The Expressway and the destruction of a New Zealand wetland

Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 115

Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

This blogpost is for Jo Cox and her family and all those families in Orlando. These tragedies simply underline how small the world now is, how we are all in it together and how shocks like these one's, distress and sadden communities even as far away as this one.

Winter has now set in at the Wharemauku bridge site here in Raumati Beach. The NZTA corporate consortium has pledged  to finish this expressway before the end of the year and it is still too early to tell what the long term effect of sending a Mexican wall like this, trumpeting through the area, is going to be, though the processes of gentrifaction and beautification are getting underway.

Re-excavating the former dune lake

Signs of erosion on the bridge approach

They are not however, going to re-establish  the wild natural area that has been destroyed.

A dog's breakfast - the former dune lake area

On the eastern side of the wall, substantial bodies of wetland are now forming. It is trapped behind the expressway though it is likely that drains will be put in to siphon it into the Wharemauku.  This has happened on the other side of the construction where a large new wetland had formed, but then suddenly disappeared overnight.

Now you see it.

Now you don't!

How this will affect the wildlife is still undetermined. We are no longer seeing the varied populations of fifty to sixty wetland birds and the few we are seeing are generally the top predators. Seagulls are turning up, that never used to visit, and the self introduced spur-winged plover, which was previously rare, has now formed a substantial population. They predate pied stilt and oystercatcher nests. The pukeko are also remorseless predators and very adaptable. A family of 6 or 7 have returned to their old dune lake haunts. Then the Canadian geese, that used to overnight here have also been seen on days when the consortium isn’t at work.

Black swan and pied stilt in wetland on Sunday before it was drained again.

There are signs that other birds are still around because we’ve spotted teal, shoveller and pied stilt, black swan and the injured paradise duck from last year. 

Shoveller - male

Then a rare spoonbill and white faced heron have put in an appearance, but only once again, when there is no work on the site. It is still unknown how the birds will react to the constant traffic, once this area begins to settle again.

Parera-cross pair

What is most concerning is the sudden decrease in the duck population. We counted around 10 down at the beach end of the Wharemauku in April where we would usually find up to two dozen. Usually these numbers halve through the duck shooting season in May, but we have been left with two pair, one of which is parera cross. These two have been paired up since March. Through the courting season ducks are usually careering around overhead, but we have seen none of that behaviour this year.

Against all odds rushes are restablishing in the cleared wetland areas

Nature is a constant surprise however and in the remnant wetland that had been bulldozed out, we suddenly found communities of native wetland rushes re-establishing themselves. These haven’t been re-bulldozed as yet, and we’ll keep you posted on their progress. 

Watch out for our next post which will feature a profile on Conservation veteran -Ridgway Lythgoe- and feature his photographs taken in Antractica in the late 1970's when he led New Zealand's over wintering party...

Track we were listening while we sorted this was Rainy Night in Georgia.  

Hoverin' by my suitcase, 

Tryin' to find a warm place to spend the night

Heavy rain fallin', 

seems I hear your voice callin' "It's all right."

A rainy night in Georgia, a rainy night in Georgia

It seems like it's rainin' all over the world

I feel like it's rainin'all over the world

Brook Benton of course, and Susie’s choice because yes, she is back amongst us and all has been forgiven. 

Jill Studd’s blog

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The New Zealand Robin on Kapiti Island

Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 114

Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

Our local robins, like their cousins around the world, are delicate creatures and critically endangered on the mainland islands. The populations of these native birds declined until a famous last ditch attempt was made to rescue the Black Robin on the Chathams. They were down to their last female -Old Blue- but this species has now been pulled back from the brink, thanks largely to the efforts of Don Merton.

Old Blue - photogrpahed by Don Merton

The North Island robin thrives in pest controlled areas and when Kapiti was cleared of rats  in the mid 1980’s they began to flourish. They are  endearing and fearless, incautiously so, often straying within a metre of visitors making their way along the Island’s tracks.

Amy and Stan Wilkinson who began custodial duties on Kapiti in 1924, noted in their  book Kapiti -Bird Sanctuary how, as the bush cover began to regenerate after the devastating fires of the 19th Century, the Island’s robin populations began to rise.  The chief predator was the ship rat, an immigrant from whaling days, though eggs could also be taken by the long tailed cuckoo.

Regenerating bush Kapiti Island. Mahoe, kohekohe and other broadleaf trees  taking over  the kanuka

In building their nests they sometimes used the abandoned nests of thrush, blackbird or tui,  reducing the size by heaping new material inside. This was then lined with soft tree fern fronds. Like the kakariki and pipit, who are similarly endangered, they often build close to the ground. The female constructs the nest while her mate is occupied with feeding her through this time.  Stan and Amy pick up the story of one nest building they monitored…

 Amy and Stan Wilkinson Kapiti Island

In the latter end of September 1931, we had a pair of robins under constant observation. The nest had two eggs, five feet up in an old hollow mahoe. The hen was sitting while the cock bird worked diligently, keeping her supplied with insects. His beautiful song could often be heard long before we reached the nest. One day the singing had stopped and our worst fears were realised. The nest had been raided during the night. The two birds were in the vicinity and looked very dejected.

Regenerating nikau thicket

However a week later they must have made another start because a nest was discovered on October 13, containing three eggs. This time it was placed in the crutch of a frond. The situation was ideal except from a rats point of view.  The fern was growing at the foot of a bank that was about 10 feet high. The bush was thick and the sun rarely got through. On October 25 tiny young ones were there, having hatched the day or night before. They left home on November 16. They were large and strong but still being fed by their parents on December 25. We suspected the parents of breeding again but it was not till Christmas Day that we discovered they were using the same nest. Two eggs hatched on December 27 though only one of the chicks survived, leaving the nest on February 22. 

A pair of robins lived close to their home (now Red House)  and the female would often come inside to raid the kitchen. These days feeding the birds is discouraged though of course, the birds can't read the signs and never give up trying it on.  

An ever hopeful kaka on the Red House balconey

Susie Niews has gone awol this week so we're sticking with   Patsy Kline and  Half as Much

If you loved me half as much as I love you

You wouldn't worry me half as much as you do

You're nice to me when there's no one else around

You only build me up to let me down

An imperiling rendition of Hank Williams'  wonderfully melancholic lyric.

Jill Studd's Blog

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