White-eyed duck

Bird sighted today at Kaiapoi Lakes- a vagrant from Australia-closley related to scaup. Adult male bird in stunning plumage

In praise of Raupo

My favourite wetland plant is raupo. With its angular form, water reflections and sonasonal changes in colour it is a constant source of fascination to me from a photographic perspective. Many endangered wetland birds such as bittern and Southern crested grebes use raupo. Eels seek rich feeding grounds and shelter in raupo, as do brown trout and a diversity of native fish. To Maori raupo was significant as a food source (the new shoots) and for making a raupo pollen bread, in addition to being used for the contruction of rafts. Today few large stands of raupo remain in lowland environments.
Wild Capture-
langlands@xtra.co.nz