Miraz Jordan Profile Photo

Miraz Jordan

I love simplicity and silence. On this blog I share bits and pieces from my daily life. In late 2025 I moved to Ruakākā near Whangārei in Aotearoa. 100% human (she / her). Since July 2024 I've been doing resistance training to help me maintain my independence as I age. Now 71, I'm super happy to be getting old β€” it means I'm not dead yet! I believe all beings have the right to clean water, nutritious food and adequate shelter, and that humans are simply one small part of the amazing life on this planet that supports us all: humans, animals, plants. I joined the MB community on 05 January 2018. Follow me on Micro.Blog at https://micro.blog/miraz .

  • Big and Little: big Taranui | Caspian Tern with little Tara | White-fronted Tern (I think …) 🐦

    Two terns side by side. One is very much lareger than the other.

    Length: 50 cm; Weight: 700 grams vs Length: 42 cm; Weight: 160 grams.

  • Birds I noticed at dawn at the beach today: NZ Dotterel, Royal Spoonbill, adult pair and baby Oystercatcher. 🐦

    NZ Dotterel.
    NZ Dotterel.
    Royal Spoonbill.
    Royal Spoonbill.
    Adult pair with baby Oystercatcher.
    Adult pair with baby Oystercatcher.

  • Flocks of birds in flight at the beach today. 🐦

    Black swans in flight.
    Black swans in flight.
    A small flock of Rock Pigeons.
    A small flock of Rock Pigeons.

  • There were also plenty of birds on Lake Te Puna a te Ora, including many Pāpango | New Zealand scaup. 🐦

    Small dark bird on a lake, with broad grey bill and bright yellow eye.

  • Today I noticed juvenile Karoro | Black-backed gulls 🐦.

    Large dark coloured spotted gull by the water edge with a clump of weed nearby.

  • Today's 'haul' — Dotterels and a Hawk in flight. 🐦

    3 tiny birds on the beach.
    Hawk in flight.

  • Also on the beach and in my camera's view this morning, this Matuku moana | White-faced heron. 🐦

    White-faced heron, paddling in the shallows.

  • Success! Not only has the population of baby Oystercatchers doubled overnight, but I managed a photo or two. Like this one of the two chicks seeking refuge under their parent. 🐦

    Two Oystercatcher chicks seek refuge under their parent.

  • This parent Oystercatcher was very upset with me today for walking too close to its baby (maybe 10 or 15 metres away). I was getting the works! 🐦

    Black bird with pink legs and orange bill and red-ringed eyes advances towards me threateningly.

  • At the beach I saw, but didn't manage a photo of, a brand new baby Oystercatcher! Huzzah!

    Meanwhile, at home, Warou | Welcome swallows keep lining up on the deck railing to keep an eye on me. 🐦

    Welcome swallow watching me.

  • Kawau | Pied Shags on the beach this morning. 🐦

    A line of shags on the beach. One is facing the camera but the rest are facing the sea.
    Two shags face one another at the water's edge. One looks very ruffled.

  • While the Warou | Welcome swallow sat on the zendo roof the Kāhu | Hawk was out hunting. 🐦

    Swallow on zendo roof.
    Hawk in flight with trees behind.

  • Pied Stilt stands guard on 3 juveniles. 🐦

    Adult Pied Stilt stands guard on 3 juveniles.

  • Today's other beach bird is this NZ Dotterel showing off its jewellery. 🐦

    NZ Dotterel with one foot lifted and bands on each leg.

  • Today's beach bird is … a sparrow! It had found a tasty morsel for its dinner. 🐦

    Sparrow finds dinner on the beach.

  • There were so many birds at the estuary this morning. I went for photos of groups. No chance of photos of the flock of Dotterels — they were too speedy. 🐦

    Godwits and Pied Stilts.
    Godwits and Pied Stilts.
    Terns.
    Terns.
    Gulls, royal spoonbill, shags.
    Gulls, royal spoonbill, shags.

  • I had only 2 minutes at the lake this afternoon. How lucky to spot a Matuku moana | White-faced heron, Ngutupapa | Royal Spoonbill, heaps of birds including black swans, and my favourite Weweia | New Zealand dabchick. 🐦

    White-faced heron on grass.
    Royal Spoonbill at the edge of a lake.
    Black swans and others.
    Dabchick on the lake.

  • Deb spotted a stoat running past the quail run just before I went to feed Fliss, the Japanese Quail. I think it must have bitten her through the wire. RIP Fliss. 🐦

    That's truly the last of our pets.

    Adult stripey Japanese Quail.
    Fliss, aged 5 years in December 2023.

  • Today a baby Oystercatcher walked past really close to me. What a sweetie! 🐦

    Baby oystercatcher follows close behind an adult on the beach.

  • With its mottled brown back and head this is definitely a baby Pied Stilt. 🐦

    Baby pied stilt wading and feeding in shallow water at the beach.

  • Caught the baby oystercatchers yesterday dashing about. 🐦

    (This should be an animated gif.)

    5 frames of baby oystercatchers dashing about.

    For users of Acorn app: Open image, then File - Add Images … . Arrange layers to suit. Then File - Export - Web and other - Animated Gif.

  • Those baby Oystercatchers are growing! 🐦

    Adult and 2 baby oystercatchers.

  • The Oystercatcher chicks are getting so grown up. Here's one with its parent. 🐦

    Baby oystercatcher and parent on sand at the beach.

  • I quickly abandoned The Complete Maxie Reddick Mysteries Books 1–3 box set by Helen Bridgett. 🐦

    I really didn't like the lead character — she was just 'off' and I felt uncomfortable with her methods.

    The Complete Maxie Reddick Mysteries box set cover.

  • I quite enjoyed reading the 5 books in Charlotte Dean Mysteries eBook Bundle by Phillipa Nefri Clark. 🐦

    You'd barely know the books are set in Australia, but the good characters are amenable, the bad characters rotten. Some things are a little too perfect, but the stories were a good easy read.

    Charlotte Dean Mysteries eBook Bundle covers.

    Titles (in Kingfisher Falls):

    • Christmas Crime
    • Bookclub Murder
    • Cold Case Murder
    • Plans for Murder
    • Festive Felony
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