Wildlife July 2011

[TC]

Lesley, after what you said about migration, I looked them up in one of my reference books.
Welcome Swallow-Hirundo neoxena-first bred in N.Z. in 1958.
Outside the breeding season, they form into flocks of about 500 birds and can be found in Southlands and coastal Otago. I don't know what they do on N.Island - presumably just "hang about"  They must be tougher than our Swallows as our birds would have no chance of surviving our Winters.  Presumably, your birds have the option of going North in Winter without the perils of having to cross the Sahara desert.

If I have worked it out correctly, your 25 July equates to late January in the UK.  Every year we have reports of a few Swallows arriving on the South coast of England in January.

Anyway, your Swallows were originally Australian immigrants and do not return to their ancestral home after breeding.  What does that say about Australia ?

[ranunculus]

This pair of chicks were spotted in a nest in a tiny crevice in a limestone cliff on Boe in the Dolomites.

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Tom for that information. Interesting. I think they are probably quite widespread in the South Island now, more than just Southland and Otago but always nice to see.

Anyway, your Swallows were originally Australian immigrants and do not return to their ancestral home after breeding.  What does that say about Australia ?

I'd better not say it.

[fermi de Sousa]

Anyway, your Swallows were originally Australian immigrants and do not return to their ancestral home after breeding.  What does that say about Australia ?

I'd better not say it.

If they left in 1958 they probably don't realise the government has changed since then!
 
cheers
fermi

[arillady]

Good one Fermi.
We seem to have swallows here most of the year. I saw some the other day circling around. It is great to see them lined up on our fences.
Also had a boobook owl near a kitchen window the other night. Sounded like an extra large gum moth. I went out and threw my dressing gown over him to catch him - took him through the kitchen to the front of the house where it is more open and let him fly off. See them around here quite often.

[alpines]

Here's one for Maggi....I know she loves spiders. This is one of our 'friendly' spiders. Note the "zig-zag" web these creatures make.  (Argiope aurantia)

[Anthony Darby]

Love the spider!

We spent a few days in Napier staying on Westshore, so I could walk Heidi on the Westshore Beach, which was usually totally deserted. On Thursday morning I decided to take my camera.

[mark smyth]

was the seal lost or is it a small species?

[Anthony Darby]

This little fellow is probably a New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri). Females grow up to 1.5 metres and 70 kg; males up to 2.5 metres and 180 kg. It is possible its mum was somewhere out to sea? He/she seemed quite at home and less than a minute after the meeting with Heidi it was quite far out in the bay.

[mark smyth]

Last year caterpillars of some sort ate my Dianthus seeds. Earlier this year I saw minute cream eggs on some flowers and now the seed pods have caterpillars again

Anthony do you recognise this caterpillar?

[fredg]

I suppose it's another for Maggi.
It's a bit on the skinny side, needs a good feed.
(Nasty subject to photograph, there's not a lot to focus on.)
At least it waited until the paint was dry.

[mark smyth]

Maggi will be happy it's not a spider - so am I! It's a harvestman

[Maggi Young]

Let me assure you that while a critter has that many legs I am far from happy.

Awfully kind of you folks to "dedicate" these creepy crawlies to me... but I really can live without them. 

[mark smyth]

I'd say your garden has many of these lurking among plants stems. They eat lots of nasties

[Maggi Young]

I don't mind what's lurking... so long as I don't see it