10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2014

Thing is, I saw, as I logged into eBird, that the milestone had already passed, which was odd, because I hadn’t seen many birds in New Zealand this year, and certainly would have remembered a lifer (my last was the Parasitic Jaeger ).

Tonga 177

Tonga Fiji Samoa Vanuatu 177

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2014

Second, they occupy an astonishing variety of habitats from temperate Araucaria forests in Chile to alpine scree in New Zealand to seasonally flooded rainforests in Brazil to rocky sea cliffs in Australia. Both of these endemic parrots suffer from habitat loss and trapping for the pet trade.

Parrots 169

Parrots Brazil Mauritius Dominica 169

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2012

If you like animals you will generally not want them to suffer and you won’t want them to go extinct. Animal rights is concerned with preventing the suffering or even use of animals by humans. Either beaten to death by another gull or starved to death, life is very short and very cruel for most of this new life.

Animal Rights 267

Animal Rights Rights New Zealand Animal 267

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 17, 2011

to live out their lives in peace, absent the abuse they had suffered in the entertainment industry. On a beach in New Zealand, a dolphin came to the rescue of two pygmy sperm whales stranded behind a sand bar. Shirley and Jenny, two female elephants, were reunited after living apart for 22 years. Photo by Flickker Photos.

Emotional 100

Emotional Animal Whales Whaling 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2012

I know on some level, I think that’s something almost all of us can get behind…no one, except the most callous and cold-hearted of the human race things its fine to torture animals, or deny that they are capable of pain and suffering.

Animal Rights Movement 218

Animal Rights Movement Animal Rights Rights Wildlife 218

10,000 Birds

APRIL 22, 2015

The small community it was in reminds one of a small New Zealand country town or village, and the manor was set back from the road along a long tree-lined driveway. Above the gardens a wheedling just fledged Gymnogene begged fro food from its long suffering parent.

Africa 165

Africa South Africa Stud Birds 165

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 24, 2012

So I thought I could give fair warning about one of the more dangerous birds out there, even more dangerous than the Lesser Goldfinch , and one of the more common and familiar birds of Australia and New Zealand, the Australian Magpie. Australian Magpie! Dum dum DUM!

New Zealand 156

New Zealand Birds Australia Kangaroos 156

10,000 Birds

MAY 25, 2016

Most of the trip was taken up with family meals and nights on the town with friends (and suffering a bit in the morning), but I did get away to do some birding in Melbourne’s top birding spot which isn’t so much a dump as the pits. It’s a sewage treatment plant. Australian Crake by Frankzed ( Creative Commons ).

Australia 100

Australia Geese Ducks Birds 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

I start today with an update from last week, were I spoke about New Zealand’s muted reaction to the official shortlist of tea towels… I’m sorry, flags , that have been picked as part of a longwinded and dull process to not pick a new flag. Cons – is almost extinct. I’m not even joking.

Australia 183

Australia Chickens Birds Seals 183

10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2013

The Stephen’s Island Wren suffered a fate common to many island species of birds around the world. Enter Dr. Felix Daemon, a brilliant New Zealand biologist, and a man with a rather unique vision and approach, who wants to bring back and reintroduce the Stephen’s Island Wren and is on the verge of doing so.

Feral Cats 205

Feral Cats Eggs Cats Feral 205

10,000 Birds

APRIL 24, 2013

Anzac Day started as a commemoration day for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps’ disastrous Gallipoli Campaign during the First World War. This provides me a roundabout way to discuss one of the quirks of New Zealand, the name of her people. Royal New Zealand Air Force roundel.

New Zealand 165

New Zealand Campaign Mammals Suffering 165