“Keas!” he says. I nod but only very slightly. My head already has quite enough contrary motions to contend with. “They’re mountain parrots,” says Mark. “Very intelligent birds with long curved beaks. They can rip the windscreen wipers off cars and often do.” I’m always startled by the speed with which Mark is able to recognise birds he’s never seen before, even when they’re just a speck in the distance. “The wing beat is very distinctive,” he explains. “But it would be even easier to identify them if we weren’t in a helicopter with all this noise. It’s one of those birds which very helpfully
...more
