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Capture: Roamin' Holiday

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  • Julie Cross,

    Thanks Joe for your lovely and much happier stories of the frogmouths - you confirmed my feelings about the emotional lives of birds. Their booming is wonderful, I agree.

    And Sofie, thank you. I'm loving wherever it is you live.

    As for those spiders... are they wolf spiders? Beautiful but, no, not loveable. Not for me.

    Australia • Since Nov 2011 • 120 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to Julie Cross,

    As for those spiders… are they wolf spiders?

    Thomas J's photo is of a water-spider - not sure about Sofie's...I find spiders both
    beautiful & fascinating.

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Islander,

    not sure about Sofie’s

    Upon amateur investigation, closest I can compare it to is the White Tailed Spider. It was a biggy. Glad it was in the workshop up north where it could be escorted outside
    Julie, I live in Auckland but also share a place up north with cows over the back fence. The paddocks with welcome swallows are in Ponsonby, a special spot not well known. My friends place looks out onto the paddocks. It's all good, and so is sharing all the photos. :)

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe,

    Today I wish I had been able to photograph a beautiful thing with wings I rescued from the cat. I have never seen anything like it: black with iridescent green body about 2cm long and huge dragonfly-like clear wings. It buzzed and clicked very loudly. Does anyone have a clue what it could be?

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to Hebe,

    Cicada.
    Did it have tiny ruby eyes on the top of it's head as well as major -usual insect -eyes each side of it's head?
    ANZ has over 17 species of cicada and they make my heart glad with their stridulation...they're late this year, but quintessence of summer-

    o, and because, like their nymphs, they are fat rich, LOTS of carnivores, including cats, including us, enjoy eating them...

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,

    NOT a whitetail – they are very much smaller- shorter legs..
    incidentally, their main prey is other spiders, and they only live where other spiders are. VERY FEW reports of humans being bitten by OZ whitetails are accurate.

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe, in reply to Islander,

    Thanks: never seen one, heard them plenty. This one was a chorus cicada. Their Māori name is kihikihi wawā – wawā meaning ‘to roar like the sound of heavy rain’
    http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/cicadas/3

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to Hebe,

    And when you get several thousand of so, that’s what they sound like…

    We get several million round this place in a good summer.
    Your ears ring. The very land rings...

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Gudrun Gisela,

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    Chinese Lantern Festival came to Christchurch. Not a kihikihi wawā in sight. Maybe next year.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2011 • 891 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Gudrun Gisela,

    see ya later stridulator...

    Chinese Lantern Festival came to Christchurch. Not a kihikihi wawā in sight. Maybe next year.

    Maybe not in sight, but we drove past the lantern festival last night at about 6.45pm - 'Cicadian rhythms' filled the air with their cricket-like pitch!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to Islander,

    I still stamp on them when I find them anywhere near the sandpit at work - they like to live inside our big canopy umbrella.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to Islander,

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    Here is a handsome cicada on my new neighbours' letterbox.

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Still trying to identify the bird that sings from high in our cedar in the morning and often through the day. . It has awoken me at dawn , with a very loud and persistent call..2 or 3 identical, evely spaced notes, followed by a descending coda of another 3 quicker notes.

    Name yourself, bird!

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to Jackie Clark,

    O Jackie!
    They get a very short life in the sun after years as an underground nymph....

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Julie Cross, in reply to Islander,

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    We get several million round this place in a good summer.
    Your ears ring. The very land rings…

    Two years ago, we had what I dubbed 'the wall of sound' - it was so loud we all wore ear plugs outside but approaching the end of the driveway my collar bones would vibrate. Nature's drum and bass - some can produce close to 120 decibels.

    Pretty little things though. This one my son is holding was thankfully silent.

    Australia • Since Nov 2011 • 120 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Julie Cross,

    This one my son is holding

    Looks like a superb specimen of a greengrocer:

    Around 220 cicada species have been identified in Australia, many of which go by fanciful common names such as: cherry nose, brown baker, red eye (Psaltoda moerens), green grocer/green Monday, yellow Monday, whisky drinker, double drummer (Thopha saccata), and black prince. The Australian green grocer, Cyclochila australasiae, is among the loudest insects in the world.

    Most of these names seem to derive from the schoolkid pursuit of catching cicadas. I'm assured that the black prince is a better find than a greengrocer on account of its relative rarity. There are also pisswackers, supposedly the silent females that pee on you when you pick them up.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    It's interesting that there are very few common names for cicadas here..there's quite a few in Maori, but I've never met one of the tribe who's knowledgable in both te reo & entomology-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

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    Whilst on the water yesterday I felt lucky enough to spot this gull. A beauty!

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

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    With a friend.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,

    Juvenile karoro (blackbacked gulls) and they - and the adults - indeed are beauties!
    There must be some interesting food sources round your place e Sof', to bring in such a range of birds-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Islander,

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    There must be some interesting food sources round your place e Sof’, to bring in such a range of birds-

    We were returning to Westhaven Marina in the afternoon yesterday. Many people were fishing off boats. We passed a group on a nice launch . The lady at the back was reeling in a snapper. These beauties followed us in.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

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    Plus, this was spotted on our way out.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

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    He made it.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Jos,

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    As seen on the desert road, extreme mowing...

    Whakatane • Since Jan 2012 • 877 posts Report Reply

  • Gudrun Gisela,

    Ian you might have stopped and joined in the festive spirit.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2011 • 891 posts Report Reply

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