While breakfasting before work on Sunday morning, I spied a sight in the cherry blossom tree opposite us of something that had previously given me a bit of a fright one afternoon when taking our washing to the laundry room. I had been returning to the flat, my arms laden with clean towels, when I heard a deep 'coo' above my head, distinctive of our own native wood pidgeon back home. However, I received a shock when looking up into the branches above me to behold a huge looming silhouette of something much MUCH larger than what I'd expected. I'd never seen such a big bird nest in a small, dainty tree.
Crunching on my cornflakes the other morning, I had a much better view of this enormous feathered friend. After a quick flick through the pages of the native NZ flora and fauna book that was a gift from my big brother, I found the Kereru, a native New Zealand Wood Pidgeon. Much larger and more colourful than our own, the Kereru nests in smaller trees and 'builds flimsy platforms about 15m from the ground'. That explains the odd sight! It's nice knowing what they are now and I think we will get many moments of amusement from watching them flap about as they try not to fall out of the tree!
Here's a clearer picture of the old bird:
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