The Paddock: bush pigeon

Showing posts with label bush pigeon. Show all posts

Sunday, 17 May 2020

A Sunday visitor

Last Sunday as I was sitting on the deck enjoying the morning sunshine and eating my breakfast I heard the distinctive swoosh of the wings of a kereru (bush pigeon) in flight and this beauty dropped down for a quick drink and I was lucky to have my phone at hand for a quick pic.

This morning, the same thing happened but no phone was handy. I presume it was the same one, they all look alike (sorry, couldn't resist that!). We have a lot of them in the big old Moreton Bay Fig at the back of the house but they are up so high I can never get a photo of them.

Wednesday, 27 September 2017

Spring

There's no denying spring has sprung. Not that I want to deny it, after all I've been waiting for it. To be precise I'm waiting for summer but spring has to be endured first. The wet weather continues just a little more unpredictably than the constancy of winter rain. The road side kowhai distract from the puddles.

The little calves are learning about the outside world in the paddock opposite my house. They still have a bit to learn. Knowing which human is the one who feeds you is an important lesson and they haven't yet learned to distinguish me from the pretty blonde who rides the bike towing their feeder. They hear my front door open and come to the fence hoping this time it will be me.

The lambs don't let their feeder too far from sight despite having to dirty their knees to get down low enough to dine. They will be learning how to survive without their mums soon enough.

I'm accumulating a collection of very bad bird photos. Usually the kereru (bush pigeons) attract attention with the loud swoosh of their wings in flight. But I now know an area beside the road into the Tangihua Forest where there is an active pair and keep an eye out. They don't fly away from me but manage to stay far enough away to be safe from my camera. I guess they are feasting on spring berries.

Linking to Gosia's Fences around the World for the first time in ages.

Saturday, 19 December 2009

Hidden treasures

My activities this weekend are very domestic compared with last weekend when my guest and I were only home long enough to eat and sleep really. But at least with all the gallivanting we did we ate and slept well.

We started off our sight seeing on Sunday with a quick walk in the bush to visit a kauri tree:

and the unexpected sight of a native bush pigeon:

then on to the estuary in Ngunguru:

followed by the sights of Tutukaka:

When we got to Matapouri Bay the tide was fully in and I wasn't too sure about whether we would be able to get around the rocks to get to one of my favourite spots. Had there been any waves that day we wouldn't have been able to but we managed to scramble around the rocks without getting too wet.

At one stage we came up behind a lad of 12 or 13 who was bending over playing with a dog in the water right in front of me. I couldn't go around him as he was in the shallows where I wanted to be. As we stood there waiting for him to get out of the way the tide swelled a bit and I had to hitch my pants up higher and said over my shoulder to GB, "Pull your pants up. " The lad was a little startled because I don't think he was aware I was there - but he pulled his pants up!! Funny, huh?

I don't know if I can describe the place we got to. Access is gained by trekking through long grass, then climbing down through a gap in the rock. On the other side is a very rocky little bay where the tide seethes in through a narrow causeway between the rocky headland and a rocky outcrop.

When there is a good surf running it is quite spectacular but was still worth the walk on a day when there were no waves at all. I savour every minute I'm at this place as I realize I won't be able to scramble over the rocks to get there forever, I'm not as sure-footed now as I used to be and with each visit I notice how I move more cautiously.