Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 44
Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds
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| Dune lake looking south |
We know have a
no-go fence facing off across the Wharemauku, though we jumped it anyway and
got these shots from up on the hill overlooking the lake. And then by turning
180 degrees you can see it all closing in.
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| view North |
But there is an
eerie sense of calm as the machinery, having cleared the blackberry, grinds to
a halt in front of the dune lake which now has three sets of ducklings out on
its waters; though they’re hard to pick out in the decaying clumpy grass that
dominates the lake this year.
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| Parera cross pair with youngsters |
Passersby have
been stopping to express their distress that this wetland will soon be
destroyed and also point out new sets of hatchlings along the Wharemauku. The
opinion is also being voiced that the construction activity has frightened off
the birds this year. It is a little early to tell whether this is actually the
case – though it certainly looks likely at the moment. There is no sign yet of
the 8 to10 poaka-pied stilts that usually feed, then breed here, while
kuruwhengi-shovellers and tete-grey teal are also missing; though these appear
to have been progressively shot out of this area by duck shooters. Nor has
there been any sign yet of papango-scaup although it’s a bumper season again
for these fully protected and delightful diving ducks with 27 counted down at
the Waikanae lagoon this morning.
Our lake has
been taken over by mallards from the town. The behaviour of these male
reprobates and their long suffering females, we will shortly review but as our wetlands have been progressively
gentrified, these are the birds that have moved in with our rarer native birds
being pushed into ever diminishing
reserves. We expect this pattern to be repeated here. No sign yet of the
dabchick from last year, though a lone male parera has been in residence for
about a month now. He appears not to be welcome by the green headed
mallards and keeps his distance
from this rowdy intemperate lot.
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| Same pair 5 October |
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| Putangitangi 1 October |
We were hoping
this pair of putangitangi-paradise duck might settle here. The female was
starting to look a little broody in searching out a suitable site for a nest,
but they seem just to be feeding so far, though they have also been on the
Wharemauku pond across the way, scooping up the waterboatmen. The 8 or 9
female putangitangi sighted in a tribal group around a month ago, are still
together and were seen yesterday down at the Waikanae lagoon. They are probably
juveniles – not yet ready to begin to mate.
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| Polluted lower Wharemauku |
The pollution we
have been reporting coming through into the Wharemauku from Drain 7 is now
intensifying though the relevant authorities are sitting on their hands
regarding it – so watch this space – we’ll keep you posted as this disaster progresses.
Track we were
listening to while posting this Royal Blood's -Out of the Black. You don’t need to know the words, they’re
pretty much teenage daft, but when they turn on their amplifiers they take you off the planet...and they'll be in Auckland January 26...so chill the ginger beer and bring your Panama's - It'll be hot.
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