Tui – A Nest in the Bush by Meg Lipscombe.
Regular readers of my blog know of my interest in and love of Tui and other native New Zealand birds. As a child Tuis were very rarely seen but the persistent and devoted action of many people and organisations now sees these birds arriving in my garden and surrounding neighbourhood in increasing numbers. It is a joy.
So I was delighted to spot this newly published book in the Public Library. Meg Lipscombe’s stunning photos of a Tui nest and the breeding cycle have filled in more gaps in my knowledge of these colourful, spirited birds.
Meg lives in a remote part of New Zealand and discovered to her delight that she could photograph a Tui’s nest from her home’s balcony.
Female Tui sitting on two eggs.
What followed was a successful recording over 37 days of newly laid eggs through to an empty nest as the fledglings took those final steps to growing independence.
Tui fledglings almost ready to leave the nest.
Meg spent time speaking to the adult birds so that they grew accustomed to her respectful presence. For the reader she journalled about her observations.
The book is a first to capture this breeding cycle and it is not surprising to learn that Meg received a Fellowship from the Photographic Society of New Zealand in recognition of the excellence of her photographs.
Rick Thorpe wrote a very full and informative Introduction for the book covering many aspects pertaining to the bird, to its significance to Maori, to the health of our native forests and the critical importance of continued conservation efforts.
Anyone wanting to learn about Tuis will find this book, with its remarkable photos and written information, invaluable. It is a book to share with young children, for older children and adults to read and explore and enjoy.
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This book sounds wonderful. We have lots of flax in flower here at present, and whenever I see those flowers i think they should have tui feeding on them. Sadly tui haven’t made it to Christchurch, although I believe there are some on Banks Peninsula.
It has been a prolific flax flowering here too Ruth. Here’s to Tuis populating Christchurch very soon.
That’s marvellous! I must try to see if our library has a copy. I found it almost eerie that there were no tui feasting and carousing around the flax when I went up north recently. We are very lucky in Wellington to have so many.
I hope your library has a copy. We are very, very lucky to have so many here. Blog readers in Christchurch are hoping the Tui will populate their city.
What a treasure of a book. My friend in Wellington told me that someone wrote a letter to the editor of the Dominion (?) complaining about the noise tui make and what a nuisance they are. My friend and I were gobsmacked. As Ruth says, we want tui to visit us.
It is a glorious book and the respect offered by Meg to the Tui pair and young was moving. I saw that letter in the DomPost…..Occasionally there is a male Tui near here who calls with the same, repetitive loud note or two and that could be irritating from dawn to dusk if he was very close to your home. Mr Thrush in spring did become a little challenging at times but human noises are much, much more annoying. I hope the Tui find homes in your city. They are fascinating birds.
Yes, human noises like the fireworks tonight! Hope they stop soon. May it be a Happy New Year for you and your family.
Oh we had fireworks intermittently here until well after midnight too. Luckily Jazz is not frightened by them when he is indoors. Someone near us has been letting off fireworks most nights since they went on sale before Guy Fawkes this year. They must have a veritable arsenal stashed away:-(( New Year greetings to you and yours too…..
It’s all quiet tonight! All the fireworks must be exhausted.
Let’s hope silence will prevail for us all and the animals now.
What a find! Looks like a great book, nice recognition from the Photographic Society for her as well 🙂
A real find! Meg is a gifted photographer and these unique photos obviously deserved the highest accolade.
It’s great to read about a successful conservation effort.
Conservation efforts were applauded by Rick Thorpe in his Introduction to the book and by Meg. So many volunteers have made the difference to the resurgence in Tui numbers.
I love books about birds and this book sounds so very interesting, I will definitely look for it online, Happy New Year, Annie
Happy New Year to you Annie. The light is coming back your way ever so slowly now:-)
a beautiful book
Glorious. Craig Potton publishing.
this sounds like a fascinating book. I will check it out. Thanks Lynley, and for your earlier comment about the tuis feeding insect to their young in the nest. That’s so interesting to know.
I could imagine you and your little one enjoying this book and the variety of content. With wind and rain here yet again the Tuis have been feasting again at our feeder:-)
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Dec 30th 2013