Category: Climate

Bonding with a bird of the night ~ the ruru (morepork) is associated with the spirit world of the Māori…

above: an injured ruru / morepork found recently mid Feb. 2017 near Aspiring Hut, Mt Aspiring National Park
morepork / ruru
above: an injured ruru / morepork found recently mid Feb. 2017 near Aspiring Hut, Mt Aspiring National Park

A few weeks ago while sitting with one of my friendly companion kea outside Aspiring Hut enjoying the balmy evening with a cuppa and many moths, a dark shadow appeared about a meter off the ground winging towards my face. We all three of us shared a mutual silence while I processed how come another kea could arrive in such a non typical silence.

Kea hide n seek
One of my regular companion kea playing hide and seek

At the last second it swooped upwards and landed on the guttering above me, again in total silence, by which time I decided it might be a young kea as it seemed smaller, however a little light forth-coming from my torch revealed otherwise ‘tho, and I found myself being stared unblinkingly at by the large yellow eyes of a ruru (morepork).

While processing this new development in my nightly meditation, another shadow silently winged past, and was soon joined by my new unruffled friend, both more interested in the moth hatch I realised. My kea looked on non plussed as I plumbed the darker depths of the nearby beech forest, hoping for another sighting, as in Maori mythology, ruru are considered to be wise and represent protection or a warning, and are linked with tapu (spiritual restriction), guardianship, forewarning, grief and awareness.

There is certainly something other-worldly about ruru, New Zealand’s native owl, and their mournful cry, echoed by its name, and grief as mentioned above was to follow!

They also have soft fringes on the ends of their feathers which makes them the original stealth predator, flying silently through the forest. They also have forward-facing eyes, giving them binocular vision – perfect for swooping on prey. While this maybe limiting as to surrounding views they can swivel their neck through almost 270 degrees…

…which was quite unsettling when a few weeks later I gently stalked and captured an injured one, in the same vicinity as the hut [thanks to Will Jarvis for the heads-up and assistance]. The deed was done by gently wrapping the bird in the darkness of a soft towel, through which I immediately felt it’s talons – something I’d forgotten to factor in. However thankfully they simply gripped my hands with the same gentleness.

More pork injured
Dazed and alone with a broken wing – note the look almost backwards, such is the flexibility of the neck

A new journey then began as I transferred the patient into an appropriate cardboard box, and arranged transport [thanks Flo, for dropping all and driving up poste haste out of work hours on a Fri.] from the Dept. of Conservation in Wanaka , to a local vet.

During this time I think we developed a quiet bond as he settled, realising perhaps that safety was at hand. We made eye contact frequently, through various air holes in the box as he took quite an interest in transport arrangements. In between times he’d sit and rest, and through it all I thankfully could not detect any sense of shock or distress [see above header photo]. Just lots of curiosity…

The big yellow eyes were probably an inspiration to Maori carvers and in Maori haka and performances, and now I can see why. They’re compelling!

But sadly we were too late: The vet found the injury to the wing to be old and infected, and by the following evening despite antibiotics etc. my new ruru friend had passed on to the other realms alluded to above.

From various Fact Sheets on the Internet:

Stealthy fliers
Moreporks have soft fringes on the edge of their feathers, so they can fly almost silently and not alert potential prey. This also allows moreporks to hear the movements of their prey as they approach, rather than the noise of their own wings. They have acute hearing and their large eyes are very sensitive to light.

Able hunters
A morepork uses its sharp talons to catch or stun its prey, which it carries in its bill.

Breeding
Moreporks nest in tree hollows, in clumps of epiphytes (perching plants), or in cavities among rocks and roots. The female lays up to three white eggs, usually between October and November, which she incubates for 20 to 30 days. During this time she rarely hunts, and the male brings food to her. Once the chicks hatch she stays mainly on the nest until the young owls are fully feathered. They can fly at about 35 days.

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The goal of a predator free New Zealand may sit uneasily with global warming and ensuing climate change

Mt Glengyle
above: Diverse weather with a rainbow on Mt Glengyle in Mt Aspiring National Park ~ photo Donald Lousley, Southern Light

This site/blog seems to have an organic destiny, and somewhere along a way lined with a steady growth of followers, I’ve not bothered much to publish my own photos, so here today I’ll use a few of my recent favourites made in the last two weeks to illustrate the need for an awakening, and action.

Over winter 2016 while trapping for the sake of our native birds I was reminded time and time again that our climate is changing towards the warmer end of the spectrum. This is backed up by data.

While personally we do not ignore this, at various levels of management, politically especially, it’s the elephant in the room.

Oh it gets a mention, because it’s hard to ignore over a cup of tea that occasionally spills into the saucer from the heavy foot-fall, or a few beers after work on a Friday. There is always tomorrow after all! If politicians think like the rest of us?

In July 2016, the Government announced its plan to make New Zealand predator-free by 2050.

This has given me much to think on, like can we do it? I think categorically “yes” – It seems possible given the current climate of willingness, and advancing technology, but my thinking has been based on the current climate not changing much.

It all gets a bit wobbly though when we take the climate factor to heart. And this is my point: at Govt. levels it’s not taken to heart. We need some seriously proactive leadership.

Wild weather, Mt Aspiring National Park
The glaciers under the main ridge will probably be gone in several years

We spend $60m to $80m already in predator control each year, but can someone tell me what we spend on counteracting climate change?

Our Govt. set up Predator Free New Zealand Limited to drive the programme alongside the private sector, and while this might work in a non changing climate, to my mind it’s got no foundation. We need to roll up our sleeves and base it on a solid base that recognises climate change and accompanying warming.

Should we have a programme here too alongside the private sector, or some real Govt. leadership?

After all there is a lot more at stake than our native birds verses vermin!

NZ falcon against snow, Mt Aspiring National Park
NZ falcon in a climate gone crazy [NZ’s prolonged spring time 2016-17]

The NZ Department of Conservation put it like this: “In a normal year, predators will attack up to 60 per cent of kea nests. On a mast year [when temperatures are warmer triggering profuse seed production in our beech forests], that number rises to 99 per cent”

kea on a roofUnfortunately kea do not nest on slippery roofs! 

Kea for example nest under the roots of large trees or rocks anywhere between sea level and the bush line, and so are very vulnerable to predators. With rising winter snow-lines giving stoats even more opportunity to predate on our clever playful friends, we’ll lose them forever unless we address and mitigate climate change. It has to start at the top to augment our personal efforts and desire to be predator free.

South Island robin
This South Island robin may well look askance at our behaviour as a species sharing the same environment.

Black petrels (Taiko) return to Great Barrier Island (Aotea) natal colony ~ Rachel Hufton, Ecologist reports…

above: A male black petrel with attendant very strong bill and scratchy nails ~ photo Rachel Hufton

Male Black Petrel
above: A male black petrel with attendant very strong bill and scratchy nails ~ photo Rachel Hufton

Mt   Hobson   (Hirakimata) on Great  Barrier Island  at   621m,   is home to the largest breeding colony of black   petrel   (Taiko)   Procellaria  parkinsoni.

The  geologically and ecologically captivating slopes of Mt Hobson comprise semi-mature forest with remnants of ancient and precious  conifer forest.  The woodland assemblage combines endemics such as totara, rimu, kirks pine, and kauri. Diurnally the mountain is audibly dominated by the prehistoric raucous call of kaka, coupled with contrasting melodic tones of the grey warbler.

As dusk turns to night the summit of Mt  Hobson […] Read the whole article here >>

Robins flourish, dawn chorus returns to the Mt Aspiring National Park | Stuff.co.nz

Over the last few months I’ve often posted about the work being done in the West Matukituki Valley [home of Aspiring Hut] in Mt Aspiring National Park.

Two of the key players are my old friends Stu and Heather Thorne, and I’m delighted here to repost an article by local journo Marjorie Cook of stuff.co.nz [who gives her blessing re this repost btw, which uses some of my images] about the great work they’re doing…

Two decades ago, Wanaka couple Stu and Heather Thorne would eat their breakfast porridge at Aspiring Hut in almost complete silence. Now, the dawn chorus is a noisy morning wake up call, with breakfast an extra rowdy affair if clownish keas decide to drop by and chew on the doormat. Birds are back in abundance, thanks to

Read More at the Source: Robins flourish, dawn chorus returns to the Mt Aspiring National Park | Stuff.co.nz

An overview of efforts to encourage native bird population numbers between Mt Aspiring and Wanaka, New Zealand.

top: Members of the Matukituki Trust planning trapping operations at Aspiring Hut 10 days ago

Many of you know that I’ve been involved with many others giving native bird populations a leg up via the Matukituki Trust for the last 4 or so years. Progress has been very steady and positive due a good base plan concept, followed up by proven methodology.

Taking a wider view the good news is that four Trusts inc. the Matukituki Trust, several landowners, tourism operators and DOC, are now working collectively in the area from the mid slopes of Mt Aspiring to Wanaka.

Trust maps 1
Traps [in green] recently installed from Wanaka on the left, to Mt Aspiring on the right. Plans are well evolved to fill the obvious gaps in the next few months
Data obtained is being entered into a centralised database that monitors approx. 1600 traps, [Matukituki Trust 620], which enables all to look at and plan for the bigger picture.

Trust maps 3
A high density of traps of all types around Aspiring Hut in the West Matukituki valley, Mt Aspiring National Park [map approx. orientated north]

Trust maps 2Traps of all types upstream from Aspiring Hut in the West Matukituki valley, Mt Aspiring National Park. Liverpool valley on the left, upper west Matuki. and Scott Bivy rock in the center, and French Ridge on the right.

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Many traps are above the winter snow-line in these three areas, with many being of the self resetting variety

I can’t comment yet on all the “kills” but in the last 6 months the Matukituki Trust’s traps have caught 911 predators: cats, rats, hedgehogs, stoats and possums. Mice, despite not directly being predators, are included.

It’s estimated that each predator kills 2 wildlife per week [birds, lizards,, bats insects etc] thus the above kills amount to 47,000 wildlife saved to-date.

Possums do eats chicks and eggs, but this aside 20 of them will eat 2 tons of vegetation per year, so this means that 18 tons are not eaten. That’s 9000 full shopping bags that stay on the trees to benefit the birds.

Trust maps 5A new kid on the block – one of many of the south island robin reintroduced some years back. Breeding has been so successful last spring that it’s hard estimate if we’re talking scores or hundreds of birds that have been bred by about 20.

In the last few weeks contractors have been in the valley to set up transects for annual bird counts, but so far exactly how many has not been released yet.

 

A brief history of the Matukituki Trust:

First we installed about 170 tracking tunnels in the West Matukituki valley to establish what predators were about that have been compromising bird breeding numbers. Answer: too many opossum and mice.

And on another front the means to scientifically establish how much seed the resident silver, red and mountain beech forest produced every three months. Answer: lots!

So-much-so, on both counts that the valley became “eligible” if you like for the Dept. of Conservation, partners with the Trust, to schedule a 1080 poison operation. This was carried out about 2 years ago. Interestingly I literally lived in the midst of it I

Knowing it’d be successful like in other areas like the Routeburn in “buying time” for more native birds chicks to reach maturity, work began in earnest on installing what now amounts to about 620 traps or various types in the valley [mostly high quality DOC 250’s], so that as the predator numbers inevitably increased, we’d be ready with other means to make sure the balance of bird v. vermin, swung in favour of the former.