"My mum thinks I am lovely" - Waikanae ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
4/6/2020 Waikanae Estuary Newsletter No 157 March 2020
Subscribe Past Issues Translate
View this email in your browser
Waikanae Estuary Newsletter No 157 March 2020
www.kapitibirdtours.co.nz
Waikanae the wild-bird Capital; of News Zealand.
"My mum thinks I am lovely"
"So does my dad"
An oystercatcher chick photographed by Elizabeth Taylor.
Frogs
While visiting a friend at Peka Peka, low and behold there were frogs all over
the place. They weren't the usual run of the mill frogs These ones were tiny
little ones about the size of a 'two dollar' piece. They were Australian tree frogs
and there were a lot of them. Some ended up in the spar-pool where they didn't
survive, the rest ended up in the garden and went about doing the things frogs
do. I thought these frogs were scarce, but this doesn't appear so, here on the
Kapiti Coast.
Paradise ducks
https://us19.campaign-archive.com/?u=224171f760e8006f4eba23a85&id=52c0280cb1 1/4
4/6/2020 Waikanae Estuary Newsletter No 157 March 2020
The paradise ducks were waddling along the pathway beside the river, two
Subscribe Past Issues Translate
parents and Six ducklings doing what ducks do, minding their own business. In
came a black-backed gull flying very fast and low. Straight away the paradise
duck took off and rammed straight into the gull whose feathers flew
everywhere. The drake also took off and flew upriver after the seagull. This left
the six babies to their own devices. Luckily they survived until their parents
returned. Where there are babies concerned the parents are usually very
vigilant. There are a lot of parries on the lagoons at the moment.
Canada geese & pukes
Canada geese have moved into the two Waimanu lagoons, as have the
pukeko. In the case of the pukes they are breeding where a Nga Manu photo
few years ago there were none to be seen. The Canada geese are to be seen
in large groups upon the water and in smaller groups around the lagoons. After
we had moved on the large mob of feral geese that used to soil our walking
paths with their droppings, it looks as though they may be taken over by the
Canada geese! The difference is that, where the feral geese stayed around and
walked everywhere as they soiled the paths, the Canada's fly and will
come and go, although, I suspect that some will nest and bring up their young
within the Waimanu lagoons. These birds like to have a morning flight and can
be seen and heard as they mob up and fly off to find some nice lush farmer's
field to have their breakfast; they are grazers.
Netting the River
https://us19.campaign-archive.com/?u=224171f760e8006f4eba23a85&id=52c0280cb1 2/4
4/6/2020 Waikanae Estuary Newsletter No 157 March 2020
Subscribe
The river is a prolific larder with the shags, not only fishing the ocean, but
Past Issues Translate
regularly hunting the river for their food, some times in packs of up to sixty birds
in the case of the little black shags. It's not only the birds that fish the river,
people put out set nets on the lower tide. They wade out to knee deep, set
their nets, then wait for the tide to come in then go out again to collect their fish.
There is an abundance of flounder in the river, one is a large grey species and
the other the sweet yellow belled one. At times there will be heaps of paddle
crabs who will feast on the flounders in the net.
The large fish from the sea don’t visit often although, barracuda, that fearsome
large toothed fish, get caught now and again. Gurnard are very infrequent
visitors, however, a couple, over two tides, ended up in the pot just recently.
Trout also, along with eels and the smaller fish that the shags like, all make the
river their home.
The Lost Cows of Kapiti
How does a farmer lose his cows overnight?
One dark stormy night a herd of cows escaped
from their farm and ended up wandering down
the beach, a very long way from home…
The remarkable true story of a sight never before
seen on the beaches of the Kapiti Coast.
This is my fifth story to be published as a
children’s book. I am pleased to be working with
Susan Wildblood, a local artist with a passion for
children’s books, who was able to beautifully
illustrate my story.
This really interesting book is based on a true
story. Read all about it in Mik’s latest book
The Lost Cows is also now available as an Ebook
from Amazon.
Click here for details
Check out The Lost Cows of Kapiti
Mik Peryer the birdman of Waikanae
https://us19.campaign-archive.com/?u=224171f760e8006f4eba23a85&id=52c0280cb1 3/4
4/6/2020 Waikanae Estuary Newsletter No 157 March 2020
Subscribe Past Issues Our mailing address is: Translate
Kapiti Birds Tours
20 Barrett Drive
Waikanae Beach
Waikanae, Wgn 5536
New Zealand
Add us to your address book
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
This email was sent to
why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences
Kapiti Birds Tours · 20 Barrett Drive · Waikanae Beach · Waikanae, Wgn 5536 · New Zealand
https://us19.campaign-archive.com/?u=224171f760e8006f4eba23a85&id=52c0280cb1 4/4
You can also read
