• And for today’s yoga session we have a simple little neck twist with head tuck. 🐦

    Swallow preening the feathers on its lower back.
  • While one Kāhu | Hawk was flying around, another was relaxing on a fencepost. 🐦

    Hawk on the wing.
    Hawk on a fence post.
  • With the flax spears opening Tūī | Tui are visiting to feed. 🐦

    Blue and black iridescent bird feeds in a flax flower.
  • I’m outta here! 🐦

    Pied Stilt flies off, at the beach.
  • One of the quirks of halving a recipe is ending up needing half an egg. Luckily, as I have Japanese Quail, this is no problem. 4 quail eggs ‘equal’ a hen’s egg, ergo 2 quail eggs do just fine. Lemon Butter Biscuits. 🐦

    Screenshot of part of lemon butter biscuit recipe.
    Four quail eggs.
  • Those eggs I saw on the beach the other day weren’t from an Oystercatcher, but rather this dedicated gorgeous Pied Stilt.

    Such delicate creatures with such long legs! 🐦

    Pied Stilt on the beach.
  • I nearly stepped on this clutch of 5 Oystercatcher eggs on the beach. The birds lay them in the sand near a bit of driftwood. I was actually looking for a suspected nest further away and almost didn’t see this. 🐦

    Update, 07 November 2022: My friend Stephen discovered a Pied Stilt sitting on these eggs, rather than an Oystercatcher.

    5 oystercatcher eggs.
  • A pair of Canada Geese on the lake. 🐦

    Canada Geese on the lake.
  • Thanks to @cheri who drew my attention to this wonderful rap video a couple of weeks ago: Rock Wren for Bird of the Year. And look who won! Bird of the Year: Pīwauwau/ rock wren crowned as 2022 winner. 🐦

    Screenshot of Rock Wren from the video.

    Photo: The pīwauwau / rock wren. Photo: CC BY 2.0 Andrew / Flickr.

    The pīwauwau photo by Andrew.
  • Very uncomfortable topic for a cozy mystery, but I like this series and its characters who are very real: The Missing Pets Mystery (The Supermarket Mysteries Book 2) by Rachel Ward. 🐦

    all is not well in the little town of Kingsleigh. Three cats have gone missing in a week.

    Book cover: The Missing Pets Mystery .
  • Spring! Spotted today at the local pond, a duck with, I believe, 10 ducklings. Look at those little mites! 🐦

    Duck and a dozen ducklings on the lake.
  • I love Welcome Swallows: they’re small, colourful, fast and generally cute. This one came to sit on our deck railing. Photos through a window. 🐦

    Swallow on the railing through the window.
    Swallow on the railing through the window.
    Swallow on the railing through the window.
  • Pleased with myself that today I checked my camera settings before getting click-happy on the shutter. This morning there were about 15 Kuaka feeding on the beach. 🐦

    Kuaka with long beak half buried in wet sand.
  • I was heading to the deck when I pulled up short. A California Quail (a rare and occasional visitor in these parts) was hanging out on our deck railing. It waited quietly while I took a bunch of photos. ❤️ 🐦

    California Quail.
  • One of our local ring-necked doves was hanging round by the house this morning. Very convenient! 🐦

    Close up of ring-necked dove.
  • Out of 30 or so photos of Kuaka (Godwits) this is probably the only one where the bird was actually in focus. So annoyed with myself for mucking up this beach photowalk so badly. 🐦

    Kuaka Godwit bird on the beach.
  • The quail run needed a refresh so yesterday I took out old straw and pine shavings and macrocarpa twigs. Today I went and bought more pine shavings, then loaded up the run with fresh materials. Can you spot the stripey quail in the last photo? 🐦

    Two quail on pine shavings.
    Two quail close-up.
    View of refreshed quail run.
  • Equinox egg. First quail egg of the season. Such clever girls! 🐦

    Small egg balanced on a plastic cup.
  • This is one of 3 ring-decked doves that hang out on our lane. They let me get so close. 🐦

    Ring necked dove on a shingle lane.
  • Finally a duck came to explore the temporary pond on the paddock next door. Didn’t stay long though. 🐦

    Duck on a rainwater pond.
  • My iPad just popped up this photo of two pigeons from 2004. Taken in Wellington I think, on Oriental Parade. 🐦

    Two pigeons that seem to be kissing.
  • First time ever I’ve seen a Kererū at Waikawa Beach. They do live 4 Km away (as the bird flies) but have never been down here before as far as I know. 🐦

    Length: 50 cm; Weight: 630 g

    Kereru on the flax spears.
    Kereru looks towards the camera.
    Kereru on flax.
  • Our resident Kingfisher is so photogenic. 🐦

    Kingfisher on flax stem.
    Closer up Kingfisher on flax stem.
  • December 2008: flamingos at Honolulu Zoo. What on earth is that one at the back doing with its neck?! 🐦

    Pink flamingos at Honolulu Zoo.
  • Hang in there! 🐦

    Tiny Waxeye hanging upside down from the bird feeder.
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