A Morning Meeting

On the 16^th April Dayna, an enthusiastic 13 year old birder and nature lover, arrived at the Matata Boardwalk in Old Mill Lane, Ngunguru early in the morning with her mother Wendy to observe Fernbirds.

The boardwalk crosses this estuarine wetland giving access to the Hugh Crawford bush reserve as well as providing an excellent viewing platform for the wetland birds.

It was a grey, windy morning and the birds seemed reluctant to show although we could hear them in many places over the wetland. Dayna’s camera, always poised for the shot but it did not happen. Some scampered in the rushes and also up into the saltmarsh ribbonwood for a look at us but not venturing into the open. We then moved to another site bordering the wetland where I had often seen the Fernbirds. This time they performed well and Dayna managed some great shots of an adult bird. We also observed a juvenile, so young it had not yet grown a tail and I managed to get a blurry shot. There was much calling, tisking and beak clicking. This was the first time Dayna had seen a Fernbird. Very exciting. It is encouraging to see younger folk so enthusiastic about and amongst our nature.