Return of the Godwits

2006-10-04 04:11 PM | Posted by Bhuvah Thurston | Permanent Link | Life in Christchurch

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Godwits

It is officially spring in Christchurch. Yesterday the city celebrated the arrival of spring with the "Return of the Godwits". Every year, usually in mid to late September, hundreds of godwits birds return to Christchurch from Alaska. This is an incredible journey - flying around 11,000 km direct and taking around six days.

When the birds are spotted, the city council events crew call the Christchurch Cathedral. Depending on what time they arrive, at either Noon or 5.00pm (yesterday it was 5.00pm), the Cathedral bells peel for half an hour and a sky banner flies around the city for an hour reading:

GODWITS HAVE ARRIVED - SPRING IS HERE

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2006-10-05 04:54 PM | Posted by Barney | http://www.srichinmoycentre.org/Members/barnaby_mcbryde/

Too beautiful story! In a world where we are so removed from the rhythms of nature, cut off from our mother earth in the bizarre, artificial world we have made for ourselves, how encouraging to read the story of Christchurch's response to the flight of the godwits. Long may the godwits fly and long may earth-bound homo sapiens see them, recognise their astonishing lives and travels, and honour it with a peal of bells from the cathedral - recognising thus the inherent divinity of a little bird that flies the length of the world, the sacred nature of all life, the joy and inspiration to be found in the flight of a wild bird across a vast ocean to the mudflats of Canterbury.

(If one might be permitted a little advertising here - I did write a little about godwits myself, at http://www.srichinmoycentre.org/Members/barnaby_mcbryde/te-houtaewa

2006-10-05 01:34 PM | Posted by Sharani Robins

I do say that Christchurch has a wonderful sense of priorities. Heralding the arrival of spring by pealing the church bells upon the return of a migratory flock of birds - the idea of it almost gives me the shivers.
Sharani

2006-10-05 06:37 AM | Posted by Shardul Dillicar | http://www.srichinmoycentre.org/Members/shardul

Hi Bhuvah - Awesome piece about the Godwits! It makes me want to kind of be a Godwit. What a great name to start with. And they look so cute. Thanks for a glimpse of their little world. Regards - Shardul (A serious lover of the Spring season!).

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