Chaffinch - a common garden bird
Chaffinch/pahirini (Fringilla coelebs) are a common backyard bird with the male sporting a rusty-red breast and a steel-grey hood. They love a bit of bird seed and will quite happily feed with the sparrows. Interestingly, during the winter before they pair up for breeding, the males and females separate to hang out in little groups of their own sex - hence the Latin name "coelebs" meaning bachelor. They pair up in September with the male first establishing his territory (in my garden this is one side of the back lawn from the shed to the back deck) and commencing singing to attract his mate. I'm pleased to report that he was successful and his lady love has built a fine little nest in one of the camellias. When the chicks have fledged both parents will look after them and feed them. The pair will stay together until March when they will separate to join their own little same sex groups again. I read in a UK birding report that they usually keep the same partners for life, with the female returning to the same territory in Spring to find her mate. I couldn't find anything one way or another to say it was the same in New Zealand, but I assume it would be.
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
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84.1% Yes
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14.2% No
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1.6% Other - I'll share below
scumbags
There are some really awful people around at the moment. This is what happened on Sunday.
We live in Hinemoa Street opposite the Waiwhetu Stream. At around 3.40 in the afternoon I was looking out my window and saw a car pull up and start to feed the geese and ducks out the window. Then The passenger an asian man jumped out and threw himself onto a goose. he picked it up and put it the boot of the car.
I immediately ran over and stood in front of his car to stop him moving I also called my husband to help. A lovely man was riding his bike and saw it and stopped to help me. The driver tried to drive into me but I didnt move. He tried telling us it was his pet. These are wild geese.
They had a cage in the boot and some wire all ready to catch the poor bird like they have done it before. My husband took the bird from the car and released it. I then moved out of the way and after lots of abuse from the driver they drove off threatening to come back and get more.
No one should be allowed to take these beautiful birds and certainly not like this. they are all starting to have wee babies at the moment the whole thing was so upsetting to me. Another neighbour further down the road also saw it all happen.
Please keep a look out for this car and if you see them by the stream go over and watch them lets all stop this happening.
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