Another population count

Brook Waimārama Sanctuary volunteers, staff, and Department of Conservation staff (most participants were DOC staff as many Brook volunteers were overseas) performed our annual kākāriki karaka population count using playback (see 2023-07-22 post on last year's population count for methodology).

Day 1 was overcast, a bit of drizzle perhaps, and birds were a bit quiet, we counted 170-odd birds. Day 2 was sunny and we counted (raw data) 240+ birds. This was considered a very good outcome. The birds were not particularly interested in our playback, few came in to check out the source of the recorded kākāriki karaka calls. Perhaps many of them remembered it from last year. Perhaps they just weren't interested in yet another bird calling about nothing in particular. What was clear is that most of the birds counted were detected in between playback points, i.e., something closer to random sightings. It would be reasonable to assume that we missed quite a few more birds than were counted twice. Almost all of the birds detected were unbanded (born in the sanctuary), although the band status of many of the detected birds was unclear (i.e., their legs were not seen). All up, a case could be made for the population being significantly higher than 240. Clearly we had substantial year-on-year population growth again, 40% would be a reasonable estimate again.

Some unbanded kākāriki karaka detected during the population count yesterday and today.

While the bird news was great, our joy was tempered by the knowledge that half of the DOC Kākāriki Karaka Recovery Programme staff we'd got to know over the years (including half the staff involved with the current count) are to fall victim to heavy budget cuts next month and are being laid off. This is likely to be the last time we'd be working with many of them in the Brook.

Kārearea - NZ falcon

About once per year a kārearea lands close enough to me for a photo or two. I see them a lot more often overhead though. Kārearea have large territories. In pine forest in NZ it's estimated there is about one pair per 9 km2. As the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary is 7 km2, it's conceivable there may only be one or two pairs. There appear to be a pair resident mid-Kākariki Spur, and others are seen regularly on the eastern fence-line (probably a different pair).

I saw this one on Tuatara Spur, a short flight from Kākariki Spur (a 30 minute walk for a human, or a 30 second flight for this bird) so it may be one of the Kākariki Spur pair.

No such thing as too many kākāriki karaka photos

So here are a few from today..

More nestlings

My favourite time of the year in the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary again, when kākāriki karaka nestlings are being fed at the nest entrance. The first three are from a nest in the Upper Valley.

The next two (and the linked video) are from mid-sanctuary.

Here is a video of nestlings being fed at the nest entrance (filmed the day after the above photos were taken). Note the harassment by an aggressive korimako (bellbird). Three days after this was filmed the nest had fledged.

Pīwakawaka - NZ fantail

They're never too far away, and like to snack on bugs disturbed by passing humans. Their endearing chitter and squeak and of course that gorgeous tail makes them a favourite of most who come across them.

An adult pied morph (two photos), a black morph fledgling, and a juvenile pied morph.

Kākāriki karaka nest fledging - on video

Today I crossed one thing off my bucket list. Seeing a kākāriki karaka nest fledge! I had never seen a nestling take its first flight and make the change from nest-bound infant to flying bird. Today I did. No photos, I went for video instead. I knew the nest was due to fledge from the appearance of the nestlings, and that some of the birds may already have left.

No tripod, so I was leaning against a tree holding the camera as still as I could. The male arrived and landed in the foliage of an adjacent tree about 8-10m or so from his nest where he remained for the duration. He called briefly to his nestling. The nestling spent about a minute making up its mind then flew to dad. Here's a record of the whole event, minus the first few seconds where dad is calling. In the first few seconds of the video the male can be heard calling from the left. The other parakeet sounds are the nestling.

By the way, the string going past the nest had a purpose. During the Brook's first kākāriki karaka breeding season the Department of Conservation inspected a few of the first nests. When a nest is considered accessible, they fire a bolt from a crossbow attached to string. After multiple attempts (this may take hours) and the string eventually ends up going up, and through, and down where it's wanted, the string is used to pull through a rope. A DOC employee then ascends the rope using jumars and inspects the nest with an inspection camera. Examination of this hole (February 2022) provided the first evidence of hatchlings with their mother.

Once a nest site has been 'shot', the string is left for possible use at another stage. E.g., the time may come when the Brook will provide a source of eggs to maintain genetic diversity in kākāriki karaka populations elsewhere.

Shakespeare

I have a few favourite kākāriki karaka and GV-S (Green Violet -Silver) is one of them. He's the most prolific user of one of the feeders, and I have seen him on feeder cameras more than any other bird. I can usually recognise him without seeing his leg bands as he always looks 'serious'.

Here he is perched above the feeder that he owns looking like he's about to quote from Hamlet. Hence I named him Shakespeare. Next photos is a heavy crop; the mugshot demonstrates his 'sideburns' giving him a wise old bird look. 'Cute' does not work for Shakespeare.