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A welcome increase in native bird populations in Mt Aspiring National Park

It was back in 2013 that I was introduced to the Matukituki Trust, the brain child of Gillian and Derek Crombie. They’d been climbing annually in Mt Aspiring National Park for many years and had become increasingly disturbed by the diminishing bird life in the West branch of the Matukituki river valley [which hosts the New Zealand Alpine Club’s Aspiring Hut], so they approached the local office of the Dept of Conservation [DOC] and in no time at all formed a partnership with them.

Initially rather than immediately focusing on trapping and getting predator numbers down the Trust adopted DOC’s methodology, which in essence is all about science, and a programme was planned to establish which predators were present, quantifying their food source, and from this planning a strategy, which as it turned out involved the use of the very efficient 1080 poison, followed by an intense trapping programme, which by now equates to 600 traps in the valley.

Now three years on the evidence of our labours is easily evident in the form of a significant increase in various native bird species, thus giving us deep satisfaction and justification of what is by now 1000’s of hours of hard labour, more-often-than-not volunteer based.

Beech Seed gathering for counting re beech mastDOC staff, a Trust director and volunteers installing funnels which catch beech tree seeds, a significant component of predator diets.

This means of quantifying food, was also augmented by the shooting down of branches of the trees so prescriptive amounts of leaves could be examined and seed counts done. The data then being uploaded to DOC’s database system, and weighed up in relation to other areas, so resources could be utilised efficiently. Photo credit Southern Light

Kakariki courtesy doc
This 2016 year the yellowed crowned parakeet the kakariki has returned to valley in the form of a population observed so far [scientifically] to be numbering 20 birds for sure, and maybe totaling at least 40. Photo credit DOC
Kakariki feathers
Three years ago the only evidence we gathered as to the presence of kakariki was a dead bird we found near Aspiring Hut. Photo credit Southern Light
Tom tit
The local population of the tom tit, an indicator species, has grown significantly over previous years. Like wise blackbirds and thrushes, which are competitors, but its better to see them rather than nothing! Photo credit Southern Light
Black back gull chicks
Many black back gull chicks are now fledging in the Cascade Stream bed near Aspiring Hut. Again first time for many years this has been seen. Photo credit Southern Light

Kea behind beech treeKea numbers are notoriously hard to know, but in the last two years juvenile numbers have been high from Dec on-wards. A mob of 32 were observed trying to dismantle a Robbie 44 helicopter, just several weeks after 1080 was spread, and this stroke of luck confirmed a long held belief that the valley is a nursery, as they were all juveniles.

This bird and a known banded companion were playing hide’n seek with me a week ago. Photo credit Southern Light

south island robin
The beloved south island robin [another indicator of-good-things-bird-wise, species] are now literally everywhere – up until a few months ago it was my job to observe and count, and now it’s pointless as most are not banded for easy identification. Photo credit Southern Light
The remainder of the photos below [Photo credits Southern Light] are shots taken while gathering data early on in the programme. Tasks like tracking tunnel installation – about 170 of, and thats mice footprints you can see [other high in number predators were ‘possums’

Frost

River crossing

Carrying tracking tunnels

Mice prints

Dead possumPesky ‘possum numbers are now so reduced that the bush is significantly improving in health and “looks”.

On closing some may ask why trapping them for fur/money is not carried out instead of using 1080. Well the answer is simple: as numbers reduce it’s not possible to continue economically, so the trappers bail thus the smaller population grows again very quickly.

 

In NZ, as opposed to their native Australia, they only need to spend 10 percent of their time eating, and 90 breeding. In Aust. it is the other way round. And of course they then grow larger here

Further reading of interest socially and otherwise:

1080 and science denial: an Our Changing World summit | Our Changing World | Radio New Zealand

We all know the saying: ‘nature abhors a vacuum’. Science denial, though, seems to love an information vacuum and thrives in the absence of fact. Environment and science writer Dave Hansford saw what he thought was an information vacuum around the use of the controversial toxin 1080 to protect New Zealand’s native wildlife, and it motivated him to research and write a book: Protecting Paradise – 1080 and the fight to save New Zealand’s wildlife.

“I think somebody had to [write a book like this],” says Hansford. “There have been a great many books opposing

Source: 1080 and science denial: an Our Changing World summit | Our Changing World | Radio New Zealand

photo credit Radio NZ

Lake Wanaka’s grebes

For a few years now the grebe, an endangered species, has been in the news regularly making a name for themselves nesting on floating nests tethered to the Wanaka Marina.

The whole wonderful story of what is essentially eco restoration, with a decidedly lateral thinking twist can be had by going to the link below.

Wanaka Grebes

Photographically speaking I’ve not taken much interest, but yesterday while picnicking closer to the lake outlet than to their new near-town chosen breeding area, two birds came quietly paddling towards me, and then in a seemingly courting mood, started mooching about, sometime paddling apart from each other and sometimes coming close.

They seem to be a bit of enigma in many respects, and apparently one [lacking] attribute is they’re not at all at home on land, as seen here: it flapped it’s wings rather feebly and then literally lurched upwards and forward to collapse on a rock for a minute or so. Maybe in the context of courting this has some meaning unknown to us!
Wanaka Grebes

Wanaka Grebes

Read the whole story as outlined by Radio NZ recently:

Meet the Australasian crested grebe, a lake bird that is more closely related to penguins and albatrosses than it is to ducks. It is so aquatic that it can’t walk on land; it can pull itself on and off its nest, but that’s the extent of its terrestrial forays. A bird can disappear from one lake and turn up on another, but no one in New Zealand has ever witnessed it flying. In other words, it’s a bird beset by mysteries. But for the past three years John Darby, a penguin and albatross biologist who retired inland to Wanaka, has been unravelling some of this bird’s secrets.

What began as a..

Source: Lake Wanaka’s grebes | Our Changing World | Radio New Zealand

Goldfish crisis in Wanaka | Stuff.co.nz

A heads up for residents of Wanaka and Albert Town, and all who care about the health of rivers such as the Clutha…

Goldfish believed illegally dumped into Albert Town’s artificial wetlands are breeding and some have found their way into the natural lagoon beside the Clutha River.Now, environmental agencies are concerned the bottom-grazing pest fish may soon invade the already degraded Clutha River, which has been infested by didymo for about 10 years.

Source: Goldfish crisis in Wanaka | Stuff.co.nz

DOC seeks sightings of rare kakī / black stilt October 2016

One of the pair of black stilt/kakī that were recently sighted – the left bird is the more common pied stilt. Photo credit DOC
Above left: One of the pair of black stilt/kakī that were recently sighted – the left bird is the more common pied stilt. Photo credit DOC

This is pretty exciting and it rather amazes me that these birds have crossed the Southern Alps at presumably their highest point across Aoraki Mt Cook National Park, flying presumably against the predominant westerly winds and at considerable altitude that would average 2500 meters

A pair of New Zealand’s rarest birds the Kakī / black stilt has been sighted on the West Coast and DOC staff are asking the public to report further sightings.

The two kakī were spotted by a farmer on a dairy farm in the Arahura Valley. The farmer suspected they were rare and reported the sighting to the dept of Conservation, who confirmed the birds were black stilt/kakī.

Kakī are critically endangered, with less than 100 adult birds in the wild. Once common throughout New Zealand, kakī are now found on the braided rivers and wetlands of the Mackenzie Basin

Source: DOC seeks sightings of rare kakī: Media release 3 October 2016

Capable of flying at speeds over 100 km/h and catching prey larger than itself, the falcon / kārearea is one of New Zealand’s most spectacular birds.

This older male is engaged in courtship ritual and is perched on an old tree stump that at ground level has been used as a nest previously. The female a few hundred meters away was very aware of my presence, and at the time of taking this photo both were engaged in a rowdy discussion, probably about myself whom they know quite well, perhaps questioning whether or not I should be "warned off" in relation to nesting soon.

The photos in the gallery below are extensively captioned, so if you’d like to read more of “their”  falcon story, click on any one of them, and please feel free to leave a comment or ask a question. All photos by Southern Light..

There are three "forms" of NZ's endemic native falcon, the kārearea. This is the South Island’s eastern falcon, at altitude on Benmore Peak near Twizel [note the wilding pine in the back ground - yet another invasive species that is destroying habitat in NZ]. There is also the bush falcon that lives in the North Island and the west and north-west of the South Island, and many of the photos here feature same. Lastly the southern falcon lives in coastal Fiordland and the Auckland Islands, and is more reddish.
There are three “forms” of NZ’s endemic native falcon, the kārearea. This is the South Island’s eastern falcon, at altitude on Benmore Peak near Twizel [note the wilding pine in the back ground – yet another invasive species that is destroying habitat in NZ]. There is also the bush falcon that lives in the North Island and the west and north-west of the South Island, and many of the photos here feature same. Lastly the southern falcon lives in coastal Fiordland and the Auckland Islands, and is more reddish.
Live prey is by far their preferred choice, seldom carrion [this in contrast to the common hawk]. They will either fly in continuous grid patterns or watch from a vantage point then make a fast, often gentle angled attack to the prey if they are on the ground, or steeper if aloft, and strike grasping the prey with their feet which are equipped with sharp talons. They kill the catch with a quick powerful bite to the neck.
Live prey is by far their preferred choice, seldom carrion [this in contrast to the common hawk]. They will either fly in continuous grid patterns or watch from a vantage point then make a fast, often gentle angled attack to the prey if they are on the ground, or steeper if aloft, and strike grasping the prey with their feet which are equipped with sharp talons. They kill the catch with a quick powerful bite to the neck.
Falcons will also take large birds such as the white heron/kotuku, wood pigeons/kererū, ducks and pheasants. They catch big insects such as grasshoppers and beetles. Females, at 410-720 g and 45 cm and larger than the male bird, can kill young rabbits or hares weighing up to 3 kilograms. Here this youngster is engaged in learning to hunt mice by listening attentively for sounds of rustling in the dry grass in Mt Aspiring National Park
Falcons will also take large birds such as the white heron/kotuku, wood pigeons/kererū, ducks and pheasants. They catch big insects such as grasshoppers and beetles. Females, at 410-720 g and 45 cm and larger than the male bird, can kill young rabbits or hares weighing up to 3 kilograms. Here this youngster is engaged in learning to hunt mice by listening attentively for sounds of rustling in the dry grass in Mt Aspiring National Park
The bush and southern forms are threatened, the eastern form are at risk, and thought to be recovering. Overall population is guessed to be between 5000 - 8000 birds. Most are found in New Zealand south of Waikato, and some offshore islands including Auckland Islands. Recently, plantation pine forests have been found to be important breeding habitats. Threats include: Predation, habitat loss, disturbance, development impacts, electrocution and by people who shoot it illegally.
The bush and southern forms are threatened, the eastern form are at risk, and thought to be recovering. Overall population is guessed to be between 5000 – 8000 birds. Most are found in New Zealand south of Waikato, and some offshore islands including Auckland Islands. Recently, plantation pine forests have been found to be important breeding habitats. Threats include: Predation, habitat loss, disturbance, development impacts, electrocution and by people who shoot it illegally.
This youngster had been unsuccessfully mouse hunting then flew up into this dead tree in Mt Aspiring National Park and squawked and kek kek'd in the vain hope it's parents would supply lunch!
This youngster had been unsuccessfully mouse hunting then flew up into this dead tree in Mt Aspiring National Park and squawked and kek kek’d in the vain hope it’s parents would supply lunch!
The falcon's wings are angled back like an arrow, the more-so as it dives steeply, giving a shrill cry when it seizes its victim. After it catches a bird, it takes it to a branch or post where it then does some dislocation of the neck before some plucking and eating
The falcon’s wings are angled back like an arrow, the more-so as it dives steeply, giving a shrill cry when it seizes its victim. After it catches a bird, it takes it to a branch or post where it then does some dislocation of the neck before some plucking and eating
When early spring courtship begins food plays an important role. The male chases the female and pretends to attack her, and bonding is sealed when the male carries prey to the female, then she chases him and he offers her the food. They then nest often near the ground, where sadly they are not equipped to fight off cats, stoats and other predators that are keen to feed on the 2-4 eggs laid for an incubation period of just over a month. However they are renown for fiercely defending the surrounding area, and may dive-bomb passers-by aiming for the head [wear a soft hat, not a hard one which may hurt them], especially dogs.
When early spring courtship begins food plays an important role. The male chases the female and pretends to attack her, and bonding is sealed when the male carries prey to the female, then she chases him and he offers her the food. They then nest often near the ground, where sadly they are not equipped to fight off cats, stoats and other predators that are keen to feed on the 2-4 eggs laid for an incubation period of just over a month. However they are renown for fiercely defending the surrounding area, and may dive-bomb passers-by aiming for the head [wear a soft hat, not a hard one which may hurt them], especially dogs.
In this picture I had the uncanny feeling that the lower bird was a youngster in training, yet how was the adult communicating? When being photographed they totally ignored me as they silently navigated trees, isolated scrubs, and a hut. Or it could have been the other way around with the lower bird being the adult leading the way, with the youngster at a higher and safer altitude
In this picture I had the uncanny feeling that the lower bird was a youngster in training, yet how was the adult communicating? When being photographed they totally ignored me as they silently navigated trees, isolated scrubs, and a hut. Or it could have been the other way around with the lower bird being the adult leading the way, with the youngster at a higher and safer altitude
For this young bird on a fence post in Mt Aspiring National Park, any clearance of native vegetation and/or intensification of land-use practices would significantly reduce the amount of habitat suitable for breeding. This in turn then works in favour of predator populations.
For this young bird on a fence post in Mt Aspiring National Park, any clearance of native vegetation and/or intensification of land-use practices would significantly reduce the amount of habitat suitable for breeding. This in turn then works in favour of predator populations.
This older male is engaged in courtship ritual and is perched on an old tree stump that at ground level has been used as a nest previously. The female a few hundred meters away was very aware of my presence, and at the time of taking this photo both were engaged in a rowdy discussion, probably about myself whom they know quite well, perhaps questioning whether or not I should be "warned off" in relation to nesting soon.
This older male is engaged in courtship ritual and is perched on an old tree stump that at ground level has been used as a nest previously. The female a few hundred meters away was very aware of my presence, and at the time of taking this photo both were engaged in a rowdy discussion, probably about myself whom they know quite well, perhaps questioning whether or not I should be “warned off” in relation to nesting soon.