Black Swan - Kakianau

Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 34

Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

Back in June we posted a story about a winter hatching of ducklings at the dune lake and a small of coven of cygnets at one of the ponds in the town. There have been news reports since that this isn't the only sign of midwinter  hatchings with  ducklings being seen out at Nga Manu Nature Reserve while in the Wellington Zealandia sanctuary, early mating of kaka have also been observed, along with the prospecting for nest sites. Here's a drawing of one from our resident artist Jill Studd

Kaka -drawing by Frances Jill Studd

It is now the end of July and the mild and rather dry winter (so far) continues with the rather startling sight, this morning, of this new family of black swans - kakianau  motoring across a lagoon at the Waikanae Estuary. Mother and cygnets emerged from the raupo on one side of the wetland and dashed across to the other. 

Black swan-kakianau mother with 7 cygnets Waikanae estuary - 30 July

No sign of the father which is unusual as both parents are involved in bringing up the youngsters.

There is debate over whether these swans are  a bone fide native species. It had been previously felt that they were extinct when the Europeans arrived.  They were introduced then from Tasmania in the 1860 -for recreational shooting- but  spread so rapidly that it is now thought that they were either here in numbers already or have self introduced. Though why they would suddenly self introduce on the arrival of Europeans and their fire arms needs explanation. 

Track we were listening to while posting this The fairground music of Larry Finnegan - Dear One

Ah, please dont cry (please don't cry)

Try not to be sad (try not to be sad

I tried and I tried (I tried and I tried)

Not to hurt you bad (not to hurt you bad)

I tried so hard  (I tried so hard)

Not to give in (not to give in)

But I lost my head and I lost my heart and I lost your love to him.

One of the all time great last lines to a verse in all of popular music...

Jill Studd's blog

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