Blooming marvellous. Ashley Bloomfield’s popularity has risen over the course of 2020 thanks to his steadying influence and no-nonsense tone in the battle against Covid-19. He’s as Kiwi as it gets – and now he also gets to be a Kiwi.
After a rare white-feathered kiwi chick was born at Rotorua’s Rainbow Springs Nature Park the Breakfast show asked for name suggestions from viewers. The short-listed names were placed in a hat and ‘Bloom’ was drawn live on air. It’s not the first animal to have been named after New Zealand’s Director-General of Health. Dunedin Wildlife Hospital named a rescued kea Bloomfield and a Botswanan baby rhinoceros has also been called Ashley Bloomfield. We wonder how many babies born in 2020 will be called Ashley too?
Triple yolker enraptures. Never let it be said that we’re not bringing you the most important news from around the planet. From the Isle of Wight Observer comes an epic tale of Evie Hodgson and her Sussex White chicken, Henrietta. A lockdown decision to raise chickens certainly paid off for Evie when she took her eggs in to be cooked at her local café for breakfast.
“I went in as normal and gave Howard the egg and he suddenly came running out of the kitchen to show me the triple yolk. He said he had been breaking eggs for 30 years and had never seen one before!” she says. You can read the incredible story by clicking on the link here. Be warned – the article doesn’t eggsactly go (over) easy on the puns.
Local legends. The whio population at Mt Taranaki has increased to approximately 200 birds thanks to the efforts of local trappers like Tipunakore Rangiwai. Over the course of a year he’s caught around 80 stoats in the national park. The KEA Kids News goes into the bush with the 17-year-old trapper – check out the cute video here.
Who’s up for Tuisday? From an Australian correspondent comes inspiration for a regular day of celebration for one of our most iconic birds. In Perth the news provider ABC has Wrens-Day each week, where their viewers and followers send in photos of the beautiful local wren.
We thought this is a great idea and so are keen to start up Tuisday here in New Zealand – where everyone can send in their favourite photos of one of our favourite birds. What do you think – will this idea fly? Watch our Instagram page to find out…
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