A New Zealand dabchick family -Feeding the youngster

Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 132

Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

Discovering intimate wildlife moments is often a matter of chance; the finding of yourself in the right place at the right time. You stumble in on them and that’s what happened here, on one of the rare fine days of this summer. (It’s persisting down again right now, as we send this to air, with NSW across the water, in a heatwave emergency.)

Regenerating swamp forest wetland -QEII Park Kapiti

We were visiting the QEII park wetland restoration (above), about 10 km south, where two families of dabchicks have been in residence since last year. These charming little endemic grebes don’t usually tolerate each other, especially during the breeding season, but while one pair were busy feeding a rapidly growing chick, they simply ignored the other pair frolicking close by.

Young dabchick pair

We managed to shoot this lengthy video of the two parents in action at the end of which the chick was so sated, that she sat herself down on a floating clump of weed to rest up.

Both parents contribute to the feeding though the mother (the smaller and less coloured of the two parents) is noticeably more successful in fishing up food. It was she who kept coming back to check the youngster as she settled in the centre of the lake.

Dad brings home the bacon -Mum in the foreground

This chick is almost ready to begin to dive on her own and was occasionally following her parents in putting her head under water and steering around with her webbed back feet on the look out herself for food.

All done - chick at rest on water

Having two parents actively involved in feeding and raising youngsters must have a positive impact on their survival (when they come off the nest it is usually the father who carries the brood on his back). There is increased competition now as the Australian émigré coots begin to gain a foot hold locally.

Coot at Ratanui wetland

They are aggressive and the dabchicks are wary of them when around, but the population in this area seems to be holding its own.

Track we were listening to while posting this – The Weavers  I’m standing on the outside of your shelter …

I'm standing on the outside of your shelter, lookin' in

While the bombs around are falling everywhere

Inside you look so warm and safe, and oh so happy

Have I ever told you that I care?

This is from The Weavers  Carnegie reunion May 1963... Better start digging them again.

Environmental artist Jill Studd’s blog

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