Dunedins Botanical Garden.
With spring 2006 being well and truly underway, it was a glorious time to take a walk in Dunedins fabulous Botanic Gardens. Built on one of the steepest areas of the city, the gardens cover many hectares. They were established in the mid-1800s by early pioneers and have been added to and improved over the passing generations. Today they host plants and trees from all over the world, in specially tended areas, chosen to suit the plants they support. Seeing the pretty pink blossom on many of the flowering trees was a sure sign that spring has come.
As were the many ducks and ducklings, paddling along the river that flows through the lower reaches of the gardens. This duck had just 4 ducklings . . .
. . . and this one, ELEVEN!
Up at the top of the gardens they have an amazing series of aviaries. It was here, at first, where the native wood pigeon recovery unit was housed, but weve since moved to a quieter, more suitable location, leaving the aviaries to birds of all types, some local to New Zealand, many from our neighbours in Australia and Papua New Guinea. This fellow is an emerald backed dove. He was cooing, blowing his chest right out in a pre-mating display for the girls!
If I tried to count the varieties of tree growing there on the hillside, I would be there for a week! Some are fairly common, some are slightly less often seen, many are familiar friends! This one took my eye due to the patterns it had developed in its bark. Its a eucalyptus and has the familiar scaling along its trunk, which eventually lifts off, revealing the tender wood beneath. It looks, to me, like natures camouflage!
Among the native birds housed here are the South Island Kaka. These gorgeous parrots are endangered, due to predators of many types. They normally live in the high country, but with food becoming scarce, they have moved slightly farther afield. The custodians of the aviary have embarked on a programme of breeding and reintroducing the young to the wild. So far they have been able to raise 4 chicks and these are being prepared for release this summer, into a predator free area.
This one was sitting right at the back of the enclosure, so I was delighted to get such a good photo through the wire!
Their colours are just glorious. All shades associated with autumn to me, but so pretty to see together in such a lovely bird!
Even the pine cones in the trees know its spring and are opening their seed pods to scatter them! This to me is a very traditional Christmas look, so its nice to see that even here in the Southern Hemisphere, things can look similar to the North! Minus the snow, of course!
This is daddy, preening at the back of the aviary. The aviaries are huge over 15 feet high and 40 feet long, and about 15 feet wide. The birds all have things to make them at home, to occupy and entertain them!
This is mummy, caring for her two babies. They only fledged a week or so ago but are looking strong and healthy.
I love spring and I love going to the gardens. I hope to get over there more often and to be able to add to these images, with pictures of some of the other birds and flowers we grow/see here.