the cowbird
Or at least, that’s how he [again assuming for no good reason] appears to me: a bit fat and ungainly and not a little dumb; not showing anything like the attitude displayed by the tui of the day before even though he was, just like the tui, looking me straight in the eye:
Our psychotic blackbirds were a little alarmed, but soon realised that the kererū was no threat (or at least, not one worth worrying about, being more of an all-consuming force of nature than controllable thing). And they swing by about this time every year.
Not bothered in the slightest by anything mere humans could do, the kererū just carried on eating until he was done.
Lucky for him we live on a steep slope and it’s an easy downhill glide to gain enough speed for flying…
Patrick Quinn-Graham
6 December 2006, 16:45 #
That is one cool looking bird.
Alan
6 December 2006, 21:23 #
They are very pretty, aren’t they.
A related story: down by the bus stop there’s another cherry tree overhanging the road. A fat kererū nearly got bowled there this morning as the branch it was edging along to feed on sagged into the path of a bus… most amusing.
backin15
6 December 2006, 22:14 #
Alan, these photos are stunning – thanks. I’m in Wellington for a day or so next week – where should/could I go to hear Tui, Kereru and other natives – the Karori wildlife reserve?
Alan
6 December 2006, 22:57 #
Apart from our garden? Yeah, most likely the Sanctuary. Although I wonder if the tui and kererū in particular might now be dispersed throughout the Western suburbs rather than concentrated in the Sanctuary.
Anyway, I see they have a two hour tour that leaves from the tourist info centre in town that might be just the thing…