A Birdsong Afternoon

Today I visited New Plymouth's Pukekura Park, a botanical garden that spans 128 acres and includes various floral collections (rhododendrons, azaleas), a fernery, many beautiful birds, and a zoo. I spent 2 hours walking around the park, discovering woodland dells, smelling the flowers, thinking, and enjoying the scenery.

There were different kinds of birds all throughout the park but the Tui was the most common bird that I saw and heard! Tui are unique to New Zealand and are quite agressive. After a little research, I discovered the Spring (September and October) is the mating period, during which the Tui is particularly vocal and active. Indeed! These birds were flapping all over the place at speeds of who KNOWS how fast. Not only could I hear their beautiful song, I could also hear their characteristic rapid flapping wings!

It was nice to spend the afternoon in such a serene setting. I enjoyed being a visitor in the homes of birds, other creatures, and trees. I made sure to take a few moments to show my appreciation to Mother Earth and thanked her for the afternoon's scenery and entertainment.

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