Russell Kirkpatrick's Journal
Birdies
28-Sep-2008
A tui is a native New Zealand bird - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tui_(bird) - quite common in rural areas but relatively rare in urban areas. Three years ago we planted two kowhai trees specifically to attract tui, who are nectar eaters, and today we have glorious confirmation of our success.
The bird has a wonderful song - not quite the spine-tingling full-out song such as the bellbird has, but pleasant nonetheless - and distinctive. We tracked the song to a tall totara tree, and there they were.
So now we have tui to go along with our morepork (bet Terry Pratchett doesn't have one in his garden), quail, pheasants, kingfishers and fantails. I'd love to attract a bellbird or two, or even the rare kokako, which has the most evocative call of all, drawn from the mists of time.
Living here is like being on holiday every day of the week.
Not really very related, but when I was driving along the freeway yesterday, I saw a car stopped at an off ramp, in the middle of the road. It was waiting for two ducks to waddle across. I thought it was great to see someone caring fo the wildlife for once.
I understand your happiness. I never even saw a Tui until I was 14, so its so great to have them come into the garden - they like the big pohutukawa tree out the front of my place.
May I ask...does anyone else have a problem with magpies, not the usual territorial attacks, but road crossings? At least three times in the past few months I have had magpies cross the road in front of my car - walking!!!! They simply stroll across in front of me, even though I have come up close enough to them to scare away a normal bird. Naturally, I stop and wait, and they just continue across and walk away on the other side. This is weird, right??
I should add I live in the centre of Hamilton, a town of 130,000 people, but I'm surrounded by bush.