Breaking news - New flooding swamps expressway earthworks at Raumati Beach

Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 113

Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

Barrier breached...

The Indian summer that stretched into mid-autumn is now over and after steady rain overnight and a Saturday morning downpour, we now have a seasonal flood that has swept through the Wharemauku creek and inundated new earthworks around the partially completed expressway bridge.

Wharemauku flooding at the beach end -midday

This isn’t as big as last year’s May flood,  but up there amongst the top three or four of the last few years, having swamped the pathway in two places while catching the NZTA napping.

Pollution monitor on normal day 

Pollution monitor at midday

They had diverted the Wharemauku creek around their new bridge construction but then recently closed this off with a couple of steel plates which sent the creek back onto its original course. They had earthed up one end, but left the other while pumping water from the diversion into the creek. 

NZTA employs a sisyphus pump

As you can see from the photos below the entire work site has now been back filled by the flooding creek.

What a mess!

What a mess 2

They rushed a couple of diggers down to the site to try and shore it up but too late to close it off. This area is due to be earthworked over as an approach to the bridge, but is now a real mess. 

View looking west down Wharemauku to  coast

And there’s more rain forecast for later today.   

We’ll keep you posted. 

Final photo is taken of new installation that appears to be seeping pollution onto the site...

Pollution funnelling up from new installation

Track we were listening to while posting this - It has to be Bessie Smith once again and Backwater Blues

When it rains five days and the skies turn dark as night

When it rains five days and the skies turn dark as night

Then trouble's takin' place in the lowlands at night

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Kaptii Island - New Zealand pipit, gecko's and the Little Spotted Kiwi

Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 112

Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

Pipit - Kapiti Island

We didn’t see a lot of the New Zealand pipit during our last visit to Kapiti Island in October. They look very like the European skylark but without the distinctive tuft on their heads. Nor do they rise into the air in spring and sing like that bird. But their numbers have been dramatically reduced by European settlement, and while you can usually find introduced skylarks in open areas in most parts of the country, these birds are very rare. They nest on the ground are very tame and predated by just about everything. They now cling to forest edges though we’ve seen them, surprisingly, way up in the alpine slopes of Ruapehu in National Park.

Like other native birds they lack an appreciation of the danger posed by mammals. There were three on the open flats in front of the Red House  and they forayed down to fossick for food amongst the driftwood on the beach. They keep to themselves but we have seen them in groups of three or four and probably they had gone to ground in October and were nesting.

Another rare sighting was of this gecko and her youngster.

Mum

Youngster

They have taken up residence in the Battery shed (power generated on the Island is through solar and hydro sources). The little one was quite oblivious to being spotted but the mother kept undercover. There is plentiful insect life in the shed so this was probably why she had set up house there. It is very difficult to spot them in the bush, unlike skinks and tuatara who come out into the sun on hot days. So it was a treat to find them, though a bit of a worry when we found the mother had crawled into the roller door, then came out fully exposed when we pulled it down. Fortunately she was unhurt and scampered back to cover. 

The nights on the island can be spectacular, especially under a full moon, though it makes it harder when you are out spotting kiwis.

Looking across to the Kapiti Coast under a full moon

We went out most nights but with little success, though they seemed luckier up at the northern end. Even there however, you usually only get a brief flash as they cross the track. Or you’ll spot a feathery rear-end gamboling away in the dark. On a previous trip we were much more fortunate as a rare little spotted kiwi came out in front of us. She got a real fright and bounced up as if on a spring in front of us before rollicking off down the track. They have a very distinctive rolling motion when they break into a gallop like that.

Little Spotted Kiwi (courtesy DoC)

It is pure chance that the little spotted Kiwi has not joined so many  of our native species in extinction. Five birds were transferred to the island in 1912. They were gone from the North Island by then and are now extinct on both islands. Kapiti is now being used as a farm, to reintroduce them back into other safe environments.  

Keruru - Kapiti Island

Finally here is a foto of a kereru that very nearly landed on our shoulder. You can see from the discolouring of her undercarriage that she’s been eating tawa berries, which were just ripening up. There’s plenty of food around and they’re really plump. 

Susie Niews has been taken away by a Scottish lament this week the Skye Boat Song.

Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing

Onward the sailors cry.

Carry the lad that's born to be king

Over the sea to Skye

Our guess is that she’s been bingeing on  Outlander and is this a good thing? Well that’s nobodies business but hers, but one clue might come from this piece of questionable doggerel regarding the Highland kilt and what lies beneath. It comes from no less a rubbernecker,  than Jamie Boswell himself, who went up to have a look…

I saw you buying breeches for your bums

But with your breeches you were not so stout

As the bold highlanders who went without  

Does this get you any closer to establishing where she’s from? Well, the setting is a northern idyll, but no, she hasn’t got that much of a brogue-burr to her tone. So keep trying…

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Kapiti Island - Saving the Takahe - An inside story.

Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 111

Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

Takahe - Kapiti Island

The Takahe have had a very chequered history of survival since their rediscovery in 1948. They were transferred to Kapiti Island following the clearance of pests though by the late 1990’s, there were still only around 200 birds in existnce. In the passed 16 years they have climbed to around 250 minus four for those shot on Motutapu. 500 is thought to be a viable population. The following notes are drawn from the Kapiti Island field book -1999-2001 which brings to life a rescue story full of both ecstasy and agony. It is notable too, that it was from this time that women started to play a much more prominent role in local conservation practise. 

Takahe - Kapiti Island

This drama unfolded in the flat, wet land area immediately in front of the then Rangers house   Key people here are rangers Julie and Daryl (you know who you are!) along with the late, great Peter Daniels. As these birds matured they were farmed out to new colonies on Maud and Mana Islands. The accompanying photographs are of older birds now on Kapiti, and from Maud Island -the progeny of the birds in this story. 

Nesting (October 1999)   -Taku (Male) and Squeak (Female)

30 Oct -Found nest under flax at Northwest end of Rangatira Swamp. 2 eggs.

31 Oct -Nest checked for flooding. All ok. Eggs weighed, measured, candled. Squeak fine pecked lightly at my hand and stood up. But calm, no stamping. Egg with malpositioned air-cell but otherwise fine. Consulted Daryl still may hatch ok. Due 15-17 Nov -Cold southerly heavy rain Checked nest 4.37pm. Nest dry. Surrounding ground waterlogged. Rain to clear so didn’t disturb nest.

15 Nov -One egg hatched.

17 Nov -Nest empty – One chick seen, second possible. Very difficult viewing in dense raupo.    

26 Nov -Lots of sign around large ngaio. Sighted 1 chick but then I had a hay fever induced sneeze session. End of effective spying!

5 March 2000 -Taku last seen alive on lawn by clothesline

18 March -Decomposing body of Taku found behind generator shed

1 June  -Montague (Taku and Squeaks remaining chick) named. Monty to his friends. Weight appearance and measurements suggest male.

18 June  -He’s a boy!! Official – DNA feather test from Massey. 

Month old takahe chick - Mana Island

Courtship

26 August -Beaker, Monty & Bargie  - feeding quietly. Bargie wary. Beaker and Monty slowly moved over. Beaker with wings up displaying – slow graceful ‘intro’ steps. Bargie moved away. Slowly over next half hour or so all moved together. Much mutual wings up display by adults.  One or two subdued scuffles. Bargie chasing Monty (Adolescent) a few times. Monty hiding under nearby bushes making chick noises. More scuffles but Beaker and Bargy mostly gracefully strutting around each other…

28 August  -All three turned up at Julie (Ranger’s) house. Fed quietly but as soon as pellets finished Bargie chased and pecked Monty. Monty not fighting back. Beaker later seen displaying to Bargie – Beak to the ground. Bum to the sky.

But three days later a change of partners

31 August -Monty’s colours starting to appear – Monty’s shield turning bright red at base. Still blackish on beak. Legs full red but still quite dull. Bargie looks to be in great condition. Legs quite orange.  Squeak (the senior female) looks good too.  

6 Oct -Several reports of exhibitionist bonking going on between Bargie and Squeak over the last few days.

10 October. -NEST!  -Squeak found on nest just seaward of beehives. Latrine looks one - two days old.

10 Nov -One chick observed.

15 Nov -Bargie sitting on remaining egg

17 Nov -Nest abandoned. Adults and chick in bracken nearby. Second egg addled.

Month old takahe chick - Mana Island

22 January 2001 Tragedy strikes.

Squeak Monty and Bargie turned up on lawn with no chick. Chick found on grass path. Unsteady, wobbly, rearing up. Taken to Ranger’s house. Falling over backwards. Tried to feed – Honey and Vit B in solution (Advice from Kate -Kakapo team vet) but too distressed to drink properly. Vet from Paraparaumu on boat – Exam revealed no obvious reasons for illness. Given intravenous glucose and vitamins. Seemed to revive a little - transferred to Massey (University) midday. Chick x-rayed swallowed large amount of pebbles, but compared to other chick x-ray and found to be normal. Continued with food and fluid therapy and started on antibiotics. Vet reports slight improvement, though sounds worse (curled toes, can’t stand) taking bloods in hope of a diagnosis. 

No sign of Bargie – finally located on track near visitor loos. Standing on one leg, wings drooping on both sides. Head turned to the side. Called and responded well. Followed me back to others. Appeared unpreened, otherwise ok. Searched for signs of contaminant in area where Bargie and chick found-   Nil found. 15 minutes later Bargie hadn’t moved - standing on one leg with drooping wings and head to side again. Bargie caught, weighed, swabbed and pooh sampled. Held in small pen o-nite in case ill.

24 January -Bargie looking ok. Drinking plenty –eating pellets – Test results back ok – released.

25 January -Chick died at Massey.  

22 March -Aho Ake turned up (adult takahe from North End of island). Hanging around with resident birds. No fights!

2 September -Bonking Takahe  -Bargie mated with Squeak on Julie and Daryls front lawn while Aho Ake looked on. Seen a few times over the last few days. When Bargie approaches Squeak and they begin mating behaviour Aho Ake rushes over and interrupts and tries to mate with Squeak himself – but she wont cooperate with him. He seems to be stopping mating attempts by Bargie – who appears very relaxed about it all.

5 October -Squeak back on nest on edge of swamp – near battery shed. 2 eggs.     

7 November -Chick heard. Came off nest in response to tark noises I made. Looks great. Healthy – half hour later 2 chicks heard.

4 January 2 adults with chick outside veggie garden. Aho Ake quite protective of it.  Chick is still fluffy but tall. Long legged and white bum patch beginning to show.

Takahe family on Mana Island - Year old chick at right

Takahe are still on Kapiti. There are three at Rangatira, but the Island is no longer a major part of their rescue programme.  Mana Island just south of Kapiti, is a table island, with open tussock country much more suited to takahe and they are thriving there. So these older Kapiti birds are enjoying retirement and this time of year go walkabout and appeared to have made their way to the southern end of the Island.

Suzie wants Sting's Fields of Gold this week but when we voiced our skepticism  -Don’t ask me she announced…ever again…Oops - So here it is all right… 

You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky 

as we walk in fields of gold. ... 

Will you stay with me, 

will you be my love 

among the fields of barley? 

And we'll be working on mending that particular fence for you over the next little while...though still no-one has any idea of her whereabouts, though we'd say from this response that it was North of somewhere (else).

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