A very attentive parent..

A busy day clearing things before the packers and movers arrive. More to do tomorrow, which we will be taking to the beach house until we rationalize everything. 

This afternoon I took all the unused cheque books to the bank. When I was still in full-time private practice the  bank sent me two new chequebooks, when I didn’t need one. Neither has been used and today I got shot of them. 

Then to Western Springs Lake, where (amongst other birds), I saw the Weweia. Both parents were escorting and watching over the two chicks, who are already quite big, and well able to dive quickly, and remain under water for a considerable time. 

They needed the fast reflexes, and good lungs this afternoon as a large Karoro (a herring gull) made an unsuccessful attempt to catch one. The parents dived fractionally after the chicks. They surfaced again relatively quickly having come closer to shore and under overhanging trees. 

The chicks (especially one) stayed under water longer, and went further away from shore. The parents shepherded them closer to shore, but the karoro was well gone by then. Diving under the water avoids the birds and exposes them to the eels.