A Young Kaka Leaves the Nest.

Lynn Freeman, one of the volunteers at Zealandia Eco-Sanctuary, staked out a kaka nest recently hoping to photo the young fledglings leaving their nest. Her hours of patience was rewarded with some wonderful footage which I will link this blog to. She also took a marvellous series of photos (posted also on Alfie Kaka's Facebook page) showing a young kaka take its first steps into the big wide world.  I have reproduced them here as well as her dialogue musing about what a young kaka may be thinking.

One small step for kaka, one giant leap for bird-kind

Just as well I practised a few yoga moves while in the nestbox! 

What a struggle! I call this yoga pose "downward bird". 

Trying to turn around is very challenging 

Hmmm.... maybe it's safer back inside 

Now Dad has turned up to give us some wise instructions on how to fledge 

OK, I'm out. Now what? 

I'd like to climb up here... but I can't quite reach and grab

Aaaaarrgghhh! The inevitable pratfall as gravity asserts itself. Uncle Alfie Kaka warned me about this!— at Zealandia Ecosanctuary.

Well it looks like I've fledged!

Hmmm... so this is the big wide world!

Thank goodness Dad is here to keep an eye on me.

Fledging Phase One

Kaka fledging phase two

Dragon boat practice and inclement weather meet head on.

Paddling on Wellington Harbour is nothing if not exhilarating.

We had our first two practices of the year this week. The first was in a wild sea and the next cut short by torrential rain blown in from the south.

On Monday we gathered, swapped stories of christmas and holidays then got down to business. We warmed up with runs, stretches, skipping and sparring. During the runs I took a look at the harbour. It was surging as the water was pushed around by very strong northerly winds. We got the boat out then worked out a little in the lagoon before heading into the harbour. As we paddled under the bridge we were met by a surge or two which lifted the nose of the boat up and threw a few of the paddlers off their stride. We attacked the waves battling as manfully as a boatload of women can manage. There were two other boats out as well for the first time and the chase boat kept a close eye on us all and motored between us. The wind whipped around us and caused water to slosh in over the side. We headed into a sheltered spot between two wharves for a bit of respite and to bail out as we were ankle deep in water. The coach also decided to bail out and jumped on to a platform and then on to the wharf side so that he could better see our action. As he was explaining what he wanted from us my neighbouring paddler nudged me and pointed out to the far end of the stretch of water by the wharf opposite. There was a dragon boat sitting low in the water. On closer inspection it was actually under the water with its paddlers still sitting in it or hanging on to the sides. They had been swamped. Luckily our dragon boats are double hulled so do not sink. The rescue boat was occupied getting people on board then ferrying them in to shore via the lagoon. We pointed out the scenario  to the coach as it would be foolish of us to head out in open water again while the chase boat had its hands full with one capsize as it was.

We decided to practise starts and to stop short before leaving shelter to avoid encountering the large swell now rolling in. This involved racing forward then back paddling to the start once more. It was tough on the sweep who was having trouble keeping upright at times. It was tough on us as our back paddling muscles usually don't get such a workout. I was at the back of the boat for once and was a bit alarmed to see how slow we were at times at following instructions. In conditions like that you need a quick response or capsize will be the result. It made me nervous about the return trip we were going to have to make to get back to the safety of the lagoon. All it would take for a capsize would be the sweep falling off the back and the paddlers not responding quick enough to stabilise the boat.

The coach climbed back in and as the rescue of the capsized boat was complete we ventured back out into the high seas - well- the high and low seas as we were constantly rolling as the surges hit us side on. Fear does wonders and we paddled hard and strong, did a long sweeping turn courtesy of our captain on the long oar at the back of the boat, and came into the lagoon almost catching a wave as we raced in under the bridge.

Our next practice started off well. Due to the southerly blowing the sea was flat and we were protected from the wind. There were ominous clouds on the horizon though and as we went through our programme the sky got darker and darker. Big fat drops of rain started to fall which turned rapidly into a torrent. Despite the exercise we began to get chilled. Then the chase boat pulled up alongside us. One of the blokes in it told us that the Harbour Master had sent out a radio message that all boats had to get off the harbour as a fifty knot squall was coming through at any moment. Again we high-tailed back into the lagoon. As we swept in a loud clap of thunder echoed over the city. We hauled up and put the boat away extra quick. Despite the conditions the outing had been exhilarating and I felt excited and thrilled to be out fighting the elements once again.

Lets hope future practises will continue to give us thrills and challenges.

Here is a link to what we might expect on race day:
Race Day

Launching the boat can be tricky due to a slippery ramp but it is sheltered.

The Story of Rangipo the Ruru.

Owl setting up home in a kaka nest box

Our little owl, Rangipo the ruru has fledged. He was never supposed to be on our nest box route to start with. The nest boxes are set up for kaka, the North Island parrot as Zealandia does not have enough old mature trees to produce places for them to nest in. His mum though was not to be thwarted.

A grid designed to keep out ruru. No doubt curious kaka used their beaks to remove most of the twigs.

The mother to be squeezed in and laid her eggs despite our efforts to keep her out

My nest monitor buddy discovered her setting up home in the of the boxes and despite her best efforts to discourage her she was not to be put off and laid two perfect little white eggs.

Once an egg was laid we gave in and allowed Mrs Ruru to stay. Her penalty was that she ended up being harassed by the paparazzi

Two ruru eggs in the nest box

One hatched and a little bundle of white fluff was produced. The egg looked as if it had exploded rather than hatched with egg shards scattered everywhere. It was if the chick had erupted from a volcanic event. As a result we called the chick Rangipo after the Rangipo Desert near Mt Ruapehu. The desert was named Rangipo by Maori after an eruption which made the sky dark and ominous during the day.

We visited biweekly and watched him grow from a ball of white fluff to a young owl ready to take his place in the night sky. We saw what his mother brought into the nest for him to eat.

Rangipo just hatched. He must have popped out with volcanic force as there are tiny pieces of egg shell everywhere

Rangipo a couple of weeks later with his unhatched sibling and a tasty snack of weta ready for him to eat.

Rangipo getting his adult feathers, ready for fledging.

Poor mother! Each visit we disturbed her and caused her to blearily leave the nest. We were not too concerned about disrupting her as we did not want her to think that kaka nest boxes were the best places to rear her young. Hopefully next time she will remember and choose a natural nest site where humans will not bother her. Also if the tui and kaka spied her out in the day light they descended upon her screeching and attacking. It was as if they knew she might steal their young to feed her own.

Mrs Morepork (ruru, owl) looking distinctly cheesed off about being disturbed yet again

Go away you photo crazy people and leave me in peace!

The little owl was clever though. Once I watched her as she crouched on a short branch tucked up next to a tree. A tui flew in again and again but could not get close enough to get in a peck without endangering itself. It then sat still up above her waiting, hoping she would move. The little owl knew it was there though and would not comply. Instead she called out soft churring sounds to comfort Rangipo and let him know she was nearby and that all was alright.

I was a little sad to visit one day and find the nest empty. Rangipo had gone. I cleaned out the nest box to prevent a second nest to be started and to keep things hygienic.

On night tours now when I hear the morepork cry I will wonder if it is our own Rangipo which we watched grow up before our eyes.

For more information on the ruru and to hear its call go to this link:

I hope Rangipo has a happy and fruitful life in Zealandia, living off the bounty of the forest and does not get harassed too often by either humans or  tui.