On a lichen-covered log

Left earlyish this morning for a quick trip to the beach house. The front door opened perfectly well with my key; there had been problems the last couple of times. I found that I had managed to turn the water off at the mains (in case in our absence rats had again chewed through the plastic water pipes). So I turned it on again (and off once more as we finalised leaving). 

Dug up some bulbs and put them in a pot filled with leaf litter. Then dug up a couple of very small Kowhai shrubs, and gave them a separate pot.with some soil. Filled a black rubbish bag with clivias excavated from where they have just been (very happily) growing since dumped while waiting for me to plant them somewhere; about ten years ago.

Late this afternoon, I went to the Whau estuary for a walk. This time zzi went on the other bank of the Whau through a reserve known as the Tony Segedin Esplanade. A pleasant and interesting walk. Very soon after the start of the path, it left the bank and became a boardwalk over/through a mangrove swamp.

I had just left that and was back on a formed path on the bank of the Whau, when I saw the Kotare I am featuring today. It is also called the Sacred Kingfisher, apparently because its official Latin name included the word 'sanctus'.

Kotare is the name given this bird by Maori, and it prefectly describes its behaviour. 'Ko' means to descend from. Tare means a perch. These birds seemingly alternate between perching for long inactive periods, and then darting at speed from above the water to catch their food.

Tomorrow I start a new combination of duties. Hope it works out.