Royal spoonbills/kōtuku ngutupapa
I wasn't going to take any more spoonbill photos for awhile - but this guy walked really close to me. You can see he's looking sideways to do a quick threat assessment, but doesn't stop feeding. Probably decided he could do me over if he had to. It is amazing how many little fish they catch like this. I saw him gobbling several little morsels down, probably slightly bigger than whitebait. They scythe their beaks back and forth like old-time hay gatherers, snapping them shut on tasty things, then quickly tip their heads back to swallow their prey whole. Royal spoonbill/kōtuku ngutupapa (Platalea regia). Between tides/closer to low tide is probably the best time to see them at the Hutt Estuary.
Calling All Puzzle Masters! Can You Solve This?
When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height.
Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was.
If the tree grew by five centimetres each year, how much higher would the nail be?
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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.