NZ Pipit - backed by the Breeze for Bird of the Year
Very exciting to be on the radio yesterday talking with the Breeze about the New Zealand pipit/pīhoihoi (Anthus novaeseelandiae). The Breeze are backing the pipit for Bird of the Year. I clocked a couple of pipits around the Wainuiomata Coast a few weeks back, it was my first sighting of them, and the first recording of them on iNaturalist for Lower Hutt (although there are 80 observations for the Wellington Region). They look a little plain, blending well with their preferred open tussocky rocky beach/river environment, and have a call like a squeaking shopping trolley wheel, but they have the most endearing strut where as they walk they bob their tails up and down - very funky. Unfortunately this endemic bird is in decline.
Poll: Are you still heading to your local for your caffeine fix, or has the $$ changed your habits? ☕
Wellington’s identity is built on its cafe culture, but with costs climbing, that culture is under pressure. We’ve seen the headlines about recent closures, and it’s a tough pill to swallow along with a $6+ coffee.
We all want our favourite spots to stay open, but we also have to balance our own budgets ⚖️
We want to know: How are you handling the "coffee math" in 2026? Are you still heading to your local for a chat and a caffeine fix, or has the cost of living changed your habits?
Keen to read more about "coffee math"? The Post has you covered.
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37.9% I avoid spending money on coffee
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49.5% I still indulge at my local cafe
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12.6% Irrelevant - coffee is not for me
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Do you think you know the answer?
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