Hugh Crawford Wetland Walk

Today we went for an exploratory walk through pat of the wetland near our home looking for Bittern. It is in the Hugh Crawford Reserve. It is a wonderful, pristine wilderness wetland. We say an Australasian Harrier and heard Spotless Crake very near to us. There were fish swimming in the crystal clear water.

Australasian Harrier

Australasian Harrier

Nest?

So Much Happening at Old Mill Lane - Now Bittern are Calling

So Much Happening at Old Mill Lane - Now Bittern are Calling.  Thank you Mike Ashbee for the photo

Californian Quail Chicks in our garden and Tui Dawn Chorus

Californian Quail Chicks in our garden, Life is tough for these little fellows. They struggle through the tall grass wilderness but manage to survive in a predator free area like ours but a days rain will wipe them out.They just love the sun and to sunbathe. Watch the video.
https://youtu.be/PgNlRQn3-Ok

Our Tui Dawn chorus is taking over. We can ear them all over the valley.
https://youtu.be/aWyAyW5i7_Q

Matata in our garden

This Matata has nested in our garden. They do not like us near and let us know that with agitated calling and clicking. They are just going to have to learn to live with us. There are so many in our wetland it seems they have started to move out. We have had them in the garden and about the house for the last couple of years.

Grey Warblers nest

The chicks have fledged. It is a real work of art with its little shade over the entrance

Pukeko eating Rush Roots

This Pukeko is tearing apart the wetland to get at the succulent rush roots for a meal.
https://youtu.be/g0fe-_ukG0g

Silvereye Chicks

We have Silvereye chicks around our garden.

This week it is Spotless Crake. Caught with our Trail Camera.

This week it is Spotless Crake. Caught with our Trail Camera.
https://youtu.be/7DzZuyMjCi0

Riroriro - There is always something interesting happening at The Riverbank.

Riroriro (Grey Warbler) have nested. The two in the slow motion video are quite stressed as we are too close to the nest which, although it can't be seen, is near the top left of the screen.
I recorded the sound later and added it to the video.
https://youtu.be/llPCTBDXbbM

A pair of Banded Rail in our wetland

Well, we hope they are a pair. We usually only see one at a time.
https://www.youtube.com/edit?video_referrer=watch&video_id=bkChptXgSNA

White Faced Heron in our Wetland

A white Faced Heron visited our wetland this week

https://youtu.be/bxZw4sfG0PI

There is always something happening in this wetland.

Eel in our wetland

This week our camera caught an eel feeding in our wetland pond.

Kiwi Keep Visiting

Kiwi Keep Visiting this burrow. This time both female and male. This seems to be a weekly occurrence.
View on YouTube at https://youtu.be/ff9Hw4LbcYU

Our darling Matata (Fernbirds)

 Here is a video of our Matata. There isn't much action to see tut there is lots of beak chattering and calling. This is taken from our wetland boardwalk.
https://youtu.be/2Fh0Wl7IvVs

Also every week we download videos from our camera in the bush. Every week we see kiwi. The following video has a male first then a female visiting the burrow.
https://youtu.be/2o3JU5HVC0Y

I love the symmetry and randomness of nature. Here an emerging fern frond displays its exactness while a nearby Towai trunk has white, orange and black lichen randomly growing on it.

Orchids

It is Orchid time of the year in the Hugh Crawford Reserve.. Here is  Spider Orchid - Corybas trilobus. There are many other native orchids in the Hugh Crawford Reserve.

Kiwi at Old Mill Ln

Every week we download videos from our camera in the bush. Every week we see kiwi. View on YouTube

Grey Faced Petrels at Taurawhata on the Tutukaka Coast

Today's video download at the Grey Faced Petrel colony at Taurawhata on the Tutukaka Coast showed a pair changeover at the burrow being monitored by trail camera.
Follow the link below.
https://youtu.be/RoPcC5_dzwo
This really is a beautiful spot.

Our Stunning Tutukaka Coast

Pictures tell the story. Loved getting up close to a New Zealand Fur Seal

The new Ngunguru School Wetland Classroom

We had a second wonderful day at Old Mill Lane at the new Ngunguru School Wetland Classroom where year 3 and 4 children explored the mysteries of, and importance of wetlands. They discovered what fish we have with Hilton, birds - their calls, tracks and recognition with Dayna Davies, wetland plants and their importance with Nan Pullman and sounds and smells of the bush with Melva. Matua Rod lead them into secrets and traditions, uses and mana of trees in the bush, and Loren Hope - Ngunguru School Earth Education teacher - introduced the children to the Giants of the bush. It was another big fun day.
Below is a Facebook comment from one of the parents:-
What an awesome day spent with Ngunguru School on our field trip - learning about wetlands from the most knowledgeable people! Fantastic, and the kids lapped it up ❤️👍

Thank you Malcolm Pullman for the following photos

The Wetland Boardwalk

Matua Rod in te ngahere

Loren Hope with a group

fabulous fish

Lunch break

Dayna - Birds are exciting

Thank you Emma Jelsma for the following photos👍

One of Hilton's groups viewing bird tracks in the mud.

Matua Rod preparing a Kawakawa / Manuka brew for the children to try.

Loren Hope and a group doing and exercise about trees in the bush.

Hilton and a group with fish caught in the fish traps.

A drink for everyone from the bush.

More fabulous fish.

New Zealand Preying Mantis

You have to like these fellows. New Zealand Preying Mantis. We have not seen one in our garden for a year or more. South African variety is has taken over even with squishing every one we see including the egg cases.
Note the purple spot and the short thorax. SA Variety - No purple spot and long thorax (8~10mm)

Pukeko ripping up our wetland

If you were wondering what Pukeko do at night apart from screeching and chasing one another about they could be ripping up your wetland.

Weta

Went for an evening walk with our headlamps looking for Geckos and found this lovely lady. Female Tree Weta.
Hidden away in holes in the Manuka and Kanuka during the day. Out at night to feed on foliage.

Alseuosmia Banksii (Toropapa)

The summer was great for Toropapa flowering in the Hugh Crawford Reserve. Now many are loaded with berries.

Something Has To Give - Combined Kiwi Video trying hole for size

Something has to give! This hole is at the base of a ponga. Except for the base which is clay the walls at the entrance are hard and fibrous. It looks like Kiwi will win out of sheer determination. No regard for the camera as it hurls clay at it.
https://www.facebook.com/Spindrift11/videos/a.10155007814483114.1073741834.539133113/10155007814528114/?type=3

Fernbirds at Old Mill Ln

Our dawn chorus is predominantly Matata. At 7:30this morning Matata (Fernbirds) were all up chirping in our wetland. This recording is from our boardwalk in Old Mill Ln. Ngunguru. Too many to count. We hear them every morning even from our house. There are so many that they have moved up the valley and can be found almost anywhere in Old Mill Ln. Click to listen

Weekend Entertainment at Old Mill Ln

Every Saturday I download the cards from our two motion sensing cameras. Always a new entertainment. This Kiwi is  hoot. Maybe lazy. It should just get digging harder.
View HERE

And then there are RATS! The Hugh Crawford DOC Reserve is a bird desert. Occasionally we hear Riroriro, Tui and Eastern Rosella. Any other time is is deathly silent. Here is why.
View HERE