New Zealand Falcon - 6th Jan 2017

If you happened to read the Otago Daily Times newspaper this morning, you will have seen the article on the front page about the pair of New Zealand falcons nesting unusually close to town this year. There was a brilliant photo of the two parents readying themselves to fend off attackers and protect the clutch of baby birds in the nest. Very interesting.

And then I came in to work and the first book my eyes alighted on was Neville Peat's 
The Falcon and the Lark: A New Zealand High Country Journal
and I thought that I would do today's item on the falcon. It was clearly meant to be.

The falcon is unusual in that it can hunt and kill animals larger than itself. It is New Zealand's swiftest bird of prey. Neville Peat says they are "the wildest thing in our skies". They have been likened to the sealion as they are not intimidated by humans, unlike many species. Have a look at the ODT article and learn a little about this beautiful native wild bird, which sadly is endangered.