Zealandia in Spring time.

The koru -  harbinger of spring and new life

It is a lovely time to be in Zealandia at present. The valley is full of promise as the days get warmer and the birds get amorous. Fresh fronds are unfurling from the tree ferns or ponga. Their koru look so distinctive. In Maori lore they represent life force and are used in art and in ta moko or tattooing.
The silver ferns were looking fresh and fecund as well. Their silver fronds are on display everywhere at the moment as we compete for the Americas Cup in San Fransisco in huge great catamarans that rip along on the water at eighty kilometres an hour. At least they were. We almost had a hand on the cup a couple of days ago when we went over the time limit and that race was canned. We have to win just one more race and it is getting to people's nerves. It was good to be in the bush away from the hype for a while but the silver ferns kept reminding me about what I have inadvertently got caught up in. They seemed to be whispering at me 'just one more race to win, just one more!'

Our National symbol the silver fern or ponga.

The karuhiruhi or pied shags with nests near the pontoon have three eggs each. They are unconcerned they are so close to visitors and are absorbed in their parenting.

Karuhiruhi sitting on their three eggs

Tuatara are becoming more visible as the days warm up. One female tuatara is the most hardy. She has been out during the winter on mild days and is now outside her burrow pretty much daily.

As it warms more and more tuatara will emerge from their burrows.

Robin behaviour has changed. A couple of these toutouwai are now refusing to cache unless they are given two meal worms. They dig their claws in and hop about making their intentions clear. They just will not play the game for the visitors until they are provided with another meal worm. Then, having chased off other robins all winter, they are now taking their booty to their potential mates and presenting it to them instead of scoffing and hiding the lot as in the past. The females seem to be enjoying their enhanced status and accept the males' offerings as their right.

Mallard ducks and ducklings are everywhere. I had a nervous moment when doing the takahe talks yesterday. T2 and Puffin were at their hoppers enjoying the pellets I had just added when two tiny ducklings came past. There were no parents in sight. Both takahe stopped feeding and eyed them. My heart stopped and I held my breath. I was surrounded by visitors including little children oohing and aahing at the cute little ducklings and the big beautiful takahe. Takahe have been known to add meat to their diet around the breeding season if the opportunity presents itself. This was an opportunity presenting itself. The takahe were very alert to the babies and watched them intently. Then thank goodness they turned back to the hoppers and started eating again. I breathed a huge sigh of relief that we were not witness to murder and mayhem. Whew!

Mallard duck families are everywhere

Our kaka are well under way with egg laying. I checked my four nest boxes to find two out of four have nests inside. One has five eggs and one has three. I sit and wait till the mother comes off the eggs then go in for a quick check to make sure all is as it should be. Four or five eggs are the usual number but some have six. On hatching not all will survive to fledge. My two mothers are experienced and seem to know the routine. When they come out they sometimes sit nearby and watch what I do. Their partners are often about too and will regurgitate food for for them at this time.

A mum checking who is about before emerging

Its safe to come on out

Mrs Kaka outside her nest box

She hears her partner call from above

A male waiting for his partner to come off the nest so he can feed her.

   

One, two, four and then five eggs

                                           

As I returned along the Round the Lake track I stopped to watch a kaka bark stripping. It was amazing to see that destructive beak at work. They tear off bark for insects and cut across it to release sap. Native trees cope fine, but some exotics are not faring so well especially those in the nearby Botanic Gardens and neighbour's back yards.

Kaka damage

Back by the lake the ducklings were tucked up for an afternoon snooze with Mum. Mallards seem to be poor parents and unlike robins can't count too well. They tend to lose ducklings as a matter of course. As they have large families it is definitely a matter of survival of the fittest and little stray ducklings quickly become part of the food chain.

Unfurling tree fern fronds seemed to be everywhere as I made my way out of the valley signifying the promise of summer to come.