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1528 days ago

A warm welcome to our Alaskan godwits

Reporter Community News

Hi Neighbourly folk it is not Feathered Friend Friday but when I saw this post from Lower Hutt photographer Louise Thomas, I thought it was too good not to use.
Read what she had to say about her godwit/kuaka pictures.

"Sometimes the most extraordinary birds come in the plainest of packaging, and so it is for the bar-tailed godwit/kuaka (Limosa lapponica). Their plain packaging is of course a perfect camouflage - with variegated shades of brown echoing the ripples of mud and sand where they feed.
Seen here foraging on a mud flat at the Waikanae River estuary, they shove their long beaks into the muddy sand and pull up rubbery bits of Godwit-knows-what which they gulp with gusto – not surprising as they are probably absolutely famished.
These migratory birds begin arriving in New Zealand from early September, after an extraordinary often non-stop eight to nine-day 11,000-12,000 km flight from western Alaska.
We are also lucky enough to get the occasional bird on Petone Beach and around the Hutt Estuary, but I was thrilled to see eight in non-breeding plumage congregated on the mud at Waikanae."

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17 hours ago

Clothesline upgrade

Resene

Turn a tired old clothesline into a stylish garden feature that brings joy to the chore of getting your washing out in the sun. Finish in Resene Waterborne Woodsman Crowshead. Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions. Find out more

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17 hours ago

Explore more, worry less at Ryman

The Team from Ryman Healthcare

Pack your bags, hit the open road, or set sail on your next big adventure. With Ryman’s lock-and-leave-style living, you’re free to explore without worrying about home maintenance or security.

While you’re off enjoying life, we’ll take care of everything back home – from mowing the lawns to watering the garden, pulling weeds, and even cleaning the windows.

Ryman residents are free to embrace adventure because they're not tied down with home maintenance stress and security worries. They're rediscovering lost passions and plunging headfirst into new ones whenever they feel like it.

Click find out more to discover the lifestyle.
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31 days ago

⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️

The Team from SPCA New Zealand

It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:

👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️

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