Calendars continued – New Zealand Birds 2018

Every year I produce a New Zealand Bird Calendar.

These are my photos. The Title for the cover I also put inside the calendar because that is what I like in a calendar, and I would also want to know what it is. The Cover Bird is a Coot. There are no Coots in the newer calendar for 2019.  There are Coots in Australia as well.

However, the new calendar for 2019 has my name in every photo because someone asked me to do that and that means who ever gets these calendars will remember me.

January 2018 A Sparrow at Auckland Airport sitting on a fence. No Sparrows in the Bird Calendar for 2019. Sparrows are world wide.

Febuary 2018 Tui.  The bird is unique to only New Zealand and is found as a common bird all throughout New Zealand. It sings beautifully and loves nectar. It is also a mimic and can copy sounds. It survives because the birds band together to defend their young..

March 2018 Fantail. A Fantail flies like a helicopter, and it is a curious bird. Often friendly and picks small bugs out of the air while flying. This is unique to New Zealand. They are hard to photograph because they move very quickly. 

April 2018 Black Backed Gull. This is a juvenile Black Backed gull. It stays brown like this until 2 years of age before it becomes an adult Gull. It is a large seagull.

This bird is not in the 2018 calendar and it is an adult Black Backed Gull. Black Backed Gulls are in other countries than New Zealand.

May 2018 .White Faced Grey Heron Flight. 

June 2018 is the Coot on the title page, I believe it is from Western Springs Auckland.

July 2018 is the New Zealand Kingfisher. Other countries have Kingfishers but there may be some differences.

August 2018 Pukako. A Pukako is like a comical bird but only lives in New Zealand. Other countries have Swamp Hens that are like but not the same, these colours are unique to New Zealand Pukako. 

There is a story to this particular Pukako, I was watching planes at Auckland airport and from across a field came this bird. It was travelling towards a very busy road. Pukako are often killed by cars in New Zealand roads. I was doing my best to discourage it from coming near the road. It was very persistent but in the end I won and the Pukako went away from the road.

September 2018 Grey Warbler. You often hear these melodious birds but not see them. This was my first sighting in Karangahake Gorge.

October 2018 New Zealand Tom Tit. My first sightings in the Cascades Park Waitakere Ranges Auckland. Its what you call “Ark in the Park”. There are bush walks, but there are facilities put out to clean your walking shoes when you enter and leave. This is due to Kauri die back disease and to stop it from spreading. Kauri die back kills the beautiful Kauri tree.

November 2018 White Swan. This is the only White Swan I’ve ever seen my eldest sister Janet remembers White Swans in Western Springs Auckland. Now they are all Black.

This White Swan was in Puketutu Island in Mangere.

December 2018 Black Swan Cygnet. This was at Western Springs Auckland.

This is this years current Bird calendar but I promise you, next years calendar 2019 has different birds and is better than ever..