Friday Feathered Friend
Our Friday Feathered Friend for Christmas Day is this beautiful tīeke, photographed by Louise Thomas.
"Just back from a week-long birding trip to Whanganui, New Plymouth, and Mt Ruapehu. We took the opportunity to visit Bushy Park, the predator-fenced sanctuary in Whanganui. We had got out of the car and were reading the signs for the tracks and types of birds. In my normal over exuberant fashion I said to my husband and adult kids that I would die happy if I saw a saddleback. We were five metres into the first track when four of them flew up the path chasing each other and almost took my head off.
My daughter asked if I'd like to end myself now, or wait a bit in case I saw some other cool birds. I was a bit upset at first as I thought they might be the only saddlebacks I would see and I didn't get a photo. Turns out there are quite a few there. I will definitely be visiting again. Saddleback/tīeke (Philesturnus rufusater)."
🧩😏 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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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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41.8% I avoid spending money on coffee
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45.5% I still indulge at my local cafe
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12.7% 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!
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