Kamikaze cuckoos and other birds

There has been some discussion on the NZ birding website recently on the subject of shining cuckoos being especially prone to hitting windows. There have been good numbers of cuckoos here this spring with several around the house. Sure enough one hit the windows a week or so ago and landed on the deck where it sat dazed. I placed it in a bird box in the hot water cupboard as it was cold and windy outside. After an hour or so it had perked up and when taken outside it flew off with no obvious damage. Cuckoos are strong fliers and travel rapidly through forest cover so no doubt have little time to react if a sunny gap in the foliage suddenly turns into a sheet of double glazing! A young swallow also hit a window but after a brief rest it flew off. It was one of a family that feeds around the house and seems to have recovered fully.

Shining Cuckoo

I am still waiting to hear more about the Helm's Butterfly Judi and I saw on the 20th but at the Waikato Biodiversity Forum earlier this week in Coromandel no-one was able to shed much light on their distribution and rarity. I will put any information that I receive on a future blog. (Following photo is by George Gibbs in 'Nature Guide to the New Zealand Forest' by John Dawson and Rob Lucas)

Helm's Butterfly 

An initial analysis of 80 five minute bird counts I have completed across the estate in the past two months shows that numbers of several indigenous forest birds are up on the past two years. This is particularly so for Fantail, Tomtit, Cuckoo and Kereru. Tui and bellbird may also have increased. There appears to be an increase in several exotic species such as Rosella and Blackbird. My feeling is that the survey results are reflecting a genuine increase in bird numbers. The present health of the forest with abundant fruiting will hopefully result in a good breeding season and a further increase in numbers.
Bruno and Barbara saw two Kaka over their house last week.
I will leave information on Judi's new plant finds until my next blog when summer may have arrived!

Helms Butterfly recorded on estate

We have now had a fortnight of strong westerlies which haven't been pleasant but we have missed the appalling weather experienced across most of the country. Temperatures have been between 10 and 20 degrees and there has been very little rain.
The biggest excitement for me was coming across a superb Helms Butterfly (Dodonidia helmsi) on the 20th November. This was a real surprise as they are rare and normally fly in January and February. They are known to occur on the Coromandel but they are becoming increasingly scarce due to loss of food plants and introduced wasps preying on their larva. My butterfly book states that they are the most likely NZ butterfly to become extinct so it is a bit of a coup for the estate. I am waiting to hear more from the specialists. They are a stunningly beautiful butterfly so lets hope we find more.
Another bit of good news is that Dion (Merv's son) saw a kiwi on the estate road near the original big slip when coming in late at night. This is about half way between the birds at numbers 2 and 16 (Shirley and Tim and Karen and Sebastian). It was feeding beside the road which reinforces the need to drive with care and to exclude dogs.
This morning I completed this years bird monitoring (delayed by the weather) so I will have to leave reporting my findings until my next blog. A new estate bird for me (this week) was a small flock of Red billed Gulls beating into the howling westerly over the northern end of the estate. Not very exciting I'm afraid but it does show that marine birds may turn up on the estate particularly during exceptional weather events. There have been 2 or 3 Mynas recently, usually around number 1. Rosellas are also more frequent throughout the estate. Both pretty birds but I fear that they may compete with the natives. A more pleasing event was a fly over of 3 kaka - presumably making for the Manaia.
There is terrific growth in the forest at the moment with many trees in flower - the Manuka are looking spectacular. Jude has made some interesting finds but that will also have to wait to a later blog.

Summer around the corner

We have recently returned from three weeks down in Christchurch so missed what by all accounts was some cold and miserable weather at Mahakirau. Since
we arrived back in the forest last week we have enjoyed some beautiful weather with no rain and little wind. Temperatures have generally been in the 10-20 degree range.
Birds are very active - especially the kereru. We appear to have half a dozen or so individuals around the house and they spend much of their time cooing to each other, feeding on the abundant supply of bright orange pigeonwood berries or swooping down from the tall rata ending in their spectacular stall and dive displays. It is easy to believe that they take an interest in our activities as when we are working outside they conduct low level flybys close overhead. The tui also appear to take an interest in us as they noisily swoosh past - particularly if we are sitting or bending down. They have been conducting some spectacular high speed dives from a considerable height. They plunge vertically down into the bush before averting disaster at the last minute with terrific feather noise as they brake out of their dives.
Two morepork join us when we are on the deck in the evening. They sit just above us in the totara either watching us or chasing the puriri moths attracted by the floodlights.
On the night of the rugby world cup final we had two possums on the deck. According to Bruce, who is currently working on the estate on pest control, possum numbers are low. These were the first we had seen since returning. Nonetheless we trapped three around the house on the following two nights so they are around. Bruce has also taken out two goats and pigs and saw a ferret feeding on a dead possum.

Shining cuckoo and kingfishers are in good numbers and are calling noisily but apart from during the dawn chorus, bellbirds are fairly quiet. They may be well into their nesting activities. Grey warblers, silvereye and fantails are evident but I have not heard tomtit around the house since we came back. A harrier was displaying high above the house today and californian quail are back near the picnic area. The rosellas are busy and have been very vocal with several pairs in the picnic area valley.

White rata (Metrosideros diffusa), olearia (Olearia rani), forest cabbage tree (Cordyline banksii) and rewa rewa (Knightia excelsa) are flowering, but apart from isolated plants the wonderful display of native clematis is now over - flowers replaced by prolific clumps of seed heads. Manuka, rangiora and several other trees and shrubs are also flowering so there is a haze of white across the forest.
I will be working on the bird monitoring soon so will report on the results in my next blog.

First cuckoo of the spring

The first cuckoo (pipiwharauroa) I have head this spring was singing near the picnic area on the 18th September. Since then, and despite a southerly wind, several birds have been calling around the estate. I wish they had brought the warmth with them from their winter quarters in the Solomons and other islands in the Bismark Archipelago. Time for the grey warblers, the cuckoo's main host, to keep their heads down!
Bird activity has picked up noticeably in the past fortnight with kingfisher (kotare) calling and tui staking out territories.
Pigeon (kereru) are very much in evidence. They have been displaying around the house. They drop down from a perch, swoop up vertically and stall before diving down with their wings held out stiffly. These display flights often coincide with egg-laying and there is a fantastic crop of pigeonwood berries this year which should result in a good breeding season for the kereru. They time their breeding to coincide with fruit availability and in a good year may lay as many as three clutches, each with a single egg. Kereru feed their newly hatched chicks with cropmilk - a secretion from the crop wall. Pigeons and doves are the only birds that produce food for their chicks apart from Emperor Penguins (like 'Happy Feet') and flamingoes. To measure breeding success we need to watch for young birds from now on. These are smaller than adults and have conspicuously short tails - a test for observation skills!
Unfortunately, a good fruiting season will mean more rats and consequently more stoats, so pest control will be crucial this year. It is shaping up to be a fascinating summer in the forest.

Spring update

The wind has shifted to the north after an extended period of southerlies and tonight feels warmer as a consequence. We have had some lovely days but the nights have been cold. Temperatures for August ranged from a minimum of 0C to a maximum of 15C. The first few days of September have seen temperatures creep up to 16C. As I write this blog we are at last enjoying some rain!! With the warmth of spring there has been a burst of growth in the bush with puawhananga (Clematis paniculata) now appearing all across the estate. Rangiora (Brachyglottis repanda) and manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) are in bloom while the first of the epiphytic brachyglottis (Brachyglottis kirkii var. kirkii) flowers have appeared.
Unfortunately stoats are also enjoying the spring weather. At Bruno and Barbara's we saw a stoat near the top of a pigeonwood (Hedycarya arborea). It ran vertically face-down the trunk with all the dexterity of a squirrel. The speed at which it moved reminded us of what destructive and efficient killers these animals are - in the canopy as well as on the ground. All we can do is keep trapping and hope that enough of our native birds survive to successfully raise young.
The kiwi report prepared by Patrick Stewart of Red Admiral Ecology concludes that we have a relic kiwi population on the estate of a few birds. It is highly unlikely that they will successfully raise offspring due to predation. Sadly, his opinion is that, without intervention, the mature birds will gradually die out - as has happened in so many parts of the Peninsula. It is possible that new birds could move into the estate but this is dependent upon successful breeding elsewhere coupled with an avoidance of predation on the journey from places such as Moehau, Whenuakite or Kuaotunu. Consequently, he concludes that if we wish to have kiwi on the estate then our best option is to explore the possibility of joining Operation Nest Egg (ONE). Becoming part of this exciting initiative would mean that any involvement from the estate would contribute to the Peninsula-wide attempt to save the Coromandel Kiwi. It would be contingent on us having at least one breeding pair. Any nesting would  be closely monitored so that eggs could be removed and artificially incubated off site. The chicks would then be raised in a protected environment. I understand that there are plans to set up a breeding population of Coromandel Kiwi on the newly predator-free Motutapu Island in the Hauraki Gulf. Once the young birds reach a size that they have a chance of survival against stoats and other predators then some of our birds could be reintroduced  to Mahakirau to supplement the resident birds. This approach would depend on agreement from ONE, enthusiasm  from Mahakirau lot owners as well as the presence of breeding birds on the estate. I will approach the relevant players and keep you informed of any developments. However, if you have any comments or views please let me know.
Finally, Judy saw and I heard Paradise Shelduck on the estate. These birds are usually seen on farmland or in coastal,wetland and river environments. No doubt they were passing through as there is very little suitable habitat here. Nonetheless it is good to record a new species for the estate.

first touch of spring

Today Judi spotted a clump of flowering clematis below the house. Jude H also saw some up at number 5. Clematis seems to herald the start of spring in the forest. It gives the same warm feeling as frolicking lambs and daffodils! A couple of warm and sunny weeks have resulted in a burst of growth from the shrub layer with the olearias, five fingers and so on all showing fresh new growth.
Bird activity has increased with plenty of tui, kereru, fantail, grey warbler, tomtit, silvereye and bellbird activity. Kingfisher have returned to the forest and californian quail have been calling from the gorse paddocks. Rosella have been noisy. Most days harriers have been displaying high over the forest. It is usually their calls that attract attention but once located their slow motion flight with swooping dives is visually spectacular.
The large number of stoats trapped this month has given the harriers an easy source of food. They seem to be able to locate the dead animals although I am unsure if they are overturning the traps to get at them. Whilst it is good that we are catching stoats it does suggest that they must be numerous through the estate which is depressing. We have caught a few possums near the house although we have not seen a lot when driving through the estate at night.
Judi and I went up to Stony Bay on the 19th. There were NZ dotterel in most bays with more than 40 birds at Colville Bay. Nearby was a fully albino Oystercatcher with bright white plumage, pink legs and a red eye. It was very striking contrasting with other roosting variable oystercatchers. I am uncertain whether full albinism is frequent in oystercatchers. Other interesting birds were a sizeable flock of about 40 pateke (brown teal)  loafing at the mouth of the Umangawha Stream in the bay.
We have received the estate kiwi report from Patrick Stewart so once I have reviewed this I will circulate the highlights via this blog.

winter at mahakirau

After three months in the northern hemisphere we are settled back into the forest. We had a week of fine weather but now we are caught in the polar blast that has brought snow to most of the country. We actually had a sleet shower yesterday and awoke to the first real frost we have experienced up here. The thermometer read -2 at 8.00 this morning and it still feels cold despite sunshine for much of the day.
I spent one evening last week with Patrick Stewart listening for kiwi - without success. However he had heard a male from the 309 which was almost certainly 'Shirley's' bird. In fact Shirley heard it calling the next night so it appears that there are at least two males on the estate with the other near to Sebastian and Karen's.
When the weather was warm and sunny last week the birds were active with several Kereru, Tui, Tomtit and Bellbird around the house. Two pairs of swallow were prospecting in the carport and flocks of silvereye were in the fivefinger. With this bitter weather it is difficult to know what insects the fantails and grey warbler are finding to feed on. A few morepork have been calling at night and harriers have been quartering the paddock and road edges during the day.
Two white goats worked their way through the estate from the hillside beyond Tim and Jude's via the road to the ridge at Harolds. At least two pigs were in the gorse paddock last week. Other animal activity has been limited to a trapped stoat providing sustenance to a harrier and two possums caught by the house.
We spotted the first of the native clematis flowering on a warm slope above the pohutakawa coast but don't expect it on the estate for a few weeks yet.
Hopefully we will have more to report once the weather warms a little and plants begin to flower.