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Tag: Animal

A photomontage of 4 different wasp traps made from coke bottle hung up

Wasp and Hornet traps

We typically put a waap trap up around the house in summer to keep the number of wasps at bay. This year, they discovered a queen yellow legged hornet in the early stages of building a nest in Glenfield on the North Shore in October, while two males were spotted earlier in the year in Grafton and Albany. It is the first time a Queen has been found in Aotearoa.
Cows steaming in the cold air against the sunlight

Winter done and dusted

There was nothing extraordinary to write about this winter, really. It’s not been too wet and not too dry, neither too cold or too warm. We had a few frosty nights and a few pretty rainy days but all in all it was reasonably warm and okay from a mud perspective.
sunrays through pinetrees with a glimpse of blue sky through the trees

Springtime is here

The weather is getting warmer, and the days are stretching out longer, giving us more daylight to enjoy. The rain is slowly becoming less frequent, making way for sunnier skies.
Naughty Joey

Video Post: Joey

He looks like a deer from the distance, he’s fluffy and friendly, but he’s a naughty escape artist who typically is to be found on the wrong side of the fence.
View into the valley with lots of fog on the ground, only hills and trees sticking out.

Frosty Days

The days have become short and cold, with some frosty mornings. Luckily, so far winter has not been as wet as last years.
Pohutukawa tree with bright red flowers

Spring is ramping up

The weather is getting warmer, the mud on the ground has disappeared, the grass has been growing lots, making animals and people are happy.
Two wooden tunnel traps with open lids

Trap maintenance time

Pukeatua Farmstay has a number of various mechanical traps and bait station spread around the property.
Foggy and rainy valley

Mixed bag weather – it must be spring

September came and marked the beginning of spring. Two days prior however it was the coldest night of the year with frost on the car windscreen.
Two calves, one plain brows and one brown with white patches standing in the corner of a shelter

Our 2023 Newcomer calves

When our son did a placement on a nearby dairy farm during calving season, they forgot to book a calf for the bobby truck. That was the beginning of Caramel’s story.
Cat sitting in front of empty bowl, looking up into the camera.

July Cat Special

What can I say, the cats are special here. They are probably special everywhere, but I feel that we have an interesting mix of personalities. Especially Moonshine, he’s always good for entertainment.
Girl milking a goat into a glass bottle

May, June, same old rain and mud

We had flooding and cylones. The ducks have been the only very happy creatures but they turned their area into a slimy, muddy mess. Guess that sums up the last few months.

Fly free Ziggy Stardust

Last night we said goodbye to our much-loved cat Ziggy Stardust. She fell aslep amidst her cat and human family, not to wake up anymore.