Thankful Thursday

On Tuesday afternoon I was aware that one or more of the Australasian Harriers, or hawks as we tend to call them, in the area were on the prowl because some Pukekos who were bathing in the cattle trough in the paddock in front of The Cottage kept squawking their alarm calls.  Each time I went out with the camera but to no avail.  Then, as I stood on the deck, from behind and just a few feet above the roof of The Cottage flew a hawk about two metres away from me.  I'm not sure whether he or I got the bigger surprise.  I am never likely to be as close to a non-captive bird of prey again and, brief though it was, it was a magical experience.

This morning as I walked on the deck I again surprised the hawk in the paddock next door and again had a spectacular view of his majestic grace and size as he flew past me.

As I stood in the warm autumnal sun looking at the changing colours I became aware, in amongst all the birdsong that always regales me with its variety and abundance, of an unusual beautiful melody that I've only heard once or twice before.  So I spent a happy while just wandering amongst the tress in the sun looking and listening and, yes, being thankful.

So today I am thankful for the magic of such experience and for the fact that I have good eyes to see them and good ears to hear them.

I Live in a Bowl

I live in a bowl.  Not a goldfish type of bowl you understand.  A geological bowl or basin resulting from hills forming a circle with a depression inside.  I share the bowl with lots of native and introduced trees and a large quantity of apple orchard trees and all the assorted animals, birds and bugs that inhabit them.  Amongst those is a family of Australasian Harriers who appear to live in one of the large conifers where they regularly return after a foray but the books say that they build their nest on the ground or in bushes like toitoi (pampas grass).

Anyway around 9 am there was a terrible animal scream very close by.  I went to the ranch sliders and looked out into the paddock and orchard.  There 20 to 30 metres in front of me were three Australasian Harriers (presumably hen, cock and offspring) obviously just having caught something.  My camera was a metre away and was in my hand before a second had passed.  As I switched on and adjusted the lens the heavens opened and the light disappeared and the autofocus wouldn’t.  The hawks took to the air with their kill.  Result no photos of one of the best opportunities I’ve had here in five years to get them in flight.

A short while later two Fantails were cavorting in front of The Cottage.  Again my camera was no more than a metre from my hand.  Fantails are happy creatures with no real fear of humans but on this occasion the second I started filming they flitted off to pastures new.

I always keep the camera on my car passenger seat so on the way back from lunch (no croquet, the weather saw to that) when I came across a hawk on a post at the side of the road all I had to do was stare him out and click.  But no.  On this occasion I’d stopped at a shop and put the camera in the boot of the car and not retrieved it afterwards.  The hawk and I stared at each other.  He knew! 

Home again I opened the ranch sliders and there on the clothesline was one of the most magnificent Kingfishers I’ve ever seen.  I walked slowly inside.   The camera was at hand.  I poked my nose out and was just about to click the shutter when off he darted.

Home again I opened the ranch sliders and there on the clothesline was one of the most magnificent Kingfishers I’ve ever seen.  I walked slowly inside.   The camera was at hand.  I poked my nose out and was just about to click the shutter when off he darted.

The Fantails were back this evening and one actually came within a foot of my face.  That's not the first time that's happened.  It's magical but not a photo op!

It’s definitely been one of those days.  The sort where everything should go right because there’s nothing to go wrong but somehow it doesn’t quite turn out that way.  The best picture I managed today was of one of the harriers over the orchard so I thought I'd show you that anyway.

Australasian Harrier (Kahu) Circus Approximans

Of Dishwashers and Asparagus Soup

I knew that I shouldn't have come to bed to write this post.  I have been programmed for so many years of living on my own that bed = sleep that I can't break the habit.  I used to stay up 'till 1 and 2 am with no problem but get me into bed at midnight and I just fall asleep.  Well I do these days.  And it's nothing to do with advancing years.  Mind you all the fresh air on the croquet lawns might be a contributory factor.  Oh and the title?  The dishwasher broke down this evening and I made a pan of asparagus soup for my visitors arriving on Friday.  The good news is that Martin mended the dishwasher whilst I made the soup.  

The Goldfinches have been feasting outside The Cottage

 We had some sun today!  Here's the proof.  I also marvelled at all the different greens.

As always I'm in search of the perfect picture of an Australasian Harrier in flight - a long way to go but this one's been circling round overhead since I returned.

I'm adding this because I liked it!