: who dis?
    Three spoonbills snoozing.
    Three spoonbills snoozing.

  • At 7 am, still about 40 minutes before sunrise, I stepped on to the beach. Although there was barely any light the pair of Paradise Ducks on the nearby remnant lagoon loudly announced my arrival. In the background are a few birds twittering. 🐦

  • An interesting 11 minute interview — NZ's smallest bird makes new sounds | RNZ 🐦 :

    A new study shows the tiny titipounamu or rifleman has the ability to learn to make new sounds, just like parrots.

  • This Pohowera | Banded dotterel has somewhere to be … 🐦

    Banded dotterel flying just above the sand.

    While this Black-fronted Dotterel is looking good …

    Black-fronted dotterel with its dark stripes and white chest.

  • My day went awry in the best possible way. I cut short my bike ride to collect my Fuji X-T5 and take photos of a rare visitor to Waikawa Beach: a Kōtuku | White heron. 🐦

    Such amazing birds!

    Tall white bird stands tall beside a river.
    Pure white bird with sharp yellow beak and neck kinked flies across the image.
    Black shag in the river looks at the heron on the bank.
    Peekaboo!

  • I knew it was still too dark at dawn to take photos of the Pūkeko by the lake, but I did anyway. I like the effect on this shot. Fujifilm X-T5, lens: XF100-400mm, ISO 12800, 600 mm, 1 ev, f22, 1/30 s. 🐦

    Dark bird with glowing red face shield beside almost glowing rushes, everything else black.

  • At the beach this morning: 3 spur-winged plovers and a pied stilt.

    Spur-winged plovers, pied stilt by a large puddle of water.

    In the next there's a spur-winged plover, a pied stilt, a black-fronted dotterel (in the background), while a swallow flies by. 🐦

    A spur-winged plover, a pied stilt a black-fronted dotterel (in the background), while a swallow flies by.

  • This morning I joined a couple of other members of the Horowhenua branch of Forest and Bird to do a bird count at Waikawa Beach estuary. We don't have so many birds around at the moment, but along with the usuals we spotted a flock of maybe 60 white-fronted terns, and also 5 banded dotterels. 🙌🏼 🐦

  • Pied Stilt (and friend). 🐦

    Pied stilt with reflection.

  • This Pied Shag kept an eye on me while drying its wings at the beach. 🐦

    Pied shag on the beach with wings spread.

  • From Queenstown we travelled to Te Anau where I was able to spend a few minutes walking round Punanga Manu | the bird sanctuary. I had a wonderful close-up view of a total of 5 takahē. 🐦

    Te Anau bird sanctuary sign.
    Takahē on grass, feeding

  • Yesterday I took a bunch of rubbish photos at the beach. Today I applied more thought. A pair of white-faced herons was keeping an eye on my process. 🐦

    A pair of white-faced herons on driftwood, looking at me.

  • This Paradise Shelduck pair stood out on the lake today. 🐦

    Paradise Shelduck pair.

  • I haven't visited the beach with my camera so much lately — many of the birds have gone. Today I took the camera and captured this Tarapunga | Red-billed gull. 🐦

    Tarāpunga | Red-billed Gull reflected in wet sand.

  • At the Te Anau bird sanctuary I spotted Takahē and Whio (Blue Duck). 🐦

    Punanga Manu o Te Anau/Te Anau Bird Sanctuary

    Two Takahē in Te Anau.
    Two Takahē in Te Anau.
    Two Whio at Te Anau.
    Two Whio at Te Anau.

  • So cool 🐦 : 3D printed eggs used in fairy tern rescue programme | RNZ News:

    Staff remove the [real] eggs, take them to incubators at Auckland Zoo, and the terns continue incubating what they thought were their eggs.

    … a record-breaking breeding season with 22 eggs laid and 14 chicks successfully hatched.

    Tiny chick beside its parent on the beach.
    A tara iti chick steps briefly out of its nest at Waipū to explore. Photo: RNZ; Supplied / Darren Markin.

  • On the beach yesterday. 🐦

    Social distancing for NZ Dotterels.
    Social distancing for NZ Dotterels.
    NZ Dotterel looking fine.
    NZ Dotterel looking fine.
    Immature red-billed gull up close.
    Immature red-billed gull up close.

  • Waves? What waves? 🐦

    Waikawa Beach, Aotearoa, for the Pacific Wave Appreciation Society. 🌊

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