Counting ducks

Female Paradise shelduck and duckling
Female Paradise shelduck and duckling

This is the time of year that you find yourself compulsively counting ducks.

We live next to an artificially created lake, and it has become home to a wide range of birds  – both indigenous and introduced. But it is the Paradise shelducks that create the most excitement when they produce their little black and white balls of fluff. Continue reading

First day of spring at Nga Manu Nature Reserve

Today – the first day of spring – dawned crisp and clear, so Carter and I decided to venture out to one of our favourite hang-outs: Nga Manu Nature Reserve, just north of Waikanae township, on the Kapiti Coast [click here to view map]. Continue reading