Friday Feathered Friend
This week's featured bird is the oystercatcher, courtesy of Simon Woolf.
"Pretty rapt to see a clutch of oystercatcher, chicks and their parents, on Wellington's coast tonight. The adult birds were back from last year, and have three young ones in tow.
The adult bird had just caught a worm and the competition was on, as to which bird would get a feed. The bird at the back is the runt, and was also the chick that was attacked by gulls.
It was also the chick that was not in any way defended by the parent birds, while the other two birds were well cared for. You certainly know which chick is the runt, when it runs only metres away from you, after being chased by a gull, and neither of the parent birds felt the inclination to attack me!
Life is cruel for a baby oystercatcher, however if you are the runt of the clutch, life is really hard!"
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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82.3% Yes
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15.2% No
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2.6% Other - I'll share below