How do bees manage windy conditions on New Zealand pōhutukawa flowers

 

Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 171 

Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

Here is a short note puzzling over something we’ve observed around bees at this time of year (our early summer) as our Christmas tree (pōhutukawa) begins to flower. And pictures to go with it!!!  

Maybe you've seen this too...

Should you watch honey bees in mildly breezy air, hanging around pōhutukawa in bloom you might see something strange. It’s complex work as they steer around the red spiked blooms before selecting a section of flower to negotiate. Here they pause in midair to concentrate on entering the needle tendrils. The entry doesn’t seem hazardous to us but they behave as if it is, holding tight before nipping in and levering down to the nectar. If the breeze suddenly picks up and sways the flower away before she gets her grip on it, something remarkable happens. Stationed like a drone, she doesn’t back off and wait for the wind to settle, she sways around, keeping in precise position above the same spot. This response is so perfectly orchestrated that she can’t be thinking it. An automated flight system, outside her personal volition, must be operating to keep her hovering so perfectly in position while swaying erratically in the wind.

This raises two baffling questions concerning the operation and its speed. What exactly is this automated system responding to? Does it have a visual fix on the flower’s wayward motion and adjust the flight to compensate, or is it direction finding against the wind; shifting co-ordinates with the breeze. Perhaps a combination of the two? But then, what kind of mechanism could work at this speed? We don’t have answers for this but given her size, what we can say is that this is seriously sophisticated neuro-organisation.

All the while she appears to be thinking about where and when to enter her flower. So there also seems to be mindful decision-making going on and this is what I’m probing toward -  Does she have a mind? Well, possibly. How then, does it work? Is it anything like ours? This guidance system seems to lend credence to a machine-mode model, but does it? We too have automated systems, that you can test out for yourself. Which pocket do you put your car keys in? I transfer mine to the left but didn’t realize this until I watched myself doing it. But it’s tricky. Immediately you ‘know’ you’re looking, a switch comes on. Your behaviour becomes directed. You can see this in birds too. A spoonbill circling a wetland checks out safety and suitability while keeping her flight path perfectly balanced between preparing to land and abort.

I don’t have an aerial modulating ability quite so startling as this bee, but such a sophisticated system lends credence to an opposite view. It frees the bee up to continue making judgments about keeping safe and where to gather food, and this seems obvious as she zips between entry points. Sometimes she’ll make a mistake with a barren lode, which indicates she can’t always ‘see’ exactly what she’s scrambling into, but on gaining ‘understanding’, she immediately flares out again.

The quality, nature and savoir faire of her mind and its decision-making process is likely to remain outside our ken, but not our speculation. So are we dealing here with levels of consciousness we are yet to think plausible? And is this the same with other animals?

Finally  here's a local song to cheer all our Covid-risk punters along. We are contained down here in our Te Moana-nui a Kiwa (South Pacific) stronghold but not relaxed or taking ourselves fore granted  with all the grim news coming from your neck of the woods. Kia Kaha to all youse (Stay Strong!!!) and arohanui (love to you all) This song  Hoki Mai - from Willie Mathews quartet featuring Morvin and Kura Simon will cheers you along... (Go Kaiwhaiki!!!)

Environmental artist Frances Jill Studd's blog...  francesjillstudd,blogspot.co.nz

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vantoohey@gmail.com

 

 

 

Midnight Collective New Year video - 2020

Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 170

Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

Here we are back again, with a post Xmas video because we've scooped new film of our native piwakawaka/fantail fledging.   You never see this, and even when you are lucky enough to catch them, they move so irascibly that you can’t bring them into focus or catch them sitting still. This film isn’t perfect, but was taken at the wrong end of dusk, so bear with us…  So much bad news these days - here’s some good…  Then further musing below 

 A note on the film.

These chicks came out onto the branch in the late evening, settling in that peculiar jigging dance so Ko saw straight off they weren’t waxeyes or riroriro but piwakawaka—fantail chicks who could barely fly. They must have just got out of the nest, though as mum and dad came in with their evening tucker – they gained in confidence and would zip off after them. Then settle back in obvious exhilaration onto the branch where, for 30 odd seconds, finally, we got the video. Here we discovered they weren’t black and grey and white like their parents, but warm breasted red, set  aglow in that failing light. Then for time it wasn’t as if we had stopped breathing, it had no longer become necessary.

Track we were listening to while posting this – well – here’s a little note all about that… sent in by the IT himself.

I’m surprised now, at how chorally arranged the M&Ps were. This was the first Cali sound we could tolerate – having dissed the earlier stuff which was all about surfing. But there’s a joyful anarchy running through these early ‘66/7 days -honky tonk mixing it with  Motown – then flute and organ running away on everything else which fed off into the Doors before  Jim Morrison lead them out into the dark. M&Ps would have been a piano bar band without Cass, is my affirmed opinion, but there’s real chemistry here and four or five tracks that still tilt the world on its axis - Creeque Alley, amongst them. ebw I.T.

When Cass was a sophomore, planned to go to Swarthmore

But she changed her mind one day

Standin' on the turnpike, thumb out to hitchhike

"Take me to New York right away"

When Denny met Cass he gave her love bumps

Called John and Zal and that was the Mugwumps

McGuinn and McGuire couldn't get no higher

But that's what they were aimin' at

And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

Environmental artist JillStudd’s blog

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Midnight Collective Christmas Video 2019

Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 169 

Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

We are so pleased with our ducklings that we have turned our video over to them this year.   But what a year – Will it ever  turn round for the better?

As we put this down our neighbours in Australia are bracing for their hottest day ever and it's only mid-December. Out of control fires have been raging across the continent for weeks now, with emergency services pleading with the Government to take climate change seriously, but no, their powers-that-be are holding fast to the title of the dopiest deniers on the planet.

Meanwhile, 1200km to the east,  where we are starting to take it seriously, our early summer is pretty much normal so far. Wind, thunderstorms, washouts and lots of rain for our wetlands and our ducklings. So plenty of lush green growth but loads of swimming going on too with the schools now out and the kids running amuck- Though watch out. That Australian smoke and brimstone is heading this way.

So what can you do? 

Well, have a good Christmas for a start, beginning with these fotos from the best little Christmas display in the world! Which is just down the road from here. 

Then come the new year, keep working and expanding your reserves, wetlands and wildlife sanctuaries, right across the planet.

So Mere Kirihimete to you all as our hearts go out to all those caught up in the volcanic tragedy on Whakaari (White Island). 

Track we were listening to while posting this - well it had to be didn't it - Last Christmas- from the Wham boys -

Last Christmas

I gave you my heart

The very next day

You gave it away... (sigh)

Here's hoping it wont be retitled - The Last Christmas- in 2020

Environmental artist Jill Studd's blog

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Is our destroyed New Zealand wetland reforming?

Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 168 

Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

Just a quick note to record in fotos a change to the swampy floodplain left by the expressway construction. Here’s what used to be there… A 5-7 hectare lake 

Raumati Beach Dunelake August 2006

Here’s what replaced it in 2017.

 

That’s what the tailback looked like this morning at 8am –7km and growing.

We were initially encouraged in that first autumn  when a large number of wetland birds including putangitangi-paradise duck,  tētē-grey teal and mallard settled here, but it wasn’t to last. The diggers moved in again and redrained the area. For the last two years there have been no significant wetland birds settling or breeding here, save the ubiquitous pukeko (which predate other wetland species). All our medium to rare birds had gone.

In response we began monitoring the new native plantings.

The area was originally forested wetland, dominated by big trees including kahikatea and totara but the new plantings are primarily native understory species limited to a botanical style of landscaping design with four or five local species, then flax and toitoi. It is a big plus of course, but we are not going to get our coastal forest back.

There is a weeding programme but it is mostly confined to areas visible to the public. Elsewhere the weeds are taking back control -blackberry and lupin -  but also weeds brought in by the construction. The worst of these is the willow, but even wild turnip is now proliferating.

New settled water - how long will it last?

However this is very much a moveable feast and the big change appears to be, that this excavated area  appears to be holding water again. It has been a reasonably wet spring and now into early summer (another 40 mm overnight) and this year we have been away a lot, but the return home brought a very pleasant surprise. We have young duckling families again.

PareraX Mum with ducklings

Australasian Shoveller Mum with ducklings

Two dads (back of picture)

Here’s the Parera cross dad. Mum looks very mallardy, though he was the duck who caught our attention as you can see from this foto,

Parera cross male

He’s a parera, crossed with a mallard, but showing all the behaviour of a parera  by staying with the female. Mallards don’t do this.

The mums are very wary. We were a good 60 metres away but they soon disappeared. 

We are not sure why this water is holding. Even after heavy rain it would  quickly drain so it isn’t the result  of human intervention. A couple of things could be happening - the area may be settling and then  the drains silting up. Long may it continue. 

So Christmas has come early here in Kapiti.  

Track we were listening to while posting this -Because of You-GloriaDe Haven with Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians in a draw-dropping performance, as Canadian PM Trudeau might say!!!! from New York City June 1951. 

Because of you

There’s a song in my heart

Environmental artist Jill Studd's Blog

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Royal Albatross mahem at Taiaroa Heads Dunedin NZ

Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 167

Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

testing the wind

It is spring down south here in Otago. And we are lucky to be here for a three week sojourn, staying at the famous Caselberg Cottage in Broad Bay. It’s 16 km along the peninsula road driving out towards the albatross colony at Taiaroa Head which we visited.  Word is getting around about this place with 160,000 visitors cruising passed here every year now.

This seems hardly surprising when you get out there, because the sheer size and grace of these birds takes you completely by surprise. The colony now has around 21 breeding pairs but their lives are complex. They work two shifts. Last years adults and youngsters left in September to cruise the southern oceans and this years pairs are just arriving. It’s very hit and miss to see them, so we were lucky.

in flight

Boisterous weather is the best time to see them in the air. It’s been a very turbulent and cool spring down here, after a mild winter, but this was a sunny day and calm. There were two sitting out in the colony – a male (grooming in film) then a female, both sitting. Around 11am the breeze picked up  then it was all on. The male wandered (waddled! These big birds don’t so much land as crash into the ground) down to the female. Albatross are famously monogamous, though like us, they can have same sex partners, especially the females. There is a female/female pair here who act as foster mums for at-risk and sick youngsters.

This male started beak tapping with the female who immediately sussed he wasn’t her man and, with great indignation, ran him off her patch. With the wind up new birds began arriving and over the next couple of hours they could be seen circling sometimes alone sometimes in pairs, sometimes in a group of four or five. This all looked like courtship/homecoming behaviour and was delightful to observe.

Scram buster!! (female on left)

These birds weigh up to 8 kilograms (it's rather like picking up a medicine ball), with a wingspan of 9 feet. The winds were knocking the seagulls around but the albatross never missed a beat. Their ability to glide upwind then down, in such blustery winds, was uncanny; even feet from the ground they looked completely safe and at ease. It gave a idea of how those earlier warmblooded Pterosaurs (some with a wing span three to four times longer) must have looked. Then how much windier (perhaps) their climate was than ours.

The youngsters  spend 5 years at sea before coming back to raise youngsters of there own. There’s an interesting history here, because it wasn’t until this headland was cleared, that these birds started to arrive and breed here. They come originally from the Chatham Islands which was becoming rather overcrowded.

Track we were listening to while posting this – Teresa Brewer it had to be! You can hear her again on the film. And again! And again!

Till I waltz again with you 

let no other hold your charms

If my dreams should all come true  

you'll be waiting for my arms

Till I kiss you once again   

keep my love locked in your heart

Darling I'll return and then   

we will never have to part.

Environmental artist Jill Studds blog

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Destruction of NZ dune lake Update.

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Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

We have been getting a bit of stick for not updating this for a while the reason being fingers in a load of other pies – but also the situation has quietened down and we are watching as the wetland and plantings surrounding the destroyed Raumati Beach dune lake settle out. 

            

                        Royal Spoonbill at former dune lake

The minus’s are serious because we no longer see any of these families. 

Mallard Mum and chicks

Parera cross pair

Black swan Mum and chicks

Initially we were pleased because the wild bird life had increased. This was as a result of increased swamp water coverage. However new drainage put an end to it and these new wetlands disappeared along with  the birds. Over the last 12 months there has been very little sign of any birds; with only occasional sightings of mallards. The big beneficiaries have been pukeko (our swamp hen) which is ominous for other nesting species. Pukeko are the main predator of chicks.  

Paradise duck mum and chicks

It is still very early days however in the life of this new swamp. The big plus is the native plantings – these are beginning to establish and while species variety is small and the design more closely aligned to garden design than the original swamp forest that was dominated by kahikatea and totara substantial areas have been replanted in native species. Though we are a long way still, from this - original swamp forest -  

Rata vine at Gordon's Bush swamp forest - Whanganui

                                               Gordon's Bush Swamp forest - Whanganui

We noted previously that willows, that appear to have been brought in by the earth movers, are now a major threat to the wetland. We mentioned this to a party of weed pullers and were dismayed to learn that they had no idea of the seriousness of the infection or that they needed to be removed. However some areas have now been cleared in the north, though the southern infestation looks ominous. The weeds have been pretty aggressive and also brought in from the outside. Last week we were removing turnip seedlings from the NZTA plantings, as one example.

Blackberry is also a huge problem and it is being addressed by mowing. This simply stimulates new growth and spreads it even further. This weeding programme has a limited life with resources  stretched over 23km of expressway, which is another reason why we are waiting to see how all this develops in the longer term.

Early days at the Raumati Beach dune land swamp - flax with totara seedling 

This dune land area provides a very harsh environment for plants, especially in summer where they don’t have the umbrella protection of older trees. Two years ago we had a very hot dry summer and while we lost a number of young trees and flax and toetoe, the damage wasn’t serious. Last year however, over a wetter summer we lost plantings that had survived the previous summer including  supposedly hardy manuka. The weeds however, were not seriously affected.

But its early days yet and here are signs of that the swampland is continuing to settle and deepen. It's beginning to take on a life of its own and here's  a promise of things to come.

Swamp water in plantings - former dune lake. 

What we need are these back living here...

Rest assured… we continue to keep a close eye on the area.

Environmental Artist Jill Studd - francesjillstudd.blogspot.co.nz

Contact Us: vantoohey@gmail.com 

The Best Christmas Video of 2018 -Star of the NZ Forest - Puawhananga

Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 165

Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

puawhānanga

We are at it again and here is our Christmas post – in which we have collaged a flowering puawhānanga into film. 

This is our New Zealand clematis and it takes about a fortnight as the vine buds up in the Spring, coming to full bloom. 

Beginning to bud

The white, so aptly named by Māori – as puawhānanga – the star of the forest (wao) - brings an incandescent plumage to the forest. Locally you can begin to see this again in our forests of the Tararua’s where 1080 has reduced the possum infestations. The vine, ice cream to these Australian pests,  is now making a comeback. 

Inhabiting the Kanuka - Puawhānanga clothes this coastal forest tree

But the best place is Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf. Possum never got out here so the effect on existing forest and regrowth areas on the island makes a wonderfully startling Spring transformation. 

It's been a funny old Spring and early summer this year. 2017 saw drought conditions established November through December and we were in swimming by the end of November. This year has seen steady belts of rain so the landscape is looking deliciously green which is good news for our local regenerating natives.

Track we were listening to while posting this? Well we've gone back to the fifties and early sixties and rat packer Dean Martin... 

When we finally kiss good-night

How I'll hate going out in the storm

But if you really hold me tight

All the way home I'll be warm

He would stumble around on stage in his TV show, then lean on the piano which he would pretend to miss. But was he pretending? Have a few drinks this Xmas, you've earned them, but don't take it as far as the Deano...

Environmental artist Jill Studd's blog

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