What is the Nature of New Zealund? (A New Zealund Photo Blog)

Hi Everybody!! 
Please come in and get comfortable. 
I planned a good line up for our trip tonight to New Zealund to see what the Nature of New Zealund Is.  I think this was the last land on Earth to be inhabited by People.  Birds were there for a long time before people. They flew 600 to 900 miles from Australia to get to New Zealund. Over the years (some) birds changed in ways different from other birds on Earth. We will see things we have never seen before!!  I  highlighted a few of the birds later in this post.  I  put the research I did today for New Zealund all on this page, so we can see many things. Every image, article, whatever, is not mine and I have credited all sites that are public on the internet. I am thankful to Everyone who creates these sites.  I found quite a treasure for us to look at. I  put a longer, bonus video at the end.  Remember you can always come back to these pages on the blog 24/7 and watch anything you want! 
Enjoy Our World Tour on Blogger!!

ALL IMAGES ABOVE ARE FROM THIS WEBSITE:
art-profiles.com originally shared this post:

Photos from New Zealand
Source : http://art-profiles.com/nicolas-green/albums/1281-new-zealand.html
Some information about New Zealand : New Zealand (Aotearoa in Māori) is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island) and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some 1,500 kilometres (900 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand

List of cities in New Zealand (June 2010 population estimates)[258]
Rank	City Name	Region	Pop.	Rank	City Name	Region	Pop.
1	Auckland	Auckland Region	1,377,200	7	Dunedin	Otago Region	117,700
3	Wellington	Wellington Region	393,400	8	Palmerston North	Manawatu-Wanganui Region	82,400
2	Christchurch	Canterbury Region	380,900	9	Nelson	Nelson	60,800
4	Hamilton	Waikato Region	206,400	10	Rotorua	Bay of Plenty Region	56,200
5	Napier-Hastings	Hawke's Bay Region	124,800	11	New Plymouth	Taranaki Region	52,500
6	Tauranga	Bay of Plenty Region	121,500	12	Whangarei	Northland Region	52,200

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand (Māori: Aotearoa) is an island country located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses ‒ that of the North and South Islands ‒ as well as numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometres (900 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans.

Okay, everybody ready for the trip?  Tonight's Journey will begin on the Plane below. When you are ready for take off, push Play>

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Hope You enjoyed the Plane Ride.  

Now we are going up a mountain on a gondola to see the city of Christ Church 

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All aboard the Cessna. We are going to the Beach to observe some wildlife!

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Just Push Play to see Wildlife

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gasheadnz/4217392277/

The Tui - A Beautiful New Zealand Native Bird

New Zealand has some wonderful and beautiful birds but the Tui is one of the best. With an amazing white tassel it also has a distinctive song which can be heard all around New Zealand during the spring months.
This picture was taken in my garden here in Wellington, NZ
This Gallery at link:http://kiwi-wildlife.co.nz/gallery.php

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Gallery Click image or bird name for larger photograph Blue duck Brown teal Paradise shelduck Buller's shearwater Dusky dolphin Fantail Fiordland crested penguin Giant weta Kakapo King penguin North Island kokako New Zealand robin Kingfisher New Zealand sea lion New Zealand white-capped albatross Rifleman Little spotted kiwi Northern royal albatross Southern royal albatross Saddleback Fernbird South Island kaka Spotted shag Stewart Island weka Takahe Tui Wandering albatross Westland black petrel Wrybill plover Yellow-eyed penguin Yellowhead Kea Red-crowned parakeet For New Zealand Seabirds visit the Gallery at nzseabirds.com Contact Kiwi Wildlife Tours:  Phone +64 9 422 6868   Fax +64 9 422 6362   Email info@kiwi-wildlife.co.nz

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http://www.upics.co.nz/birdsnewzealand.html

Another all new publication showcasing New Zealand’s beautiful birds, a follow-on from our previous work that became a best-seller in 2008. This book contains detail on 160 birds and nearly 400 sumptuous photographs. The Department of Conservation in their foreword state “an introductory section covers a wide range of topics from bird identification to conservation… the photographs are simply stunning and are a testament to many long hours spent in the field… the text is clear and easy to read and it will be a great tool for adults and children alike”. 
A high quality book, 200 pages, A4 landscape, RRP $49.95.
IMAGE CREDIT:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/6304280/Bird-beauty-over-the-horizon
The Chatham albatross, which only breeds on The Pyramid, a large rock stack in the Chatham Islands.MICHAEL FIELD

God was probably an artist and if proof is needed, sail out beyond New Zealand's horizon.

Five kilometres or so into New Zealand's exclusive economic zone and it's a world of birds completely different from those on the coastline.

Hypnotic and colourful, many of the birds are attracted to the fishing boats that are also drawn to waters for the same reason the birds are - it is rich in food.

New Zealand's EEZ is the seabird capital of the world and home to 86 species that breed nowhere else.

Aboard the large Ukrainian fishing boat Aleksandr Buryachenko - operating under charter for Sealord Group - the clash between bird and humans is obvious as the large nets come in. A bewildering array of birdlife shows up for a meal.

The ship's captain Yuri Kylybov is proud of anti-bird snaring devices that now hang off both sides of the stern of Aleksandr Buryachenko.

"They work; we don't have any bird strikes now."

A Ministry of Fisheries observer aboard Bheema Louwrens says another factor preventing bird deaths is that the big ships are also "clean ships" - they do not discharge fish waste or non-target species overboard.

But he says there is a wide issue: "We save a couple of birds using the wires, or we prevent sea lion deaths, but we are still taking their food."

The masters of the ocean are the albatross. Many albatross species are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

Out east of Banks Peninsula we were joined by several critically endangered Chatham albatross (thalassarche eremite) - a subtly coloured bird. It is New Zealand's rarest endemic albatross and its entire population breeds on The Pyramid - a privately owned large rock stack in the Chatham Islands.

Also out checking the fishing were the Antipodean or wandering albatross (diomedea antipodensis) and from Dunedin's Taiaroa Head, the northern royals (diomedea sanfordi).

One hot afternoon, just out of easy identification range, a couple of albatross landed on the water and began a mid-ocean courting ritual.

That sent Louwrens racing for his camera.

Wedge-tailed shearwaters (puffinus pacificus) occasionally buzzed the boat. There may have been flesh footed shearwaters (puffinus carneipes) as well - infamous for their call, likened to that of cats fighting.

The smallest of the ocean birds is the most hypnotic for their speed and formation flying around the ship. Seldom flapping their wings, the cape pigeon (daption capense) uses the thin layer of air just above the water to bounce across the waves.

Tiny black and white birds, they are not pigeons at all, but petrels.

They got their common name for the way they peck the water for krill - and because of their presence at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

Listed as being of the least concern, they've become habitual ship followers - and on many of the sub-Antarctic Islands they are a main meal for skuas.

* Michael Field's trip aboard Aleksandr Buryachenko was facilitated by Nelson's Sealord Group.

http://www.chemistry.co.nz/kiwibird.htm

The Kiwi Bird New Zealand's Indigenous Flightless Bird The Kiwi bird, of the order Apterygiformes-Ratitae, occurs only in New Zealand. Although primarily a bird of New Zealand’s native forests, kiwis also live in scrub and native grasslands. Because the kiwi is a semi-nocturnal, secretive bird, few New Zealanders have seen their national bird in the wild. The kiwi is the sole survivor of an ancient order of birds including the now extinct moas. A flightless bird about the size of a domestic fowl, the kiwi has coarse, bristly, hair-like feathers. Females are larger than males. Kiwis grow to about the size of a chicken and weigh between three and nine pounds. They have no tail and tiny two inch wings which for all practical purposes, are useless. Despite its awkward appearance, a kiwi can actually outrun a human and have managed to survive because of their alertness and their sharp, three-toed feet, which enable them to kick and slash an enemy. The kiwi’s long slender bill has nostrils at the lower end. Using its excellent sense of smell and flexible bill, the kiwi feeds on worms, insects and grubs, supplemented by leaves, berries and seeds. There are five kinds of kiwi in New Zealand - three closely related... Brown Kiwis, the Little Spotted Kiwi and the Great Spotted Kiwi... are pictured at the bottom of the page. The main breeding period is from late winter to summer. Nests may be in hollow logs, under tree roots, in natural holes or in burrows excavated mainly by the male. Most clutches contain one or two eggs. Eggs are smooth, and coloured ivory or greenish-white. Kiwi eggs are proportionately larger compared to the size of the adult female than the eggs of any other bird. An egg may reach one-quarter of its mother’s weight. After the first egg is laid, the male takes over incubation and nest maintenance. Incubation takes about eleven weeks but if the female returns to lay another egg, the male has to sit on the clutch for a much longer time. Leaving the nest only occasionally, the male’s weight can decrease by up to one third. The young kiwi emerges wearing shaggy adult plumage. The young chick is not fed by the adult, but survives on a large reserve of yolk in its belly. Gaining strength, the chick remains in the nest for six to ten days. The young kiwi then leaves the burrow, and, accompanied by the male, begins to search for food. Kiwis have been known to live up to twenty years. Before the coming of the Maori, the kiwi had no predators. Although the Maori valued kiwi feathers for making cloaks, the number of birds killed by Maoris was probably insignificant. During the latter part of last century, many thousands of kiwis were captured by Europeans for zoos, museums and private collections. Bush clearing, introduced predators, opossum traps and motor vehicles have all contributed to the reduction in the kiwi population. However, the kiwi has fared markedly better than other flightless birds such as the Kakapo and Takahe. As long as suitable habitat is set aside, and the remaining kiwis are left undisturbed, the survival of this unique bird should be assured. The Kiwi as an emblem first appeared late 19th* century in New Zealand regimental badges. Badges of the South Canterbury Battalion in 1886 and the Hastings Rifle Volunteers in 1887 both featured kiwis. Later, kiwis appeared in a great number of military badges. In 1887 the new Auckland University College (opened 1883) featured on their Coat of Arms three kiwis, symbolising the confinement of the kiwi to the islands of New Zealand. Students of the University in 1905, began publishing a magazine called “The Kiwi” which survived until the mid 1960s. The Kiwi symbol began to be recognised internationally in 1906 when Kiwi Shoe Polish was launched in Melbourne by a man with a New Zealand born wife.  The polish was widely marketed in Britain and the USA during World War I and later. By 1908, kiwis were appearing in numerous sporting, political, and other newspaper cartoons. During the First World War, New Zealanders carved a giant kiwi on the chalk hill above Sling Camp in England. In Flanders during the war, the name “Kiwi” for New Zealand soldiers came into general use. By the Second World War, the Kiwi was synonymous with New Zealand Servicemen overseas. During the war, the Kiwi Concert Party toured many battle areas. The Kiwi (New Zealand Army) Football Team which toured the British Isles, France and Germany in 1945-46 also enhanced the emblem’s popularity. Today, New Zealanders overseas (and at home) are still invariably called “Kiwis”. The Kiwi is still closely associated with the Armed Forces. The New Zealand dollar is often referred to as the “The Kiwi” and the kiwi fruit is known as a “Kiwi” in some countries. Kiwis feature in the coat of arms, crests and badges of many New Zealand cities, clubs and organisations.

Just Push Play--Time to go home!

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Comet McNaught Over New Zealand 
Credit & Copyright: Minoru YonetoExplanation: Comet McNaught is perhaps the most photogenic comet of our time. After making quite a show in the northern hemisphere in mid January, the comet moved south and developed a long and unusual dust tail that dazzled southern hemisphere observers starting in late January. Comet McNaught was imaged two weeks ago between Mount Remarkable and Cecil Peak in this spectacular image taken from Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand. The bright comet dominates the right part of the above image, while the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy dominates the left. Careful inspection of the image will reveal a meteor streak just to the left of the comet. Comet McNaughtcontinues to move out from the Sun and dim, but should remain visible in southern skies with binoculars through the end of this month.

Goodnight Everybody!







...this is brendasue signing off from Rainbow Creek! 
See You next time.

Bonus to watch later

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O+O