National Issue (or "Watching the Birds")
Forest and Bird are now calling for votes for their annual Bird of the Year award. 
Last year's innaugural winner was the Tui. But who will it be this year?
Early frontrunners are the Kakapo (favourite of PM Helen Clark and MP Chris Carter) and the Tui.
So what are you going to vote for? As Wellingtonians we get Tuis in the trees around parliament, Ducks down at Kumutoto, Kereru in Wilton Bush and everything else in the Karori Sanctuary. Maybe you're a classicist and will vote for the Kiwi? Or perhaps your a modernist and will vote for the Fantail? Or maybe a wildcard like the Blue Duck (Whio) or Morepork (Ruru) or the New Zealand Harrier Hawk (Te Kahu)?
But get to it, voting closes on October 14.
Having now voted, I see that F&B have a 'restore the dawn chorus' campaign going.
Seriously, if the dawn chorus in our part of town gets any louder, I'm going to be out there in the morning with a shotgun.
I think it has to be a native bird. Otherwise I'd vote for duck, because it goes so nicely with Pinot Noir.
Kereru (Wood Pigeon) is beautiful. Or so I am told by my friend who was part of a group allowed to collect some for that purpose.
I'm for either karearea (had some nice and personal experiences with them) or piwakawaka (long-standing favourite bird).
I can't decide.
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http://halfpie.net/
There were two of these in the Bot Gar4dens the other evening, they were plauing & showing off in the big kowhai tree at the top of the cable car.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Conservation/001~Plants-and-Animals/001~Native-Animals/Kaka.asp
Never seen them before, but they're cool!
Plenty of fantails and tuis around our place (as our cat will attest, and, perhaps, ataste).
The local tui who does an excellent imitation of a car alarm gets my vote.