Have you heard?

A poem/story. The verses accompany bird photos taken when we visited Maple Glen Garden on Sunday, 03 October [Southland, New Zealand]. The idea was inspired by Jake Owensby on twitter this morning telling how his wife Joy in a wordplay duel had coined “Poultrygeist.” It caught my imagination and after checking my photos I put...

Fowl Business

Fowl business: if you've ever seen a guinea fowl rushing along, apparently compelled by extreme urgency, they're very funny! Happened several times today at Maple Glen Garden in Southland, New Zealand. And by the way, they can be noisy! ~pics taken when they were more chilled out. Click on any photo to enlarge. Committee meeting...

Interesting Locals

We met these animal locals on a walk yesterday to the edge of town. I took lots of spring flower photos, there were way more flowers in bloom than I expected. Flower photos later. ~Tapanui, West Otago, New Zealand. In the second sheep photo the mum-sheep is actually poking her tongue at me .. rude!...

Glistening Green

I was stunned to see this photo appear in my twitter feed recently, a Glistening-Green Tanager in the rain photographed in Ecuador Cloud Forest. I don't recall seeing photos of this bird before and I was amazed by the vibrant green plumage ~and it looks so beautiful sitting on the mossy branch in the rain!...

Lord and Lady

This Paradise Duck pair were lording it over the Dunedin Botanic Garden main pond when I visited on a dull day on 19 May. These ducks are endemic to New Zealand and are the size of a large duck or small goose. There's no shortage of them, they're the second most common duck in NZ...

Eastern Rosella

Introduced to New Zealand from Australia, these noisy bright intruders are fun to try and spot. Usually I can't see them or only get brief glimpses because they typically fly around high in the canopy. I grew up in the Far North and saw them regularly in that much warmer region. We rarely come across...

Evergreen

The bird aviaries and the Australia plant collection share the same general area at Dunedin Botanic Garden, they're always fun to visit. Among the bird mix are various Australian cockatoos, and macaws; the noise can be pretty raucous! Dunedin, New Zealand. Visited 29 A

It Only Takes One

Got your attention? This is one of my favourite roses at Dunedin Botanic Garden; name is 'Wild Cat'. The flowers of 'Wild Cat' were looking stupendous when I visited on 10 April 2021, our autumn. New Zealand. Rose info: Floribunda, Dickson, UK pre 2009. Click on any of the images below to enlarge. Now I'd...

White Duck Tale

I was walking a garden path toward the main pond at Dunedin Botanic Garden on 28 April when I spotted this white duck with its ordinary duck companions. I hung around getting a series of photos, it was such a pretty and interesting bird. So this is a little story of the white duck, although...

Fun Front Fence

When we were over on the East Coast last week we spied this eye-catching front fence decorated with critters, and flowers. Adorable! South Island, New Zealand.

Moonlight Pond

My last post featured Butter and Egg Rd in the Moonlight sub-district of Waitaki, a little south of Macraes. We couldn't resist driving up the gravel road to the end where we came to Nenthorn Road and turned right, immediately encountering this wonderful farm pond complete with black swan couple and a flock of paradise...

I Will Crow

Stanleys Hotel “Since 1882”, Macraes. Waitaki, New Zealand.Motto: While I Live I Crow. ~ a few more pics from our visit, continuing Stanleys Hotel. Click on any photo to enlarge. The rooster on the mantelpiece. Those tusks! Nigel got this pic of the trailer a couple days prior to our visit. Text by Liz, photos...