Last night we had the predicted gale and 180-200 mm of rain which filled the tanks. The noise of the waterfall from the house was incredible. The stream and falls were still impressive when we went down this morning although the volume was much reduced. A friend who was staying the night with us left for Tauranga at 10am and took over eight hours to get there what with slips and floods. Apparently near Tairua the water was 2 meters deep across the road so it must have been an impressive rain event across the Peninsula! Following the storm the weather cleared quickly, the sun came out and the bush is now looking very fresh and green and the crickets have started up again. I haven't been to the gate but there aren't any new slips around lot 12. It had been very warm and sunny over the past couple of weeks so the bush probably needed a good soaking.
When I put my parka on this morning, which had been hanging in the porch, I felt a scratching on my head and there was a large tree weta walking across my forehead. I am not sure whether I can add photos to this blog but if I work it out I will include a picture of the creature. Which of us was most put out I am not sure!
Tim and Jude emailed to say that they had listened to a kiwi calling while in the spa on Saturday night. That seems to me to epitomize what life at Mahakirau should be like! I hope that Patrick will be back up soon to complete the kiwi call survey and we are still hopeful that he will find more birds.
On the bird front there are plenty of Kereru, Tui and Bellbird around and the silvereye are gathering in larger flocks still accompanied by good numbers of fantail. Birds on the estate are looking very well fed with our 'house' tui looking so fat its a miracle he can fly. We also watched a pigeon in a miro tree by the waterfall. It reminded me of an overweight couch potato who had just polished off his twelth can of beer - leaning on a branch with his disheveled wings hanging down below his body, head thrown back unable/unwilling to move. The miro was covered in berries so I expect the bird was seriously inebriated. The Quail in the gorse paddock have a family of tiny fluffy balls that race after the parents with their legs going so fast they look like they are floating. Californian Quail may be exotic introductions but they are so plucky that I hope they keep a step ahead of the stoats, harriers etc.
Turning to plants, Judi and I have continued to find more kauri on the estate which is exciting.
Sorry, no joy with images so I will have to wait for the arrival of the younger generation to try again!
Tuesday 22 March 2011
Saturday 12 March 2011
a night under the stars
We spent seven hours last night listening for Kiwis on the estate. Patrick Stewart from Coromandel brought his call gear and we worked our way through the estate from south to north (top of the estate near lot 22 via lot 6 to Lot 2. It was one of those absolutely magical nights with zero wind, a partial waxing moon that set fairly early and a starscape that had to be seen to be believed. There were some spectacular falling stars including one incredibly bright one that shot horizontally across the sky leaving an impressive trail. It appeared to be just above the trees! Another abiding memory of last night will be the way sound travelled in the still air. There was a party going on at lot 11 and we could hear music and general hilarity throughout our walk from the top of the estate to near the gate!!
Judi, Bruno, Patrick and I started at about 8.30 with a morepork watching us at the gate to lot 22. We had selected a number of spots along the estate road that gave us good line of sight into the various catchments. Patrick played a tape of male and female calls and then we would spend ten minutes listening for reply calls.The highlight for me at the top of the estate was two kaka flying over calling. They looked to be making their way back to Manaia. It is always a treat to see and hear them as they are relatively infrequent visitors to the estate. Plenty of morepork and concentrations of crickets were the main features as we made our way down to lot 19 where Bruno left us. We heard weta at many locations - short bursts of what sounds like a soft comb being drawn across the edge of a piece of paper.
A brief stop at lot 12 for snacks and a warm drink and then Judi, Patrick and I set off up to Tim and Jude's drive. As soon as the tape was played a male kiwi called back which was incredibly exciting. We heard him call several times close to the drive above Sebastian and Karen's house. Apart from this male bird no other kiwis were heard during the night but as Patrick explained that does not mean there are no other birds present. He will provide a report once he has completed a second visit in a few weeks at which point we should have a better feel for what the kiwi situation is on the estate at the moment.
I had hoped that we might hear long tailed cuckoo which are preparing to return to the islands in the tropical Pacific (J and I saw large numbers wintering in Vanuatu). One flew over the picnic area a couple of days ago and last year I heard one at night flying over the estate. They have a very distinctive call described as a long-drawn-out shriek!
We saw/heard a few possums particularly in the northern (lower) parts of the estate. My own personal possum battle at home has had its ups and downs - one trapped, one sitting on a trap and another rat bait station !! A hedgehog (the same as reported in my last blog?) clearly lost its game of 'chicken' with a passing Pirelli on the road above the picnic area!
Patrick found a specimen of Kawaka (Libocedrus plumosa) a New Zealand cedar that has a very limited distribution on Coromandel. Judi and I will go and see if we can find any others later today.
After several glorious days we have had light rain today which the plants will enjoy.
Judi, Bruno, Patrick and I started at about 8.30 with a morepork watching us at the gate to lot 22. We had selected a number of spots along the estate road that gave us good line of sight into the various catchments. Patrick played a tape of male and female calls and then we would spend ten minutes listening for reply calls.The highlight for me at the top of the estate was two kaka flying over calling. They looked to be making their way back to Manaia. It is always a treat to see and hear them as they are relatively infrequent visitors to the estate. Plenty of morepork and concentrations of crickets were the main features as we made our way down to lot 19 where Bruno left us. We heard weta at many locations - short bursts of what sounds like a soft comb being drawn across the edge of a piece of paper.
A brief stop at lot 12 for snacks and a warm drink and then Judi, Patrick and I set off up to Tim and Jude's drive. As soon as the tape was played a male kiwi called back which was incredibly exciting. We heard him call several times close to the drive above Sebastian and Karen's house. Apart from this male bird no other kiwis were heard during the night but as Patrick explained that does not mean there are no other birds present. He will provide a report once he has completed a second visit in a few weeks at which point we should have a better feel for what the kiwi situation is on the estate at the moment.
I had hoped that we might hear long tailed cuckoo which are preparing to return to the islands in the tropical Pacific (J and I saw large numbers wintering in Vanuatu). One flew over the picnic area a couple of days ago and last year I heard one at night flying over the estate. They have a very distinctive call described as a long-drawn-out shriek!
We saw/heard a few possums particularly in the northern (lower) parts of the estate. My own personal possum battle at home has had its ups and downs - one trapped, one sitting on a trap and another rat bait station !! A hedgehog (the same as reported in my last blog?) clearly lost its game of 'chicken' with a passing Pirelli on the road above the picnic area!
Patrick found a specimen of Kawaka (Libocedrus plumosa) a New Zealand cedar that has a very limited distribution on Coromandel. Judi and I will go and see if we can find any others later today.
After several glorious days we have had light rain today which the plants will enjoy.
Tuesday 8 March 2011
Return to Mahakirau
Never having blogged before I thought that I would set up a Mahakirau blog. Its purpose is to keep a record of what is going on in the natural world of the estate. I will try to post material regularly. If anyone wants to follow what is going on they can access the blog.
As many of you know Judi and I timed our visit to Christchurch to perfection! Having been there for September 4th and Boxing Day we also managed to be there for the third major, and much more devastating, earthquake. Having experienced all three major quakes and endless aftershocks our hearts go out to those unable to get away. It is a real luxury for us to be able to escape to our piece of paradise and momentarily forget the devastation down south. Needless to say our future plans are now in turmoil.
We have been up here for a week now and have enjoyed hot sun and some good downpours. At first it was very still and in the gloaming and at night the forest took on the feel of the tropics. The crickets and cicadas were deafening - especially when they made it inside! It is now cooler with the southerly flow that has covered the country and is decidedly autumnal at night.
Unwelcome visitors have been a hedgehog by number 18, a rabbit near number 3 reported by Bruno and under our house a possum trying to trash the rat bait stations. A battle of wits, speed and daring at 1.15am was won overwhelmingly by the possum and I returned to bed bloodied and bruised.
On the bird front we had a flock of nine kereru fly past the house. Fantails are everywhere around this part of the estate and Bruno and Barbara had a party of half a dozen at least. The fantails often follow parties of silvereye which disturb the insects. Tomtit are singing occasionally, as are tui, grey warbler and bellbird. There are a few Kingfisher about and we had one dive down towards us from its perch in a rata and snatch a cicada flying past us. A most impressive display of aerial dexterity. Morepork are calling at night and Bruno heard a kiwi. We hope to carry out a comprehensive kiwi call survey shortly. Morepork successfully reared at least two young just below the house. My efforts to attract swallow to nest in the car port failed although they nested in a cave below the waterfall. Numerous swallow around the estate suggest a good breeding season and as people build houses the numbers are likely to increase.
Away from the estate I saw a flock of more than 100 New Zealand Dotterel which suggests a good breeding season and success for all the efforts to rope off nesting areas on beaches around the peninsula.
We have found a few more Kauri around the estate but it is difficult to understand their distribution. Climbing rata is still flowering and generally the vegetation through the estate looks healthy.
Hopefully the next blog will report on a successful kiwi count.
Regards
Allan
As many of you know Judi and I timed our visit to Christchurch to perfection! Having been there for September 4th and Boxing Day we also managed to be there for the third major, and much more devastating, earthquake. Having experienced all three major quakes and endless aftershocks our hearts go out to those unable to get away. It is a real luxury for us to be able to escape to our piece of paradise and momentarily forget the devastation down south. Needless to say our future plans are now in turmoil.
We have been up here for a week now and have enjoyed hot sun and some good downpours. At first it was very still and in the gloaming and at night the forest took on the feel of the tropics. The crickets and cicadas were deafening - especially when they made it inside! It is now cooler with the southerly flow that has covered the country and is decidedly autumnal at night.
Unwelcome visitors have been a hedgehog by number 18, a rabbit near number 3 reported by Bruno and under our house a possum trying to trash the rat bait stations. A battle of wits, speed and daring at 1.15am was won overwhelmingly by the possum and I returned to bed bloodied and bruised.
On the bird front we had a flock of nine kereru fly past the house. Fantails are everywhere around this part of the estate and Bruno and Barbara had a party of half a dozen at least. The fantails often follow parties of silvereye which disturb the insects. Tomtit are singing occasionally, as are tui, grey warbler and bellbird. There are a few Kingfisher about and we had one dive down towards us from its perch in a rata and snatch a cicada flying past us. A most impressive display of aerial dexterity. Morepork are calling at night and Bruno heard a kiwi. We hope to carry out a comprehensive kiwi call survey shortly. Morepork successfully reared at least two young just below the house. My efforts to attract swallow to nest in the car port failed although they nested in a cave below the waterfall. Numerous swallow around the estate suggest a good breeding season and as people build houses the numbers are likely to increase.
Away from the estate I saw a flock of more than 100 New Zealand Dotterel which suggests a good breeding season and success for all the efforts to rope off nesting areas on beaches around the peninsula.
We have found a few more Kauri around the estate but it is difficult to understand their distribution. Climbing rata is still flowering and generally the vegetation through the estate looks healthy.
Hopefully the next blog will report on a successful kiwi count.
Regards
Allan
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