How Small is Too Small
The second part of the dolphin project was conducted way at the top end of New Zealand's South Island, in the Marlborough Sounds region. This area is well known for its Sauvignon blanc and its enormous green-lipped mussels. After an arduous, though scenic drive, we arrived in a the small remote town of
French Pass is a quiet place, as you can imagine. One day, I was doing some painting and left the brush and stuff outside to dry. Later, I heard some scraping noises from the yard and was utterly confused to see a weka. These are little flightless birds about the size of a duck, with stocky feet and inquisitive attitudes. The weka wasn't what confused me. I expected to encounter some odd creatures in this par of the world. What it was doing, however, was far from normal.
The weka had taken a liking to the paint-covered paintbrush and was pecking it to bits. How can that taste good? Now, at least we can tell that weka from the others. It's the one with the white beak and feathers. Gee, no wonder all these flightless birds keep going extinct. They eat paint!