‘Gulls On The Promenade’
Gulls On The Promenade
Tag: Birds
Glide
‘Glide’
…a gull glides on the breeze, seemingly without effort…
Bird Bath
‘Bird Bath’
Foragers
‘Foragers’
…not for fun, but to survive…
Black-backed Gull
‘Black-backed Gull’
Heron Stalk
‘Heron Stalk’
‘Birds Used To Sit Here And Watch People Far Below’
‘Birds Used To Sit Here And Watch People Far Below’
Detail of the sculpture shown in the previous post Half Buried Memories .
The carved inscription gives the title to this entry.
Memories remain.
(for the record, birds still sit, and shit, on the sunken parapet)
Oystercatcher Strut
‘Oystercatcher Strut’
A pair of variable oystercatchers strut their avian stuff along the edge of the estuary at Mangawhai Heads.
Ten Windows, Four Gulls
‘Ten Windows, Four Gulls’
Atop The Wharf
‘Atop The Wharf ‘
…parallel lines, oblivious birds…
Ruling The Roost
‘Ruling The Roost’
Two little pied shags(cormorants) boss the branches. Very cool avians!
Pigeons At The Old Telephone Exchange
Three Birds On A Wire
‘Three Birds On A Wire’
…continuing on from the previous post Three Windows, and my belief in the thesis of good things coming in threes…
Flap
‘Flap’
Autumn is now finding its straps, with the rains finally coming to northern New Zealand after a summer of drought. The local pond is replenished with fresh water. These two geese find their joy there!
(For more recent avian delight see:The Magpie, Pukeko ,Squawk and I Am The White King)
The Magpie
‘The Magpie’
“…and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle
The magpies say.”
 – New Zealand poet Denis Glover, ‘The Magpies’ (1964)
Birdland
This very evocative wood carving/ painting got me thinking of some favourite bird things….
My Avian Awards
- My Lucky Bird    – Kingfisher
- Best Song/Call     – Tui (NZ endemic)/Magpie =
- “I Rule” Strut        – Magpie
- Coolest in Flight  – Hawk/ Swallow =
- Beadiest Eye       – Seagull
- Bird my cat fears – Pukeko (NZ endemic)
- Best Song with a bird theme – ‘Birdland’,Weather Report (listen below)/’Fly like An Eagle’,Steve Miller Band =
A modern jazz classic!
Kingdom Of The Gannets
Gannet Colony, Muriwai NZ
The soaring, swooping avian wonders are only here for the summer, and when they are, they rule their roost!
Pigeons In The Plaza
“Pigeons: They’ve got wings, but they walk a lot.” – Karl Pilkington
Shallow, but true.
As shallow as a sundrenched Spanish plaza littered with pigeons not using their wings much…
Nevermore
” Quoth the raven -“Nevermore”.”
 Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’
One of the famous ravens at the Tower Of London – darkly majestic avians that rule the roost and would seem to know all the secrets of the place, secrets that, erm, might otherwise be nevermore…
Together In Precarious Places
  Gannet Colony, Muriwai Beach, NZ
Back to the beach and birds.
Previously:Â Return Of The Gannets
Where, and how, they gather together in this place is a marvel.
It’s not easy.
The migration route across the Tasman Sea to this very location, for some of the gannets at least, is a miracle of sorts.
But even the smallest things are difficult.
On a recent trip out to Muriwai, I observed one gannet make a dozen unsuccessful passes  trying to deposit twigs as nesting material to its partner. Landing in the small nest space (indentations in the soft rock and dirt , which they create) was prevented time and again by the swirling gusts of wind. I watched for minutes and the creature persevered, but still hadn’t completed the task by the time I left (it was way worse than any airline delays and technical issues I have suffered through!).
The bird was working so hard for its mate and family.
The entire flock of gannets pull together to survive in this precarious place of wind, sea and clifftops.
So too, vulnerable people need each other just to get by.
Immigrants in strange lands. Struggling sports teams. Addicts in recovery. The destitute and homeless.
Communities formed by necessity and nurtured by mutual reliance. Strength in numbers, for sure.
When the odds are stacked against you, there are no prizes for being a f**king lone ranger…
