Kererū at the beach
First time ever I’ve seen a Kererū at Waikawa Beach. They do live in Manakau 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
birds (36)
Sparrow and dunnock – which is which?
One of the emails I received from The NZ Garden Bird Survey team around the time of the 2022 Survey had handy info about Dunnocks and Sparrows: We’re not sure if this is happening with your whanāu, but we’ve noticed ours have definitely caught the birdwatching bug and they haven’t stopped looking for birds! Although there has been a bit…
NZ Garden Bird Survey 2022
25 June to 03 July 2022 is the week for the Garden Bird Survey. Why do we do the survey in winter? Aren’t birds less likely to be seen? And besides which, it’s freezing! Birds are active all year round, but in winter, when wild food is more scarce, they will tend to come into gardens to feed. This means…
Black Swans and their cygnets
Back on the 4th of May 2022 I spotted 'our' two black swans on the lake at the end of the road. They had 4 cygnets with them. I didn't see them again until today (23 May), and it seems they've lost one of the small flock.
Learn about bird feathers
You may have noticed shags ‘sunbathing’ at the beach with their wings spread out. [Shags] are often seen sitting on a perch with their wings spread out, drying their feathers. This is because a shag’s feathers are not waterproof, making it easier for them to dive and stay underwater for an average of 20 to 30 seconds per dive. But…
The Yellowhammer
There are plenty of Yellowhammers to be seen around Waikawa Beach. The bright yellow head is a real giveaway. Length: 16 - 16.5 cm; Weight: 18 - 30 g Similar species: Cirl bunting, Yellowhead, New Zealand pipit, Eurasian skylark, Chaffinch A small relatively long-tailed songbird with a grey-black bill and pinkish legs in which the male has a mostly bright…
