The Conductor

After saying goodbye to Daughter A at the airport early this morning, I decided to take a stroll through the Groynes on my way home.

The sun was streaking down, a frenzy of preening and feeding on and off the water for various kinds of ducks, pukekos and black swans, most seemed to be paired ready for the breeding season to begin.

I quite liked this one of the New Zealand Shoveler, a native to New Zealand, reminding me of a Conductor as he spread his wings.

The New Zealand Shoveler is a medium-sized colourful duck with a large grey spatulate bill. Males are more colourful with variegated backs when at rest. Their head and neck are slate grey with a white crescent in front of the eye which is bright golden-yellow. Their breast is variegated grey-brown. In flight the outer wing is brown, with inner wing grey leading edge, green trailing edge and white line between. Females are mottled mid-brown all over.

It's been a lovely winter's day, 15C, with just a slight breeze later in the day, seeing the sun made all the difference after so many bleak days of late.

Happy Saturday blippers :)

Scientific name: Anas rhynchotis variegata
Common name: New Zealand Shoveler
Maori name: Kuruwhengi