Selwyn Times: February 19, 2020

SELWYN TIMES Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Wednesday February 19 2020 15
Jamming along on the
guitar with Grandad
VITTORIA loves music,
singing and dancing.
It’s very cool and I
love catching her singing
along to some song
she’s made up when she
doesn’t know I’m looking.
And although I might
not love it immediately,
I quite enjoy it when she
forces her singing upon
me. Like at 6am.
Over the last week
there’s been a couple of
days where I’ve been
woken up by her climbing
onto my head, leaning into
my ear and belting out a
(upon reflection) lovely
rendition of the birthday
song.
She had first surprised
me with her ability to sing
the song, in its entirety,
last week at her Nan’s
house while I did some
gardening. She was calmly
sitting, eating some berries
while I worked and
just started singing along.
I guess it makes sense,
birthday season is still
alive and kicking so she’s
heard that song a heap.
She’s also rediscovered
an old favourite in Twinkle
Twinkle Little Star with
even more vigour that she
can sing the words as well
as do the actions.
It’s not the only one in
her repertoire though,
she’s also liable to jump
straight into a round of
BACKYARD CRITTERS
THESE summer months
are when mosquitoes
make their presence
known.
We are fortunate in
New Zealand to only have
15 species compared to
the 200 species known in
Australia.
One species thought to
arrive in New Zealand in
the 1830s is the southern
house or brown mosquito
Culex quinquefaciatus.
It was likely to be
brought here by American
whaling ships or via
Australian populations in
open water tanks on boats
to the Auckland area.
THe species is now
distributed in tropical
and sub-tropical regions
around the world. In New
Zealand it is mainly found
in the North Island and
Baby Shark at the drop of
a hat, or any mention of
the word shark. I can actually
feel other parents with
similar aged kids groaning
at that.
Considering all that,
it wasn’t a big surprise
that she got so excited by
the idea of adding in the
sound of her Grandad’s
guitars to her songs on
Waitangi Day.
We’d popped round for
dinner and while we were
there she grabbed the two
he has in his lounge and
dragged them over to the
couch.
She then handed one to
her Grandad and kept one
VITTORIA
& Matt
STRUMMING: Vittoria and Grandad making sweet
music on the guitars.
for herself to add twanging
guitar strings to her
birthday song, encouraging
her Grandad to play
along with her.
It was great seeing them
have a wee jam session together
and Vittoria clearly
enjoyed it.
I might not remember
anything about the lessons
I had on those guitars, but
it seems Vittoria might
enjoy learning to use them
properly in future.
•Former Star Media
journalist Matt
Salmons has become
a stay-at-home dad.
We follow his journey
weekly
Mike Bowie is an ecologist who specialises in entomology
(insects and other invertebrates). Each week he introduces a
new species found in his backyard at Lincoln. His column aims to
raise public awareness of biodiversity, the variety of living things
around us. Check out the full list of invertebrates found at www.
inaturalist.org/projects/backyard-biodiversity-bugs-in-mylincoln-section
Mosquitoes have a piercing bite
northern South Island,
making Lincoln one of the
most southern records for
this species.
Adults are 4mm long,
brown with striped
abdomen and have a
piercing mouthpart
and an antennae
approximately the same
length.
Adult females require
a blood meal before egg
laying. Humans are not
the only recipients of their
nocturnal bites, birds,
pigs, horses, cattle, sheep,
rabbits and amphibians
also suffer.
Oval-shaped rafts of 100
or more eggs are laid on
the water surface.
Artificial containers
containing organic or
polluted water such as
drains, sumps, oxidation
ponds, stock troughs,
septic tanks and tyres
are common breeding
locations for larvae.
Once hatched, the
larvae can overwinter the
colder months of July to
September.
Offshore this mosquito
is a vector of many
diseases including the
Ross River, Dengue,
Murray River and West
Nile viruses as well as
malaria.
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Looking for something
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