Triply named

This bird was named Papango by Maori. A small bird it has to carry two other names. It is known as the New Zealand scaup. And it is also called the Black Teal. 

As my photo shows, its side is chestnut and the head of the male has a dark green sheen. Even the black could be called brown in the late afternoon light.

Two weeks until election day. But the next two weeks are also voting days. Being a traditionalist when it comes to elections, I mourn (in a way) the loss of a grand day of voting, with election night parties to celebrate or commiserate. Done both and once had the t-shirt. The 1975 election which saw the one term Labour government turfed out and replaced by the Muldoon-led National Government. 

Many of us fear the potential electoral ascendancy of the right wing parties, especially the "freedum warriors", who occupied Parliament, are blatantly and unapologetically only interested in what they can obtain for themselves and their friends. The demands they make for freedom can only be satisfied by reducing the right to exercise free will of others, especially the poor. And, shamefully, increasingly Maori and Pasifika. 

The one hope for the poor, the elderly, the sick and anyone who is struggling for whatever reason, is the multitude of these (to me) daft parties, not one of which will achieve 5% and therefore get seats in Parliament. If enough vote for them rather than the established parties of the right, who knows what might happen.