Shakespeare by the Sea, Plimmerton….in honour of the people of Christchurch

I first posted about Russell Plume’s creative use of washed up pieces of brick to form quotations from Shakespeare here here and here.
Here is a piece of brick in the sand from my wanderings today.

Just the same as those Russell has picked up in his wanderings and used to form the quotations.

Russell had intended that this quote be permanently placed somewhere in Christchurch to recognise the people there and all they had experienced and endured from the 12,500 (and probably more) earthquakes since 2010.

I follow the Shakespeare by the sea Facebook page and learnt a day or so ago that this setting of the quote has been erected on one of the sea walls along Plimmerton beach in honour of the people of Christchurch. From the Facebook page: What is the city but the people? Dedicated to the people of Christchurch. Installed January, 2014 by Porirua City Council. Many thanks to them and to the Mayor Nick Leggett.

This setting is installed on the fence at the property on the north side Queens Ave (go to the end of the street, walk down onto the beach, and turn right).

And so I followed the directions this morning and here is the quote for Christchurch.

Here are some of the other quotations Russell created along this stretch of my favourite beach.

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Isra, the hedgehog update

Here is a short video clip off Facebook showing a very happy and healthy Isra and her carer Jacqui.

Jacqui has messaged me today to say she is hopeful that she has found a release spot for Isra and some other of her hedgehogs who are fit and ready to live in the wild again. It has been difficult to find suitable areas where there is no baiting or trapping, busy roads and other ‘hog hazards.

A stunning photo of a Tui

I spotted this stunning photo of a Tui on my Facebook news feed today. It is not my photo.

Source:https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151787943367633&set=pb.137540437632.-2207520000.1384494756.&type=3&theater

The link for it is here.

Top or tail they are very beautiful birds.

Clocking the Cuckoos

New Zealand’s Forest and Bird organisation posted this information on their Facebook page today. I haven’t heard a shining cuckoo yet but when I do I will report to the spring migration research that is mentioned here:

Michael Anderson is postdoctoral fellow at Massey University who wants to know more about the arrival dates of the Long-tailed Cuckoo and Shining Cuckoo. These Cuckoos are NZ’s only forest birds that migrate out of the country. They breed in NZ, parasitizing endemic species, using them to raise their offspring for them. Little is known about their migration patterns, so Michael wants any info about the dates they arrive at each part of the country. Obviously we can’t ask customs. If you hear or see one of these birds, could you report it using one of these Google forms Long-tailed Cuckoo spring migration form
http://goo.gl/ClBMWZ and the Shining Cuckoo spring migration formhttp://goo.gl/CDjbuh. Check out these links for more info about our cuckoos http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/long-tailed-cuckoo, http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/shining-cuckoo) and some nice writing about the Shining Cuckoo from NZbirds http://www.nzbirds.com/birds/pipiwharauroa.html –

Long tailed cuckoo photograph by Duncan Watson, sourced from http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz

For a little more information about the Shining Cuckoos’ relationship with the Grey Warbler go here.

Shining Cuckoo photograph by Duncan Watson, sourced from http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz

If you are a New Zealand reader please clock in any cuckoos you see or hear so we can learn more about their unique habits.

Isra, the hedgehog on video.

Regular readers will remember that I blogged about a sick hedgehog here. She was named Isra and is being cared for by Jacqui in a Hedgehog Rescue haven. Jacqui has several “hogs” in her care, returning them to good health so that they can be released to a rural property far from roads and relatively free of predators once winter is over.

Earlier this week Jacqui updated Isra’s progress. Isra now weighs a kilo and her new quills are growing now that the mange has been cured. Naturally Isra would like to hibernate but that would stop her quill regrowth and delay her release in spring. In order to prevent hibernation she is being kept very warm on her heating disc again.

Jacqui also posted this video on the Hedgehog Rescue (NZ) Facebook page. If you turn the sound up on your computer you can hear Jacqui talking to Isra and describing her as friendly and inquisitive.

Thanks again Jacqui for the treatment and care you have given to Isra and the other hedgehogs in your care :-))

Shakespeare by the Sea, Plimmerton

Earlier in the year I blogged about a local man, Russell Plume who had used old pieces of brick that he had found on Plimmerton beach and in the local stream to form quotations from Shakespeare. He has made settings of these quotes and several are mounted on sea walls at Plimmerton Beach.

Russell stumbled upon my blog during the week and left a welcome comment here.He has also set up a Facebook page called Shakespeare by the Sea, Plimmerton which includes photographic detail of how he constructed the pieces. He would welcome your interest.

Test results

Some of you might have wondered what I was testing for yesterday when I posted the word “Test” and nothing else in my post yesterday.

I had heard from another WordPress blogger that Facebook was not going to publish any WordPress blogposts after 22 November 2011. I wanted to check that out and so in haste simply sent the quick post.

I am pleased to report that I can still publish to Facebook so my loyal readers can still access my blog that way. The other way is to subscribe using the “Email subscription” widget on the left hand side of my blog.

It is nice to know you are reading my blog. Thank you, it makes a real difference in my life:-)