Lake Orbell in the Murchison Mountains has long been a restricted area. It is the home of the Takahē Recovery Program. Run by New Zealand’s Dept. of Conservation. Sure I have a personal interest in all things New Zealand native birds! But the re-discovery of takahē by Dr G. Orbell in 1948 has a link… Continue reading Takahē and Lake Orbell, Fiordland National Park
Category: Endangered Species
Godwits in trouble on migration from New Zealand to breeding grounds in Alaska
Ecologist Rachel Hufton reports Many shorebird populations are in serious decline along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. The rapid loss of coastal wetlands (attributed to land reclamation) in the Yellow Sea, which provide critical stop-over/ re-fuelling sites for shorebirds during migration is believed to be the cause of this alarming trend. The Yalu Jiang coastal wetland,… Continue reading Godwits in trouble on migration from New Zealand to breeding grounds in Alaska
The great New Zealand lupin debate and why it matters
First we need to talk about the lupin’s favoured environment being mainily the braided rivers which drain the Southern Alps – rivers that find it impossible to run in a straight line, and be anything other than dynamic. When in flood braided rivers carry sediment from the ever rising mountains [geologically speaking] and landslides that… Continue reading The great New Zealand lupin debate and why it matters
Are there more tūī in Wanaka, and other NZ towns?
Over the last few weeks a funny thing has been happening to me re. our New Zealand bird, the iconic tūī. Perhaps because I’ve been able to spend sometime with a few and apart from taking the opportunity to capture the way light reflects from their stunning feather colours and texture, I’ve also used their… Continue reading Are there more tūī in Wanaka, and other NZ towns?
World’s rarest wading bird the kakī / black stilt gets new lease on life
Exciting News Today – kakī New Zealand’s black stilt, has been granted funds to help secure the population status of the worlds rarest wader. Juvenile kakī following release at Tasman Delta, Nov 2016 (Photo by Rachel Hufton) Finally, the Twizel Recovery Centre can begin to increase its capacity for hatching, rearing chicks and releasing juveniles… Continue reading World’s rarest wading bird the kakī / black stilt gets new lease on life