The Raumati Beach Dune Lake returns

Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 19

Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

  

Lake beginning to form at centre of wetland May 6 2014.

It has been 3 months since the dune lake went into summer hibernation during which we’ve had a late indian summer. Curiously the pukeko family, around 7 birds, that raised a  February/March chick, have stayed in residence this year (they left last year during the drought). 

Goldfinches autumn 2014

Pukeko -dune lake May 5

Weeds have taken over in the wetland, but are seasonally late and only just coming into seed. These weeds aren’t all bad news because they attract honey bees, and provide feed for pukeko and then the exotic goldfinches though the flock of these birds is about a third the size of last year.

The special quality of a dune lake comes from its seasonal character so in its original state it would have hosted local native plants adapted to survive in difficult climactic conditions. These flora are not unlike that found in alpine regions – plants that are toughened to the conditions but that are also very beautiful. Development has expunged these plants, including raupo from this area though a new colony of rushes -wīwī- appears to be establishing in the centre of what will become the lake.

The first sign that the wetlands were returning was three weeks ago as we began to get persistent though not heavy autumn rain. The small wetland on the northern side of the Wharemauku was the first to return though cattle have been allowed to gather in this slough, and it has become fouled. It will clean up over time, though the effluent will seep as pollutant  into the Wharemauku. 

Current view of dune lake May 6 2013

The same vista in mid-June 2013

It will be 4-6 weeks before we see our wetland birds returning, and in the meantime this summer vegetation will begin to decay. The smell is ‘noticeable’ but not offensive, (at least to us). This is one of the few living swamps still surviving in this region and here lies the reason why. At this time of the year it looks messy and smells the same, yet this is a necessary part of the cycle of brew up a food supply for these wild native birds. As pakeha have settled here they have ‘cleaned’ these areas up by gentrifying them.

What remains astonishing is that this area is attracting so many species some of which are rare and endangered, right into the middle of town. Here is an attraction ready made for visitors and eco-tourism, and yet a year from now the entire area will be bulldozed. 

Track we were listening to while posting this Jimi Hendrix
If 6 was 9

Go ahead on Mr. Business man, 

you can't dress like me.

Sing on Brother, 

play on drummer.

Jill Studd's Blog

Contact Us