Dawn Chorus - Tiritiri Matangi Island chorus/Dawn Chorus 94.pdf · a friend with her children . . ....

Dawn ChorusBulletin 94

ISSN 1171-8595 August 2013

What bald spot?Scientists solve the mystery of our kakariki feather-loss

The urban adventures of Duncan the runaway kokako

Star-studded launch for Tiritiri's Kiwi Ranger programme

www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz 32 Dawn Chorus 94 August 2013

Cover photo of kakariki by Martin SandersKiwi Ranger photos by Helen Bucksey

The Stars of Tiritiri event earlier this year may have been cancelled due to bad weather but some stars of a dif-ferent kind came to the Island for the launch of the Kiwi Ranger programme.

Cheryl West, matriarch of local TV series Outrageous Fortune, and Xena Warrior Princess, the eponymous star of the international fantasy series, both turned out to add to the fun.

Kiwi Ranger is a concept developed by environmentalists Mick Abbott and Carli Richter and embraced by DOC. Until now it has only been available in 10 sites around the South Island. Tiriti-ri Matangi is the first North Island lo-cation, though there will be five more by the end of the year.

The programme is based around a specially-designed booklet of imagina-tive activities that enable families to explore together and enjoy an enriched experience of the park or sanctuary they are visiting. By completing a num-ber of activities (which vary according to age) budding Kiwi Rangers can earn

a different badge for each location.As part of the preparations for the

launch, Elisabeth Easther, from the NZ Herald’s Weekend magazine, visited the Island with her family to try the pro-gramme and write a story.

Elisabeth asked if she could bring a friend with her children . . . and the friend turned out to be none other than Robyn Malcolm (above, right), star of shows like Outrageous Fortune and Shortland Street. Elisabeth, Robyn and their families were taken through their Kiwi Ranger paces by guide Julie Cot-terill and loved every minute.

Afterwards guiding manager Mary-Ann Rowland asked Robyn if she would be willing to help promote the Island’s Growing Minds programme for low-decile schools and the actress said she would be delighted.

The combination of Elisabeth's ar-ticle and a special ferry deal for families offered by 360 Discovery attracted 110 enthusiastic children and their families over Queen’s Birthday weekend.

Joining them was actress and singer Lucy Lawless (above, left), best known as Xena, who visited with her youngest son, Judah. In fact, Lucy said, it was Ju-dah’s enthusiasm following a previous visit that helped bring her to Tiritiri for

the first time. ‘My son has always want-ed to come back, so this is a perfect op-portunity to see it for myself. And it’s charming. What a gem . . .’

The Kiwi Ranger activities soon had Lucy enthralled. ‘I think my favourite spot would be where we stopped and sat and watched the birds by the bird bath. Because you never do that any-where . . . you probably haven’t done it since you were a child . . . where you just sit down and watch birds and listen . . . not busy thinking about your urban life. Kind of like yoga for your brain.’

With guide Donald Snook doing his usual great job, Lucy had several new experiences. ‘I had never seen the little penguins before, never seen a stitchbird, I never knew there was a bird called the gift of song, Te Koha Waiata. I never knew how charming the little robin could be.’

Funnily enough, a dozing morepork spotted by her son struck fear into the heart of the bold Warrior Princess. As a result Lucy had a few problems with the Kiwi Ranger question ‘If everyone was some kind of native bird, which bird would you choose to be?’

‘I’d like to say a fantail, but I just don’t think I’m that fancy. So maybe I’d be a morepork, because they seem

Star-studded cast for Kiwi Ranger launchAwestruck celebrities, eager youngsters and delighted parents combined to make the North Island launch of the Kiwi Ranger programme on Tiritiri Matangi a huge success. Helen Bucksey reports


to be a little less vulnerable. It would be scary being a little robin, because not everybody has Tiritiri Matangi to live on you know! No, I don’t want to be a predator, I want to be the little rob-in, skinny legs and all, because they’re adorable. But I’m a little bit scared to be him because of all the moreporks.’

Also on the Island for the launch was Rodney Times reporter Cate Foster whose enthusiastic report appeared in several community newspapers across Auckland and on the Stuff website.

All this excitement drew a delighted response from the programme’s cre-ators. Carli and Mick sent an email to say ‘a huge thank you . . . for the amazing way in which you launched the latest addition to the Kiwi Ranger fam-ily. It’s incredible to google Tiritiri and Kiwi Ranger and see all the links! But especially to know that there are 110 more Kiwi Rangers out there – a record for any weekend, let alone in winter.'

Meanwhile, Lucy plans to return to Tiritiri. ‘We’ll come back some time and overnight because that will make my boy so happy. It’s very nice to spend some time alone with your kid out in nature and at their speed, to not always be rushing.’

So next time you spend the night on the Island, keep your eyes peeled for stars inside the bunkhouse as well as outside. You never know whose snor-ing you might be listening to.

You can see Lucy's delightful trib-ute to Tiritiri, filmed by her friend Ilai Amir, at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySob7p12hl4


The next step is to sell advertisements to help with the printing costs. There is also the opportunity for advertisers to contribute recipes and feature their products. If you know of a business that could benefit from being aligned with some tasty recipes ask them to contact [email protected] for information.

New hihi feeders are being trialled and have proved popular with hihi and bellbirds. They hold twice as much sugar water as the bottles. Their shape also makes it easier for in-sects to avoid beng trapped.

A slice of New Zealand's lighthouse history, the lens and driving mechanism from Cuvier Island Lighthouse, is heading for Tiritiri to be put on display in the proposed museum in the old workshop next to the lighthouse.

Ray Walter, Carl Hayson, Ian Higgins and Brian Chandler took two vans and a trailer to Pureora Forest where the 19 cases of parts have been stored since the lighthouse was automated in 1983. The parts are now in storage in Auckland where they will be be cleaned to comply with the biosecurity regulations before being brought out to Tiritiri.

Items of news about Tiritiri and its peo-ple are very welcome. Please send them to [email protected].

The Department of Conservation has finally revealed how its reorganisation will impact on Tiritiri Matangi. The good new is that we will continue to have two full-time rangers. Even bet-ter, our current team of Dave Jenkins (top) and Jason Campbell (below, with

partner Sophie and baby Nina) will be staying on.

Despite having exceeded the nor-mal duration for an island position, Dave has agreed to stay on for a while. His experience will be of great value as it seems likely that many of the management team at Warkworth will

be changing. Until now, Jason has been on a temporary posting, but he has now been offered a normal position.

The average Kiwi would be lucky to see a tuatara once in a blue moon. But shop and guiding manager Mary-Ann Row-land recently spotted both a tuatara and a blue moon.

Mary-Ann left the window of her room on the Island open and came

back to find a large butterfly sitting on the wall. 'It wasn’t until it opened its wings that I real-ised what a beauty it was.' Mary-Ann sent a photo to

Chris Green, who advised it was a fe-male Blue Moon butterfly. 'It stayed in my room for three days, then flew off one sunshiny day.'

Meanwhile the tuatara, a female, was seen with its chin resting in the sun on the concrete pad at the back of the Visitor Centre. 'We think,' says Mary-Ann, 'it is the same one that has been lurking around the beginning of the East Coast Track and joining Ranger Jason for an evening glass of whisky.'

After a few days the tuatara – which looked pregnant – moved on and has not been seen for some time. Perhaps it’s waiting for another blue moon be-fore appearing again.

The bunkhouse has been given a fan-tastic facelift, painted throughout, with carpet tiles on the floors, freshly cleaned curtains and the kitchen cupboards re-paired and painted.

The Cable Track now begins at 'Spa-ghetti Junction' (also known as 'the Meeting of the Five Ways') having been moved to allow it to take visitors through more bush. The Queen’s Birth-day Working Weekend also finished the ramp and the first bit of concreting at the bottom entrance to Wattle Track.

The Tiritiri Cook Book is nearly cooked, thanks to a lot of hard work over a hot computer by Helen Bucksey. This is a fundraising book full of reci-pes donated by people associated with Tiritiri and celebrities like Dame Alison Holst, Te Radar and Ruud Kleinpaste. The book also features beautiful draw-ings of the Island’s flora and fauna.

Tiritiri snippets

Rangers Dave and Jason to stay on Tiritiri

The Annual General Meeting of the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi will take place at the Kohia Education Centre, 74 Epsom Avenue, Epsom, at 7.30pm on Monday 9 September.

The agenda for the meeting is:Welcome and apologies – John StewartMinutes of previous AGM – Linda WorthChairperson’s report – John StewartFinancial report – Kevin VaughanElections – John StewartAwards – John StewartGeneral Business – John Stewart

Following the formal business there will be a talk by Hugh Robertson, co-author of the Field Guide to the Birds of New

Zealand and one of our foremost experts on kiwi. Hugh led the most recent kiwi survey on the Island. Refreshments will be provided after the meeting and there will be an opportunity to socialize with fellow members.

This year, with the exception of Andrew Nelson, all the current members of the committee are willing to stand for re-election. The list of candidates is: Chairperson – John Stewart, Secretary – Linda Worth,Treasurer – Kevin Vaughan.Committee – Alison Bray, Roger Bray, Brian Chandler, Hester Cooper, Simon Fordham, Carl Hayson, Kay Milton, Ray Walter.

By the closing date of 31 July, there had been no other nominations for committee or officer positions.

Don't forget the Annual General Meeting


It was the school holidays, I had six chil-dren in the house and a husband trying to work, and as I opened the curtains upstairs there was a bird on the roof. A kokako? Couldn’t be. By the time I rushed downstairs to get Iain, got dis-tracted and then remembered, the bird wasn’t there. I must have dreamed it.

Luckily my neighbour John Cassidy (also SoTM) was more on to it a couple of days later. He immediately recog-nized a kokako in his beautiful garden and got a photo. A hurried phone call to Morag Fordham went something like: 'A kokako? Really? A kokako?!' But the emailed photos persuaded Mor-ag and Simon to rush over.

Of course, there was no sign of the bird (I would love to have heard the conversation as they drove home). Half an hour later the kokako was back. Morag and Simon raced over and this time they saw him. Through his leg bands the bird was identified as Dun-can, a kokako who went missing from the Ark in the Park not long after his relocation from Pureora in late 2010.

This was when I realised it wasn’t just my imagination and two wonderful weeks of Duncan watching began.

Why he chose us is hard to under-stand. We have a small garden on a relatively busy suburban intersection. Buses and cars pass right under the branches of the jacaranda where he mainly hung out. Plus we have a cat.

The main reason seemed to be the

heavily fruited five-finger on which he spent considerable time feeding. Dun-can always started the day in the jaca-randa, where he did a lot of preening. From time to time he would fly over to feed off the five-finger which he happily shared with several tuis. At times he also hopped along the hedges to John and Corinne Cassidy’s garden to bathe in their pond and feed off the fruit trees.

Duncan seemed very urban-adjust-ed. He would sit up high in the branch-es of the large jacaranda, unphased by the cars and people. But if our cat got too close he was off very quickly.

Once news about him broke we had lots of visitors coming to look. Groups would stand on the street under the tree and almost always saw him. He seemed to enjoy the attention. Our neighbour Ruth Hill (another SoTM) created pam-phlets about the wonderful visitor. On the Saturday after Duncan was on the television news Tiritiri guide Anne Rim-mer came to talk to onlookers and edu-cate them about kokako.

It took around eight attempts to catch Duncan. The first few involved setting up mist nets in the Cassidys' garden and trying to lure him with ko-kako calls. But he wasn’t having a bar of that and continued to sit in our tree, preening.

But eventually the team of experts – Hazel Speed and Tertia Thurley from DOC, Morag Fordham and David Bryden, plus Jane Ferguson from For-

est & Bird – negotiated gates, fences, a busy road, power lines and early morning joggers who couldn’t see mist nets, to put a net in the perfect spot. Duncan's morning flight to the jaca-randa went straight into it. He was very tangled and made a horrible noise as Dave and Morag worked to get him out. They put him in a small dark bag, which calmed him down, and brought him round to our foyer.

My three boys and a number of neighbours watched through our glass doors as he was checked out. His claw was misshapen and red, but it was an old injury which didn’t seem to be caus-ing him any problems. When his bro-ken transmitter harness was removed, his whole body gave a shake of relief. He then happily drank from some jam water and ate a little banana.

Finally Duncan was put in a trans-fer box, driven the 40 minutes to Ark in the Park and released in an area that other kokako are known to frequent.

Now that Duncan has gone my tree feels very empty. It took me a couple of days to stop looking up into the branches. But the greatest impres-sion that Duncan has left with me is a dream: maybe, in my lifetime, pest con-trol will reach the point where kokako are able to spread into the suburbs, establish their territories and breed. Maybe one day they might even be as common as Duncan’s suburban mates, the tui? Or am I crazy?

A kokako in a suburban gardenSoTM member Catherine Gordon (with input from neighbour John Cassidy) tells how Duncan the kokako turned up in her Glendowie garden, created a sensation . . . and inspired a dream


Shakespear Open Sanctuary is a 500ha mainland island at the end of Whan-gaparaoa Peninsula. It includes Shake-spear Regional Park, a Defence facil-ity and the Hibiscus Coast Wastewater Treatment Plant (though the latter two are off limits to the public).

The main focus of its management is conservation, but integrated with recre-ation and farming and the needs of the other landowners.

HistoryHuman occupation of the Whanga-

paraoa Peninsula began almost a thou-sand years ago. Ngati Kahu, a hapu of predominantly Te Kawerau descent, are strongly associated with this area.

Sir Robert Hamilton, originally from Stratford-on-Avon, purchased the eastern end of the pensinsula in 1883, appointing his grandson Robert Shake-spear as manager, beginning the fam-ily’s 92-year association with the area.

From about 1998 the Auckland Re-gional Council had hopes of establish-ing an open sanctuary at Shakespear in partnership with the community. This was initiated in 2003 when the Shake-spear Open Sanctuary Society Incorpo-rated (SOSSI) was formed.

In 2006, after consulting other land-owners, the council decided to enclose the whole of the eastern end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula with a pred-ator-proof fence.

In two years SOSSI raised $550,000 towards the $750,000 cost, by 2010 the fence had been constructed and in 2011 the park was closed to the public for pest eradication.

With eradication complete, a ma-trix of traps and tracking tunnels was set up and an intensive pest-monitoring plan activated. The park was reopened in December 2011 and since then only the occasional rat, rabbit and hedgehog has been intercepted. Mice have proved to be a problem and are being managed with ongoing biosecurity measures.

Shakespear was chosen as a sanctu-ary because of its potential to support the return of wildlife present in the past. Being located at the end of a peninsula

meant that a fence of modest length could protect a useful area.

Even before the fence was built resi-dent wildlife included the last viable mainland population of moko skink and a viable population of ornate skink, there had been sightings of green gecko and there was a population of bellbirds.

Its proximity to Tiritiri Matangi Island was also a factor in its favour. Several species of birds were moving between Tiritiri and Shakespear Regional Park, including kereru and kakariki. Eleven species of native coastal birds were seen in the vicinity of the park.

Although the land was predominant-ly in pasture, it had manuka and broad-leaved forest in the valleys. A wetland behind Okoromai Bay was fringed by a salt marsh, and another wetland exist-ed behind the eastern end of Te Haruhi Bay. A pond at the base of the Water-fall Gully also provided for aquatic veg-etation in and around its margins.

Dune vegetation covered a narrow strip of sand dune along Te Haruhi Bay. The best mature forest at present is to be found in Waterfall Gully and in Kowhai Glen with its big puriri, taraire, kowhai and karaka.

DevelopmentThe first tasks in creating a sanctuary have been achieved. The 1.7km pest-proof fence has been constructed and the predator pests have been removed. The programme to maintain pest-free status is working effectively.

A programme of revegetation start-ed in 1967 to provide improved habitat for the resident wildlife and returning species. Initially it was done by regional council staff and since 1985 by commu-nity volunteers. A native plant nursery on site is funded and managed by SOSSI and aims to produce 10,000 to 13,000 plants annually from seed collected within the Sanctuary.

The first area planted was the wet-land behind Okoromai Bay. More re-cent planting has been on retired pas-ture adjacent to Kowhai Glen and last year activity moved to the northern

slopes opposite Tiritiri. Most planting is being done in the gullies, leaving the tops open to views of the Hauraki Gulf and pasture for the farming operation.

The conditions now exist for bird species to find refuge at Shakespear and the success of the resident dotterels this summer is an indication of this. For the first time since Shakespear became pub-lic land 40 years ago dotterels nesting at Te Haruhi Bay have successfully raised their young.

The focus of attention has now turned to the reintroduction of absent species, starting with kiwi in 2013. Other species being considered for translocation include pateke, North Island robin, whitehead, and possibly saddleback and takahe.

Some years ago it emerged that the tip of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula was rich in herpetofauna. In 2004 moko skinks were discovered on the Defence land. This small population was, at the time, one of only three or four known mainland populations. Subsequent sur-veys revealed more moko skinks, plus ornate skinks in healthy numbers and also the more common copper skink.

In 2011, after the poison applica-tion, shore skinks were discovered in a narrow strip of dune habitat. From oth-er surveys there is an emerging picture of a healthy pacific gecko population and there is a known Auckland green gecko presence, albeit in low numbers.

Of the nine species of lizards thought to be extant in the mainland part of the Auckland Ecological Region, six have been identified in the sanctuary. Though yet to be found, it is likely that the forest gecko is also present, and possibly also the common gecko.

There will probably always be pest incursions to deal with, given that the park hosts over half a million visitors per year, and there is the ever present possibility of leakage around the fence ends and through the gates. However, the future for native plants and wildlife at Shakespear is promising.

See www.sossi.org.nz for further in-formation about the open sanctuary.

The Big Picture

Meet the welcoming neighboursShakespear Open Sanctuary, just across the water from Tiritiri Matangi as the bird flies, stars in the latest episode of our series on the conservation projects blossoming all round the country. Its story is told by Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society chair, Allan Parker.


SHAKESPEAR OPEN SANCTUARY (FROM TOP); Waterfall Valley; volunteers planting trees; collecting seeds. Photos / Maria Atkins

Over the 25 years since our forma-tion, some remarkable changes have taken place on the Island. The initial planting programme was completed almost 20 years ago and, although the bush is still young, it is already ca-pable of supporting a wide range of animals, including many translocated birds, reptiles and insects. Our guiding tracks on the Kawerau and through Wattle Valley are another amazing testament to what can be achieved by a dedicated community group. No less of an achievement is the guiding operation which has grown up over that period.

All of these advances have had an interesting side-effect. While we still need as many volunteers as we can get, today we operate in a much differ-ent environment and offer a different challenge. We no longer need boat-loads of spade-bearing tree planters and track builders. But we do need help with a wide range of tasks, many of them requiring specialist skills and knowledge.

Guides make up the largest group of volunteers and we still need more of them. Regular visitors might like to consider training to become a guide. We also have increasing numbers helping with biodiversity monitoring and management projects. Appro-priate training and supervision is al-ways provided. It is very expensive to bring tradespeople to the Island and it would be a great benefit to have volunteer electricians, plumbers, gas fitters and vehicle maintainers. We also need help from a publicity pro-fessional and would like to be able to offer free legal assistance to draw up or modify a will when someone offers to make a bequest.

There will be many more opportu-nities than I have mentioned here and we’ll be asking for your help through the pages of Dawn Chorus, on our website and via the Chairperson’s e-mail letters. If you feel you’d like to help and are likely to be available when needed, please let me know.

John Stewart

From the chair

Your skills are needed on Tiritiri


The year's best images from Tiritiri MatangiPresenting the winners of the annual Tiritiri Matangi Photographic Competition, many of which will appear in next year's calendar, now on sale for only $15.

PEOPLE ON TIRITIRI - 1st Simon Fordham, the team in action. Other winners were Jane Thompson (2nd), and Kay Milton (3rd).

LANDSCAPE - 1st (at left) Glenn Webber, lighthouse and takahe, 2nd (top right) Godfrey Boehnke, tui, feeders and cabbage trees, 3rd (bottom right) Geoff Beals, the Arches, with Hauturu beyond.

FLORA - 1st Claudine Laugrost from Tahiti, with a well-captured sprig of hangehange. Other winners were Geoff Beals (2nd) and Jane Thompson (3rd).

UNDER 16 - 1st Oxana Repina, head detail photograph of a tui. Oxana was also placed 2nd and 3rd in this section for photos of a bellbird and a wind-blown tui.


The year's best images from Tiritiri MatangiPresenting the winners of the annual Tiritiri Matangi Photographic Competition, many of which will appear in next year's calendar, now on sale for only $15.

FAUNA - 1st Simon Fordham, kingfisher with skink. 2nd Phillip Moll, young bellbird. 3rd Martin Sanders, young kokako being fed.

PEOPLE ON TIRITIRI - 1st Simon Fordham, the team in action. Other winners were Jane Thompson (2nd), and Kay Milton (3rd).

UNDER 16 - 1st Oxana Repina, head detail photograph of a tui. Oxana was also placed 2nd and 3rd in this section for photos of a bellbird and a wind-blown tui.


Photo: Ian Southey

Fauna Notes

Venerable pair to be takahe ambassadorsWinter is generally a quiet time for monitoring and research, as well as for visitors, which means there is less to re-port on most of our wildlife compared with the continuous discoveries and sightings of the breeding season.

TakaheIn May two members of the national Takahe Recovery Team spent a rather wet day on the Island banding two of last season’s chicks (the third must have known something was afoot and hid). Feather samples were taken for sexing.

On the same day, Ariki was fitted with a radio transmitter in preparation for his move to Motutapu, which was successfully completed a few days later.

There will be more changes for our takahe before the beginning of the next breeding season. The national recovery team is keen to provide more opportu-nities for the public to see and appre-ciate takahe, so they are proposing to move Montague and Ahikaea to the Te Wao Nui display at Auckland Zoo.

This pair has been selected because they are getting on in years (Ahikaea is almost 16 and Montague is slightly younger), which makes them less likely to contribute significantly to the breed-ing programme. At the zoo they will be ambassadors for their species and help spread the conservation message.

Their place on the Island is being taken by a new pair, whose presence will increase the genetic diversity of the population. While Montague and Ahikaea will be missed, we appreciate

that good breeding habitat like Tiritiri needs to be made the most of for the benefit of the species as a whole.

SaddlebackIn May a team led by Kevin Parker and Kate Richardson caught 40 saddleback for transfer to Maungatautari. The whole operation went smoothly, de-spite some very wet weather. The birds seem to have settled well in their new home and are being seen and heard fre-quently in various parts of the reserve.

A new study of Tiritiri’s saddle-back is beginning this season, led by John Stewart. This will involve banding adults and chicks in three selected areas of the Island and monitoring the dis-persal of the chicks after fledging. This will give us a better understanding of the survival of young birds and their re-cruitment into the breeding population.

KokakoWith six chicks having fledged last sea-son, we now have around 32 kokako on the Island, though we can never be certain of the exact number since many remain hidden from public view. Nev-ertheless, winter visitors have been treated to frequent sightings, especially of the young birds, who are moving around looking for territories.

Duvaucel’s geckoFollowing the release of 92 individuals in the summer, regular monitoring has been carried out by researchers from Massey University to discover how the geckos behave in their new environ-

ment. Results will be reported as they become available.

Wetapunga Large numbers of wetapunga have hatched at Auckland Zoo. This bodes well for good numbers being available for the next releases on Tiritiri Matangi and Motuora.

HihiTiritiri’s hihi population is enabling scientists to study how to assist species adversely affected by climate change.

A paper by Dr Ali Chauvenet and three others, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, says the fact that hihi on the Island are provided with supplementary food offered the chance to study the direct impact of climate change free of other constraints.

The study found that, 'Climate is found to drive hihi population dynamics even though they are not limited by the availability of food. Thus, despite the current management of the species, climate change remains a major threat to its long-term persistence.' Hence hihi-suitable habitat (such as on Tiritiri) is likely to ultimately shift southward.

But the study also concludes that assisting affected species to move into new areas will be made more effective by habitat suitability modelling 'if knowledge of the relationship between climate, climate change, and population dynamics is systematically used to guide the modelling process.'

Kay Milton, Chris Green, John Ewen

ON THE MOVE: A saddleback enters a travel box for its journey to Maungatautari. Phil Marsh fits a band to the leg of a takahe held by Dave Jenkins as Hazel Speed looks on. Photos / Martin Sanders, Kay Milton


New research has revealed why kakariki on Tiritiri Matangi have been suffering from alopecia. Bethany Jackson explains.

In a previous Dawn Chorus article, we highlighted a mite found in kakariki on Tiritiri associated with feather loss around the head. Although beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) had also been found in the population, surpris-ingly the birds with feathering problems were not positive for this virus.

Since then we have examined and taken biopsies from nearly 100 anaes-thetised kakariki, and discovered a very interesting story. A species of skin mite is burrowing into the skin and feather follicles of the birds, and in some cases this results in inflammation and thick-ening of the skin, a type of ‘mange’.

This mite has a clever mode of transport. Female mites hop on the back of flies (Hippoboscid flies, some-times called flat flies or louseflies) and lay their eggs. The eggs then hatch and juvenile mites hop onto the next bird when the fly moves to a new host.

Unlike some mites that can be seen crawling on birds (or our arms!) these are tiny, usually <0.5mm, and only vis-ible microscopically within the skin or feather follicles in a skin biopsy.

Not all kakariki seem to be affected, though, as the last survey (September 2012) found, 79% of the birds had mites in their skin biopsies, whereas only 45% of these birds had signs of feather loss. There also appears to be a seasonal trend to the feathering issues, as the first survey in April 2011 found only normal-looking birds. There is evidence that over the past few months most kakariki have moulted and re-turned to normal plumage following the 2012 findings of large numbers of birds with balding heads.

So why did so many birds show signs of reacting to these mites over the past couple of years?

More research is needed. However, we suspect the unusual environmental conditions over the past two summers may have played a significant role. We know skin mites in other species are more likely to cause a problem if the host animal is stressed. That could be caused by lack of sufficient food, ex-treme weather events (eg drought) and, on top of that, the stress of breeding.

We also suspect the mite and fly can

be found on other bird species, as this is typical of both of these parasites in other countries, so other birds may play a role in keeping higher levels of mites than normal in the Tiritiri environment.

Little is known about the ecology and distribution of this mite, or the fly that hosts it, in New Zealand. In col-laboration with Allen Heath, a parasi-tologist from AgResearch, our patholo-gist partners at New Zealand Veteri-nary Pathology, as well as molecular experts at Lincoln University in Christ-church, we will be working to develop a better understanding of what happens when kakariki on Tiritiri have mange, and what are the factors that might be driving the variable appearance of this syndrome.

We are yet to find evidence that ka-kariki on Tiritiri are also affected by BFDV, a virus that infects only parrots, but we must emphasise the research by Luis Ortiz Catedral on nearby Hauturu/Little Barrier Island. During his work in 2008, young kakariki were found

running on the ground without wing and tail feathers as a result of infection with BFDV. Nestlings and juveniles are most likely to be affected by this virus and continued monitoring of kakariki nests will help determine if it has simi-lar impacts in the Tiritiri population. So far we have found it to have an ex-tremely low prevalence on Tiritiri (<5% of birds infected) which may be why we have not seen affected young kakariki.

This research project will add to our understanding of how diseases act in kakariki populations over different years and seasons, including risk man-agement measures that may be neces-sary for sanctuaries, as well as for trans-locations and re-introductions.

We would like to thank our research partners and supporters who continue to provide logisti-cal and financial support for this work, including the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi, Department of Conservation, Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund, Murdoch University Research and Development Fund, Arvind Varsani (University of Canterbury), 360 Discovery ferry services, Marley Plastics NZ, Bivouac Outdoor supplies.

What caused our kakariki to start going bald?

MITEY PROBLEM (clockwise, from top): Balding kakariki; fly with female mite and eggs; Pike Brown's delightful photo of a healthy bird.

MiteEggs


Photo: John Dowding

Winter has been a great time to enjoy spectacular displays of kohekohe, kowhai and puawhananga flowers on Tiritiri, reports Warren Brewer

During June our visitors were treated to the richest flowering of kohekohe trees for several years. They were entranced by the sight of many greenish-white flower clusters sprouting out from trunks and branches. Flocks of birds were in attendance, seeking nectar.

The Kawerau Track has the great-est number of these trees and walking beneath them has been like entering a grand cathedral. The flower clusters were like ornate carvings.

Throughout July, brush wattle con-tinued flowering and the tight buds on the five-finger trees finally opened, rewarding tui, bellbirds and hihi with their nectar. The star-like flowers on male five-fingers were more popular with birds, while the less conspicuous female flowers were mainly visited by insects.

By early August our kowhai will be flowering. Their yellow tubular flow-ers supply copious nectar, attracting tui and bellbirds. The new early spring growth leaves are plucked by kereru.

On Tiritiri Matangi we have coastal kowhai (Sophora chathamica). This species was orginally restricted to a northern North Island habitat. Because of its medicinal and ceremonial value it was spread further south by Waikato and Taranaki Maori. It is now also found around Wellington and on the Chatham Islands.

Late in August our clematis, puawhananga will be flowering. It shows as splashes of pure white blos-som amongst the green canopy. Clema-tis has separate male and female plants. The flowers on male vines are larger and more showy.

On female vines clusters of seeds, each with a long, curved plume, start forming after flowering. Puawhananga, means ‘spirit flower’, as Maori tradition considered the flowers to be progeny of the stars in the sky.

IN FLOWER (from top): Kohekohe flower clusters; coastal kowhai flowers; male puawhananga flowers.

Flora Notes

Visitors – and birds – enjoy winter flower displays


The laurel family, Lauraceae, is centred in tropical and subtropical forests in South East Asia and Central and South America. It also has outlying members in temperate regions from Europe in the north to its southern limit as far south as New Zealand.

Large leathery aromatic leaves are featured in many members. The north-ern outlier, bay laurel (Lauris nobilis), has leaves which are used as flavouring in cooking. In ancient Greece the leaves were made into wreaths to crown win-ners of sporting or academic contests, hence the saying 'look to your laurels'.

Many nutritious fruits occur in the family, especially the familiar avoca-do (Persea americana) native to Cen-tral America. On Tiritiri Matangi we have two laurels, taraire and tawaroa, which both belong in the large genus Beilschmiedia.

Taraire (Beilschmiedia tarairi) is

represented by some fine, mature trees as well as more recent plantings. Tight bunches of small green bisexual flowers appear from September to December. They have no petals.

Large plum-like fruits are formed in late summer; they are keenly sought after by kereru. Maori ate the flesh of ripe fruit as well as the kernels which were prepared by steaming. Taraire occurs naturally only in the upper one third of the North Island.

Tawaroa (Beilschmiedia tawaroa) is found in northern coastal forests and on northern offshore islands. It is well represented in forest remnants on Tiritiri Matangi’s close neighbour, the Whangaparaoa Peninsula.

It was first classified as a new spe-cies separate from tawa (Beilschmie-dia tawa) in 1984, mainly because of its restricted habitat (tawa is found as far south as Kaikoura in the South Is-

land) as well as its much broader leaves. Tawa leaves are described as narrow and willow-like.

Nowadays many taxonomists no longer consider tawaroa as a separate species but just a broad-leaved form of tawa with a restricted distribution.

Tawaroa/tawa has tiny unspecialised greenish flowers which are gathered in sprays. A large fruit, which ripens in early autumn, is formed. The fruit is also a food source for kereru. Maori ate the flesh of ripe fruit as well as treat-ed kernels.

The sapwood of tawaroa/tawa is straight grained and splits easily. It was fashioned into long bird spears by Maori. A mature tree can be seen on the Kawerau Track.

The name Beilschmiedia honours the Polish botanist Karl Beilschmied (1793-1848).

Warren Brewer

Looking to our laurels: taraire and tawaroa

FRUITFUL LAURELS (clockwise, from top): Ripe taraire fruit; ripening tawaroa fruit; taraire flowers.

All photos / Warren Brewer


ACROSS 4. A near-‐by island also being restored 7. Getting rid of pests in an area 8. First reptile released onto Tiri 11. How we help nature to recover from our bad actions 12. You will need an incubator if you are going to move

one of these 14. Keeping unwanted organisms off Tiri requires what

kind of checks? 19. The people who helped restore nature on Tiri 20. Large invertebrate released in 2011 22. Argentine _______ (a pest species) was found on

Tiri in 2000 24. Best time of the year to plant trees 25. ________ signals can help us find translocated

animals 27. A tool used to dig a hole for planting trees 28. The number of reptile species released on Tiri

DOWN 1. First bird reintroduced to Tiri 2. What we do to replace a lost forest 3. An enclosure to hold birds until they are ready to be released 5. Moving animals from one place to another for conservation 6. New plants grow here for replanting 9. We check Tiri for rats by looking for footprints in a tracking

_____ . 10. A fast way to move animals to a new place 13. The smallest bird released on Tiri 15. A place where plants and animals are protected 16. These fine nets catch birds for scientific study 17. Caterpillar-‐like food given to robins when they are

translocated 18. What Tiri was used for before it became a reserve 21. A house for hole-‐nesting birds 23. The rodent species eradicated from Tiri in 1993 26. An animal or plant that does not belong and causes

problems

Hi guys, Here’s a conservation crossword to keep you busy. If you need help check out the Tiri website. Have fun, Jo

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Hand this to your kids – or pass it on to someone else’s kids – to enjoy a range of

activities about Tiritiri Matangi Island


Coming Events

7-8 SeptemberSupporters’ Non-working Weekend

9 SeptemberSoTM Annual General Meeting

7.30pm at the Kohia Education Centre's Seminar Room No 1, University of Auckland

Epsom Campus, Epsom Ave

5-6 October Supporters’ Non-working Weekend

26-28 OctoberLabour Working Weekend

9 DecemberMystery speaker and end of year party

Supporters’ non-working weekends are hosted by guides who can help you find that elusive

bird and take you out for a night walk. For these weekends you get a special reduced price

on the ferry and half price in the bunkhouse. Children are welcome.

Supporters’ working weekends are your chance to give the Island a hand. There are a great variety of projects to be done and everyone

pitches in. On working weekends travel is free, as is accommodation in the bunkhouse.

To book for Supporters’ Weekends please contact: [email protected].

Day trips360 Discovery operates a return ferry service every Wednesday through Sunday from Downtown Auckland and the Gulf Harbour Marina. Bookings are essential.Phone 0800 360 347 or visit www.360discovery.co.nz Visitors are advised to call 0800 FANTAIL (0800 326 824) after 7am on the day to confirm the vessel is running.

School and tertiary institution visitsThe Tiritiri education programme covers from level 1 (5-year-olds), to level 13 (17-18-year-olds), to tertiary students. The focus in the primary and secondary areas is on delivering the required Nature of Science and Living World objectives from the 2007 NZ Science Curriculum. At the senior biology level there are a number of NCEA achievement standards where support material and presentations are available. The Island also provides a superb environment for creative writing or art workshops. For tertiary students there is an opportunity for a generalised presentation on the Island or to look at population genetics. Groups wishing to visit Tiritiri Matangi should

Supporters of Tiritiri MatangiDawn Chorus is the quarterly newsletter of the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi (SoTM). We are a volunteer incorporated society working closely with the Department of Conservation to make the most of the wonderful conservation restoration project that is Tiritiri Matangi. Every year volunteers put thousands of hours into the project and raise funds through membership, guiding and also through our Island-based gift shop.For further information, visit www.tiritirimatangi.org.nzor contact P O Box 90-814 Victoria St West, Auckland

SoTM CommitteeChairperson: John [email protected] 428 4541Secretary: Linda [email protected]: Kevin VaughanCommittee: Alison Bray, Roger Bray, Brian Chandler,Hester Cooper, Simon Fordham, Carl Hayson,Kay Milton, Andrew Nelson, Ray Walter

Guiding and shop manager: Mary-Ann [email protected] 476 0010Membership: Zhea [email protected] 940 6739Educator: Barbara [email protected]: Vincent [email protected] Chorus editor: Jim [email protected] 445 2444

Island rangers: Dave Jenkins and Jason [email protected] 476 0920

visit www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/schoolvisits.htm or contact [email protected]. Bookings are essential.

Overnight visitsAlthough camping is not permitted on the Island, there is limited bunkhouse accommodation available.Bookings are essential. For information on booking overnight visits, go to: www.doc.govt.nz/tiritiribunkhouse.Bookings can also be made by phoning the Department of Conservation's Warkworth Area Office on 09 425 7812, though an additional booking fee will apply.Volunteers who are undertaking official SoTM work can obtain accommodation at no charge but this must be booked through the Guiding and Shop Manager at [email protected] or 09 476 0010.

SOTM members' discountSoTM members who wish to stay in a private capacity can get a discounted rate by booking through the Department of Conservation's Warkworth Area Office 09 425 7812.

Visiting Tiritiri Matangi

Tiri ShopGifts for every occasion

We would love to help you to find that perfect gift for posting overseas. Check

out the ads in back copies of Dawn Chorus or give us a ring. All profits from

the shop go towards education and conservation programmes on the Island.

email: [email protected]: 09 476 0010

Tweet hanging mobiles $28

Terrific new nature books

Supporters of Tiritiri MatangiPO Box 90 814Victoria Street WestAuckland 1142

New Zealand Permit No. 243683

TIRITIRI MATANGI OPEN SANCTUARY

2014 CALENDAR

By purchasing this calendar, you are supporti ng the conservati onand educati on programmes on Tiriti ri Matangi Island.

Supporters of Tiriti ri Matangi IncPO Box 90814, Victoria Street WestAuckland 1142, New Zealand

www.ti riti rimatangi.org.nzPrinted in New Zealand by Safari Print

using vegetable-based ink on paper sourced from sustainable forest.

This year's calendar includes many of the winners of the 2013 Tiritiri Matangi photographic contest which you'll find on display in the centre spread of this issue. The price has been held at $15 making it a great gift at a very low price $49 $49

Dawn Chorus - Tiritiri Matangi Island chorus/Dawn Chorus 94.pdf · a friend with her children . . ....

Documents

Transcript of Dawn Chorus - Tiritiri Matangi Island chorus/Dawn Chorus 94.pdf · a friend with her children . . ....