BRING BACK KOKAKO Issue 13: March 2015 For more about bringing back Kokako to GBI, FREE see our website: http://www.gbiet.org/kokako

Some Success at Okupu Beach Over the last seven years we have been watching the ups and downs of our resident oyster catcher pair and the one/two pair of Australasian bitterns world? The Australasian bittern NZ dotterels. Finally this year both families in serious trouble (Botaurus poiciloptilus)! If you are one nested a month earlier than previous years. of the few people who regularly sights a The first week in November for the oyster Wetlands in are under- The base of a nikau frond with the flowers protruding. bittern, or has been serenaded to sleep catchers, a week later for the first pair of dot- represented and sadly under-appreciated There can be over 4000 flowers, off which 2/3 are by the deep-baritone booming call, then terels followed another week later by the re- male. Last year’s flowers from which the fruit have by the vast majority of New Zealanders. you are fortunate. For who knows how maining pair of NZ dotterels. been shed, can be seen below. Yet these fertile refuges are important much longer these crooners will persist. Photo: Dolphin Bay Track, John Ogden. habitats for many and are packed The oyster catchers and first pair of NZ Australasian bitterns are in serious (cont.. from pg 3) full of life. Indeed, only those who have dotterels hatched 2 chicks each. The re- Even under cultivation this can take a decade trouble. Ranked as Endangered by the made the effort to access and spend time maining pair of dotterels lost their nest with or more but in the shade of the forest it is usu- IUCN (International Union for Conserva- in such challenging wetland environments the mid December storm. Just before ally 40 to 50 years! Seedling nikau measured tion of Nature), Australasian bitterns are will know some wetlands are home to a Christmas the oyster catchers lost a chick twice a year for five years by Dean Medland only found in New Zealand, New Cale- special secretive and cryptic ! A bird but we are happy to say, at the time of writ- at Windy Hill grew, on average, less than a donia and Australia. ing, the remaining one is still doing well and mm/year! Even taking the fastest growth so evasive and shy that little is harassing its parents. rates, plants with leaves 30cm tall would be understood about them, and what we do These bitterns are so rare they have a 27 years old, and they don’t start producing know is based on a few opportunistic higher threat ranking than the The dotterel chicks - by mid January one above-ground stem until the leaves are at observations, or the studies of closely (Whio, nationally vulnerable), kokako (at was missing and by the end of January the least 2m! So, even before we start ounting related species overseas. risk) or the scars we can add half a century to age. Esler, other didn’t seem to be about either. It was In spring the males seduce their females (nationally vulnerable). Yet the bitterns’ great to see though that the chicks could and other later botanists have counted leaf scar production on adult nikaus over many wetland habitat does not receive make it to over 6 weeks. anything near the protection of these years, and found on average 2 to 3 years. There were plenty of people on the beach So, if we count the scars and divide by two we three species. get an approximate stem age, to which we with the extreme fine hot weather, and most A decade ago there were thought to be stayed the northern end of the beach giving add 50 years for the establishment phase. Mature, flowering and fruiting palms are gen- less than 1000 adult bitterns each in the a chance to get on with their lives. New Zealand and Australia, and fewer People with dogs were helpful when told erally over 3m tall with 100 – 140 scars. So, do the maths and you’ll conclude they are 100 than 50 in New Caledonia. However, about the birds and chicks, so thank you to – 120 years old. Stems over 6m tall, with 300+ recently Australia has lost large all who made an extra effort to help our scars, are not uncommon, and these will be numbers of its population, and the New feathered friends out. over 200 years old. Next time there’s more: Caledonian population is thought to Nikau in the ecosystem; food for kereru and Unfortunately our under house Taiko (Black Australasian bittern - photo www.blackcat.co.nz have vanished. New Zealand is Petrel) had no success this year. rats; nutrient cycling etc therefore an important place for bitterns John Ogden with deep-booming calls that can be Emmy Pratt and the survival of the species will heard up to 4kms away. Have you heard depend upon how we manage our this bellowing call? Often likened to blow- wetlands. Notice Board ing air across the top of an empty bottle, Local Board Environmental Committee: 22Apr, 27 May, 24 Jun, 22 Jul, Emma Williams or a low Whoomp noise. If so, did you Emma Williams is a PhD student at Massey Univer- 26 Aug, 23 Sept, 28 Oct, 25 Nov, 23 Dec TBC know that what you have on your door- sity where her work specialises in developing moni- Please email [email protected] step is the rarest bittern species in the toring methods for cryptic species (species that are if you would like to join our Bush Telegraph mailing list rare and difficult to detect).

Givealittle: www.givealittle.co.nz/member/gbitrust Website: www.gbiet.org Love. Protect. Restore. Aroha. Puapua. Whakahaumanu.

myths -

(cont..on pg 4)

washing brushes. -

term studyterm with enclosure plots keep (to - like dish There a is widely held assumption that, like annualthe growth rings in trees,many the fallen leaf scars girdle which the trunks of nikau palms annual, are also so that the age of palm the obtained can be by counting them. An Auckland botanist, Alan Esler, demonstrated thatthis the was not case nearly 50 folk ago, years but die hard. germinationAt the nikau seed grows a leaf or two on short a stem. But, remarkably, stemthe not does grow upright, it grows down into the soil, so that the leaves must burst through the soil, like daffodil leaves. This downwards growth continues for sev- eral with theyears, stem thicker. getting Like bulb a hasit only one terminal bud, producing setone of leaves. Eventually the underground stem for thickenough is it to turn upwards again;the palm estab- is lished’. At establishment stem the grows pushesupright, through the soil and, as firstthe leavesacquires die, first its leaf scars. generation process. years Two rabbits on are starting to invade, but rats are still probably not so frequent as little is there fruit or seeds for eat. to Riki them will be establishing a long out rabbits and rats) which will be monitored over years.many The workis supported by the GBI Local Board, Auckland Council, The ofUniversity Bruce Auckland Trust, and the Palmerston North. John Ogden nikau age How to manyHow of walkedyou to the springshot summer?this Nikau palmsare one of the delights ofbush any walk Aotea on and particularly along that track. The huge drooping fronds of Island’s the palms, often over 5 meters are bigger long, than those of mainland. the Contrast those at PunakaikiWest the on short Coast, with stiff fronds, upright making treesthe look

growing vig- growing - fern, sedges, sedges, fern, -

form and soil. Obvi- soil. and form - established seedling cover of manuka manuka of cover seedling established - Regeneration after the fire. the after Regeneration with the original land original the with peaty on different is pattern the ously, but dunes, sand to compared swamps availa- the like too, factors other are there cap- manuka Many sources. seed of bility to able were and killed not were sules former so fire the after seeds their shed well, regenerating is scrub manuka wattle. by invaded unless ofAnother aim the work investigate is to the effects of rabbits on the re- and rats The fire at Claris in January 2013 left over over left 2013 January in Claris at fire The and swamp scrub dunes, of hectares 100 seed- March, by However, burned. pines the in everywhere sprouting were lings a was there May by and soil, blackened well tangle and areas, many in re all were raupo and rushes some were so unfortunately, Also, orouly. Hakeas. and wattle Cape including weeds, sur- detailed more a on, years two Now, being is vegetation recovering the of vey his and Perry George Dr by out carried Univer- Auckland from Taylor Riki student plant The Environment. of School sity’s plots. 30 in monitored being is composition also will drone a from taken photos Aerial spe- the correlate to is aim The used. be invasion weed and patterns recovery cies

out (or out (or -

Jessica WoodhouseJessica

sea feeding grounds. Southern - ue theue monitoring programme. of white stripe a with ‘painted’ are heads *birds not and identified easily to be birds to enable twink) banded/handled. already if again disturbed parent parent wasn’t twinked* so we had to twink onit the head. After that walkedwe the all way back home. and went Southern Seabirds Solutions have support- commercialed fisher tovisits the Taiko colony to enable fishers to experience the inbirds their breeding grounds, rather than their at Seabirds also is providing recreational fish- ers with information to assist fishers to ‘Fish Seabird Smart’. Biz return towill Little Greatand Barrier Islands in to April contin- over. over. After me, next the person had a Itgo. was now around 12 pm so Mairehau said whoever had held a chick go up could to summit,the me, but Magnus Nova and stayed so couldwe hold somemore Willchicks. withwent I and chickthe I had getto out awas in really long burrow and I couldn’t Will get it so out to get out had it instead.The chick I got was big, really fat fluffy.and Then Biz asked me to if I wanted hold another chick there so did but I was analso adult in there so I didn’t really want getto it, but I did anyway. the chicks’But “Ahhh”! sosighed, I we walked up, up up, stairsthe until we found Biz told who us about the Taiko. Now couldwe hold the chicks. asked Biz who wanted tofirst go and she picked me. So we hopped under the stairs thewhere burrow was. I put some on gloves and pulled it out then backed I and up stood up then everyone went “Awwww!”The adults took photosfew a then himput we back in burrowhis then startedBiz someputting little twigs in the ground and said she it was so could they tell if an adult had gone becausein one of twigs the would’ve fallen then thenthen up down and finally camewe to boardwalk which morehad stairs going up!

yr8, then yr8, everyone -

came really a to high hill which we literally tohad climbthen up, we walked down minutes we came steep really a to hill which had ofa lot holes in it, then we of After water. about one hour and 45 really tiring.really After aboutone hour we stopped to have a little snack a and drink very very bumpy tracks thing the but didwe most go up was and down which was times over went we a boardwalk or over had tohad spray their shoes and then we startedour three hour long walk. Some- When got we there got we organised into year groups from yr5 to Hirakimatato visit to Taikothe chicks. Yesterday most of big class the up went

Woodhouse relates experience…….her experience and learn more about these marvellous birds. Okiwi studentJessica SolutionsTrust AND GroveMulberry and Okiwi school groups, enabling them to date fisher date groups, the Southern Seabird Despitesuper her busy schedule, andBiz teamher found also time to accommo- birds, foundbirds, new burrows and visited over research300 burrows tomonitor activity. population. During this time they have identified returned birds, banded new monitoring Taiko/Blackour Petrel team recently have returned from over two weeks camped Hirakimata, on Researcher, (Elizabeth)Biz Bell and her Taiko (Black Petrel) visits Petrel) (Black Taiko