Friday, January 11, 2008

200gr8 !!


Happy New Year you all,


What a busy time it's been and fabulous summer weather for Christmas. I've had loads of guests - paying and not, and several late night parties with Sarah Crowe (my pseudo-daughter) who works at LOOP Aotearoa, a record making company, friends of hers and my niece Ruby - all presently Wellingtonians.


The portacom, now called the "green house" is up and running, will post a picture of that next time.


Perhaps, most notably, I've finally seen fairy terns - the rarest bird in New Zealand. They nest on the sandspit (wildlife refuge) that sits between my home and others on the secondary dune and the sea. They are on the primary dune. There are only about 14 of the birds left and they nest in 3 places...this year a pair of them are nesting in a new location, much farther south and a greater distance into the dune (away from the sea) than any scientists thought they would.


This nest is only minutes from my home and I will be helping the Department of Conservation bird wardens keep an eye on it. The birds are nearly impossible to see, even when you know there is one sitting on its "nest" in a general area. They are white and black with orange beaks so they nest in shelly patches that have white, black and orange shells. This nest has two eggs. I saw the male sitting and the female call as she flew in. They swapped places, he did some "housekeeping" which is moving shells around and turning them over then flew off for a feed in the estuary.


Even if you know where the nest is, it is nearly impossible to spot and would be so easy to step on. The nest is only a scratch in the sand. The tiny eggs are mottled so they blend in with the shell. Can you spot them in the photo? The chicks are eaten by hawks and black backed sea gulls. People are not allowed to go near them unless they are certified rangers or volunteer helpers and then only if they are in danger. Otherwise volunteers sit a distance away with telescope and binoculars and watch...noting when the adults change over and trying to keep people and predators away. There is a large "fence" put up around them - with signs saying keep out and people often ignore them.


So that's it for now. Hoping to rearrange my bedroom today, need help with moving furniture, so if you're in the area, call in!