It’s (not) beginning to feel a lot like Christmas - 24th December

It’s Christmas Eve here on the Island though there is no way of telling it without having a calendar on the wall. It is a beautifully sunny day and we had a long and leisurely breakfast on the back deck, trying to avoid the ever present flies. We decided to get all the checking and weighing done this morning again to give us time for frivolity this afternoon. We’re planning a dip in the rock pools at Whalers Bay, followed by some sparkling wine and lounging on the rocks.
And I of course am planning some singing. I love Christmas carols, and hope you’ll join in singing this Rangatira Carol with us. It’s to the tune of 12 days of Christmas, and I’m not writing the whole thing out! You know how it goes;

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me
12 Kakariki
11 Chathams Petrels
10 Broad Billed Prions
9 Chatham’s warblers
8 Storm petrels
7 Blue penguins
6 Oyster catchers
5 Chathams Snipe
4 Bird researchers
3 Chatham’s tomtits
2 Fierce Skuas
And a black robin in a Ngaio Tree!