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Week Nine: Auckland, and points north.

10,000 Birds

This weeks posting finds me north of the Whananaki area, which is north of Auckland, New Zealand. Unfortunately, there have been no new birds that I can check off my “Wish List” but if you have to hang out in a place, this is pretty awesome. Of those 95 species, 85 are new Lifers! Here is a closer shot of the Brown Teal.

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Talking Starlings

10,000 Birds

A European Starling in New Zealand made the news this week. This particular species is not native to New Zealand (similar to its status in North America). In areas where starlings are introduced, the laws for keeping them as pets are relaxed.

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Lords of the Forest

10,000 Birds

Although the only pine forests found in New Zealand are recent plantations of Northern Hemisphere Pinus species like the Monterey pine, the country does have native conifers. This is the kauri , Agathis austalis , the largest tree in New Zealand. This is the kauri , Agathis austalis , the largest tree in New Zealand.

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Australasian Snapper, Pagrus auratus

10,000 Birds

Since New Zealand is currently consumed by rugby fever and we haven’t the time to indulge in anything so tedious as birdwatching, I thought I’d dive back under the sea to introduce one of New Zealand’s most iconic aquatic organisms, the Australasian Snapper ( Pagrus auratus ).

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Flights of Passage: a book review

10,000 Birds

And, in a nice irony, an example par excellence of the law of unintended consequences: the Redhead, a diving duck, has an aversion to wind turbines, and will change its feeding areas to avoid them. “Scientists fear that this may cause them to lose condition over winter and thus damage their breeding prospects.”

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The Feast of Stephen

10,000 Birds

In Wales people who slept in late – and female servants, who probably never slept in late in their lives – used to be beaten with holly branches for luck, although modern assault laws have largely ended the practice. And in Ireland, well… In Ireland they killed Wrens. And tied them to the top of sticks. Or does it?

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Week 20: Doha, and on to Scotland!

10,000 Birds

New Zealand had been good, Australia was incredible, and South Africa was almost life altering. This leg of the trip was for the most part all about my father-in-law. After leaving Africa, I was fearing a real let down in my birding. Where do you go from there? Well, for us, we went to Doha, Qatar.

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