Monarch Butterfly

First we had the caterpillar, then the chrysalis and today this beautiful Monarch emerged. In the middle of winter! This was in our lounge where it is warm. No hope for them hatching outside this time of year. Magic.

Resident Pateke at Old Mill Ln

A trail camera can be such fun.

These family shots were taken within one metre of the boardwalk at Old Mill Ln.

Rails and Rats

It is always a joy to see Rails in our wetland. 

We poison bait, trap and all that. Still have rats. Always will have them but maybe a few less.

Winter Garden Produce

Not so much in our garden in the winter but what there is is good.
Juicy Kaffir Limes, Bananas, Choko (Chayote), lemon and limes.

Fungi at Old Mill Ln

All these kinds of fungi are on one dead Kowhai at the beginning of The Waiotoi Track at Old mill Ln. Amazing!

 

 

 

Today - Saturday May 4th

William Parata Wellington Reserve - Dolphin Place, Tutukaka

A tight blue balloon stretched over the sky with a few cloud pictures on it. It was a stunning day.
We walked up to the trig on the William Parata Wellington Memorial Reserve off Dolphin Place.
This site has the best coastal view  in the area. On a clear day one can see from Cape Rodney to Cape Brett, Great Barrier Is, Mokohinau Islands, The Poor Knight Islands, Maro Tiri Islands, Taranga and Hauturu. Pretty amazing.

William Parata Wellington Reserve - Ngunguru Bay 

William Parata Wellington Reserve - Ngunguru Sandspit and Estuary

William Parata Wellington Reserve - Taranga

William Parata Wellington Reserve - The Poor Knigt Islands

William Parata Wellington Reserve - Rauhomaumau Bay

William Parata Wellington Reserve - Tutukaka

William Parata Wellington Reserve - Tutukaka Marina

William Parata Wellington Reserve - Mokohinau Islands and Hauturu

William Parata Wellington Reserve - Rauhomaumau Bay

William Parata Wellington Reserve - Pataua

William Parata Wellington Reserve - Ngunguru Hills

William Parata Wellington Reserve - tutukaka

William Parata Wellington Reserve - Maro Tiri and Taranga

Crazy Nature - Love it

We keep finding these wonderful things at Ratty's Landing

Veined Slug above on a banana leaf. It looks like a leaf. 

The rest are two fungi that are on a small totara log. We don't know what their names are.

ngs at Ratty's Landing.

A May Morning

It was a sunny May Sunday Morning as we checked out some of the nature around the Riverbank this morning.
Black Shag, White Faced Heron, fungi and Spiders had us marveling.
Black shag and Heron were roosting in the early morning sun at the top of the dead pines. These pines get the first sun in our valley.
The last two photos show a spider web under construction. 33 minutes later it had added another 30 rings. Amazing!
The Fungi, well, unusual and a new one for us.