Blossom feeders!

Spring is here although the nights are cold

and this morning there was some frost again!

Next door in my neighbor’s garden is a wild plum tree

Full with light pink blossoms.

This morning  father and mother

Kereru

had a very nice breakfast.

They love to reap the flowers off and

eat them.

(Sorry to say that is way last year there were no plums!)

Here they are enjoying their breakfast.

No 1.

No 2

Both!

New Zealand’s native pigeon, also known as kererū, kūkū and kūkupa and wood pigeon, is the only disperser of large fruits, such as those of karaka and taraire, we have. The disappearance of the kererū would be a disaster for the regeneration of our native forests.

The kererū is a large bird with irridescent green and bronze feathers on its head and a smart white vest. The noisy beat of its wings is a distinctive sound in our forests. The pigeon is found in most lowland native forests of the North, South and Stewart/Rakiura islands and many of their neighbouring islands.

http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/nz-pigeon-kereru/

 

What Trompie and I saw this morning

Early morning walk

Just up the hill we saw two Kererus( New Zealand pigeons) landing in a  tree across the road.

Going back home down the hill Trompie saw this kitty watching him!

Trompie looked at it and….

It made the kitty nervous and it turned its back on us!

There was a lot of frost this morning.

When the sun shone on the roofs the ice started to melt and formed steam

rising up in the air!

Just look at the frost in the shade at 9.00am

 

52 Pick Up: Peace

52 Pick Up – Peace: Finding Satisfaction

Suddenly I want to  show peace:

Finding Satisfaction.

Yesterday and today were really depressing days.

A lot of things happened that drove me to tears.

It is 4:30pm and I made a fresh cup of tea.

I saw the shadow of my best friend

THE KERERU  or

Wood pigeon.

Took some photos and found satisfaction in taking them.

This is just to show how near he was sitting to me.

I zoomed in

New Zealand’s native pigeon, also known as kererū, kūkū and kūkupa and wood pigeon, is the only disperser of large fruits, such as those of karaka and taraire, we have. The disappearance of the kererū would be a disaster for the regeneration of our native forests.

The kererū is a large bird with irridescent green and bronze feathers on its head and a smart white vest. The noisy beat of its wings is a distinctive sound in our forests. The pigeon is found in most lowland native forests of the North, South and Stewart/Rakiura islands and many of their neighbouring islands.http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-animals/birds/land-birds/nz-pigeon-kereru/

I also took some photos of my first flowers

And last but not the least

A photo of Trompie.

Travel Theme: ART

http://wheresmybackpack.com/2012/06/29/travel-theme-art/

Art can be interpreted in so many different ways, I’d love to see your take on the theme.

If you’d like to join in, create your own post between now and next Friday, title it “Travel theme: Art” and put a link to this page in your blog post to make it easy for others to find your post.  Don’t forget to check back in next Friday for a new travel theme.

Have you had a memorable encounter with art in some shape or form?

xxx Ailsa

o xxxxxxxxxxxxxx o

This weeks Travel Theme : ART is just what I was looking for to put the following photos with.

As I mentioned in my writing blog, I went out yesterday to see if I could get some photos of the snow on the hills here. It was very cloudy so I decided to go to the Main Street in my small town because they have recently put up  a tree with small glass fan tails. In the round about there is a copper sculpture of a fan tail bird.

The green and purple tree on the right is the one with the fan tails and the one on the left has autumn leaves on it.

( The photos were all taken by Scrapydo)

The Following was in  the Upper Hutt Leader  Wednesday June 27, 2012

Cheeky fantail flitters over us

A fantail-themed tree representing spring now brightens Main St, next to one with autumn leaves on the corner of Pine Ave.

Photo: RICK CLAPHAMFlittering fantails: Cheeky and cheerful.Flittering Fantails has been jointly funded by Experience Upper Hutt and Creative New Zealand and made by Upper Hutt artist Chris Wilson from Artrix Glass in Whakatiki St, creator of nearby Autumn Reflections erected several years ago.

They were to be the first of four with numbers three and four representing summer and winter planned for The Mall end of Main Street.

However, the final two seem unlikely, given the end of council funding for Experience Upper Hutt, although the organisation will continue as a lobby group, director Hellen Swales says.

The tree cost about $6500 with businesses providing discounted services.

The tree was assembled on Sunday, to toots and thumbs-up from passing motorists and pedestrians.

It was blessed at a 6.30am ceremony on Monday during brief rain which kaumatua Tamati Kaiwai said was a good sign. The fantail was a sign of mischief and cheekiness, he said.

Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy cut a ribbon around the metal trunk.

http://fairfaxmedia.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

The following is also a copper sculpture from a New Zealand Pigeon or Kereru. It also stands in a round about just before you enter Main Street in Upper Hutt.Photos taken by  Scrapydo

Real ART

Early morning walks

Early morning walk starts just after 7am every morning. The sun has not risen by that time and it is quite chilly  early in the morning.

Here is my best mate Trompie with whom I walk at least 3 times a day. He tells me most of the time when we have to start our walks. You can set your watch to his timing.

While on my walks I see the following interesting things, this is early mornings.

Two Kereru or New Zealand Pigeons will pass in flight to the tall trees up the hill.They live mostly in native forests

but in winter will sometimes feed in gardens. They are endemic to N Z. Also known as wood pigeons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Pigeon

Then there is also the Tui. They sit up in the trees and sing their own familiar song each morning. As if they are having a conversation with passers by.They are endemic to N Z. They are the first bird to sing in the mornings and last ones at night.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tui_(bird)

Black birds and starlings are also very busy early mornings.

Then the next we meet on the way is a big friend of Trompie. They meet each other every morning with “hello’s and how are you’s”. This is best cat friend Buddy!

Very interesting these early morning walks.

During evening walks (just before bedtime) we also encounter interesting things here. There is a hedgehog roaming about that late at night and Trompie always must have a look at it. Then at night I hear the Morepork/Ruru hooting. This is a native bird of N Z. Its hoot sounds like” more pork, more pork”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Boobook

That is it for now. A little bit of my life in New Zealand.