Also on the beach and in my camera's view this morning, this Matuku moana | White-faced heron. 🐦
And here's my new S9 Apple Watch, a full 6 days before I expected it! 😁
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. 🐦
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! 🐦
On very rare occasions an odd looking item turns up in the supermarket Fruit and Vege section.
Turns out it's a Dragonfruit. I looked up what it was and how to eat it then laid down $8 to buy one! You eat it raw and they say it tastes like a cross between a pear and kiwifruit.
A bit bland really.
This is super interesting (Waikawa Beach has a terrible erosion problem in one particular spot) — Cyclone Gabrielle: Parts of East Coast lost 10 metres of shoreline (my emphasis):
"Commercially, they've been operating these very high resolution satellites for about the last 20 years, but it's probably only been over the last four or five years that the cost has come down, and the accessibility got to the point where you can order an image on your phone... or you can actually pay a little bit more and task a satellite to be over your beach at a particular time and take an image."
He said it cost academic buyers about $20 per square kilometre. The higher the resolution, the higher the cost, but it was a gamechanger for scientific research, he said.
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. 🐦
Today is one of NZ's most important days: Waitangi Day. We commemorate the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi between Māori and the British Crown in 1840. It is the founding document of our nation.
First came He Whakaputanga, the Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand in 1835.
Waitangi Day 6 Feb 2024 7:57 AM:
A Ngāpuhi kaumātua says He Whakaputanga needs to be elevated in the national conscious as the "matua", the parent of The Treaty.
He Whakaputanga - known in English as the Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand - was signed in 1835 around 50 rangatira, mostly of Ngāpuhi.
Hone Sadler says it laid the groundwork for the Treaty because it declared that sovereign power in New Zealand resided fully with Māori.
"If that covenant, that document wasn't signed we would never have had a Treaty because a Treaty can only be signed between apparently sovereign nations."
I like this series and enjoyed the fast action of The Girl Who Saw the Truth (The Shee McQueen Mystery Thriller Series Book 5) by Amy Vansant. It seemed though to be a book of two separate and unconnected stories. 📚
Shee and Mason investigate who's using a local port for nefarious dealings. …
When assassins chase Croix's favorite hacker into Loggerhead, she never imagines saving him will lead to her own complicated past.
Just wanted to note this — Oxford gains dark sky park status | RNZ News:
Oxford [north of Christchurch] has become the 6th New Zealand community to gain dark sky accreditation.
Dark Sky International has granted international dark sky park accreditation to the 11,350-hectare Oxford Forest Conservation Area to the west of the town, which is owned by the Department of Conservation.
Oxford joins dark sky sanctuaries Aotea Great Barrier Island and Rakiura Stewart Island, and dark sky reserves Aoraki Mackenzie, Wai-Iti (Tasman district) and Wairarapa.
With a birthday (69) coming up I followed a whim the other day (unusual for me) and ordered a new Apple watch mid-cycle. Upgrading from a S7 to a S9. It should be with me on my birthday. 😁
Hmmm, in the first week of April Deb and I might spend a few days in Te Wai Pounamu (The South Island). Which could mean doing this — Takapō Stargazing at Mount John:
High atop Mount John’s 1,029- metre peak, you'll be at the heart of the world’s largest International Dark Sky Reserve. Let our skilled guides open your eyes to the Southern night sky with captivating tales and facts.
Bumper breeding season for NZ's rarest bird after disastrous season last year | RNZ News:
… five fledglings already striking out on their own and as many as eight more chicks to follow.
That might not sound like many but given that the total world population of tara iti, or fairy terns, is less than 40, that is a huge boost to the species' chances of survival.
Didn't feel right to use one of the photos, but go look — the pics are amazing! 🐦
Earlier this week I thought I was over Covid but just not up to par. Yesterday and today I realise I actually feel well. I have a growing spark of energy.
Yesterday I lay down for a nap in the afternoon and couldn't get to sleep. Previous days I've just essentially passed out immediately. 🦠
I read this in two widely spaced hits: Island on Fire: The extraordinary story of Laki, the volcano that turned eighteenth-century Europe dark by Alexandra Witze and Jeff Kanipe. 📚
Excellent writing and gripping stories. 1783&84 were the most awful years for Europe. Recommended!
Just in case Deb and I do ever end up travelling to the Arctic — Top Arctic Wildlife Photography Tips for the Perfect Shot:
Mastering Arctic Photography Techniques
Photographing in the Arctic requires mastering specific techniques to overcome the challenges posed by extreme conditions.
Another from an author I enjoy: Someone Rotten Riding the Rails (The Accidental Detective Book 6) by Kris Bock. 📚
Two Russian crime families have rented a private historic train to the Grand Canyon for their children’s wedding
Our detective team have several problems to solve …
