Fantail eggs for breakfast

Yesterday I was on the second storey of a building that is closely surrounded by trees. Looking out the window, I was amazed to see a rat scampering around in the branches. The rat was flanked by a couple of very distressed fantails who were trying to protect their nest.

The sight of this large rat was disturbing to me. Most other rats I've ever seen have been either caught in a trap or brought in by the cat. This is the first time I have ever seen one running around in the trees doing what they do best - hunting for a breakfast of birds' eggs.

The speed and ease with which it scampered along the branches was amazing. This is an animal which is so well adapted to the forest environment that it has literally taken over. Rats like this one, the ship rat, are responsible for massive destruction of our native birdlife in New Zealand.

As I watched the poor fantails fluttering desparately around the rat I felt helpless to assist. My only comfort came from knowing that the work I do with the Kaharoa Kokako Trust protects our birds from these ruthlessly efficient predators.

New Zealand birds evolved over millions of years in an environment where mammalian predators like rats and possums did not exist. Our native birds, even the ones who can fly, have no defences against these recent invaders.

This is the very reason why we need toxins like 1080. It is difficult to control rats in any other way. And control them we must, if our native birds are to survive.

Nick Smith on kokako quest

From left: Tom Davies (Trustee), Anne Managh (Chair), Greg Corbett (Bay of Plenty Regional Council), Carmel Richardson (Trustee) and Nick Smith.

Last week the Kaharoa Kokako Trust played host to Hon Nick Smith, the Minister for the Environment.

While on a whistle-stop tour of various other meetings in Rotorua, the Minister opted to have lunch with us and go for a bush walk.

We met Nick Smith earlier in the year when he presented us with the Supreme Green Ribbon Award, so this was a great opportunity for us to thank him more personally.

The Minister has a long-standing interest in conservation and admits to having a particular fondness for kokako. That makes us birds of a feather indeed!

Wearing his Wellington suit and shod in borrowed gumboots, he headed off after lunch in search of the elusive kokako. Despite the best efforts of Carmel Richardson, our eagle-eyed avian ecologist, none were seen or heard.

Still, we managed to impress the Minister with our beautiful corner of the world and with the work we are doing at Kaharoa. It was an honour for us to have him visit and we are certainly grateful for his support.

Possum pulls the punters

A stuffed possum was the celebrity guest at the Kaharoa Kokako Trust gazebo when we attended the recent Matariki celebration at Hamurana Springs. This wonderful event, hosted by Ngati Rangiwewehi, attracted hundreds of people from the Rotorua community. Many of these visitors stopped to pat our possum and chat about our kokako recovery work.

One of the things that often surprises me is the lack of public knowledge about possums. Children and adults alike find them cute to look at and soft to touch, but they often don't realise what a huge pest these animals are.

Back in the 1990s, a large research experiment showed that the reason kokako numbers were declining in New Zealand was because of possums and ship rats. These animals attack kokako nests and kill the eggs and chicks. It the mother bird puts up a fight, she will often be injured or killed as well. Sadly, like most of our native birds, they are not well adapted to defend again animal predators.

That's where people like us come in. By reducing the number of possums and rats during the nesting season, we enable the chicks to fledge successfully. Once they have left the nest, they are relatively safe from predators. And that's why the numbers of kokako at Kaharoa have increased.

Possums might look cute and cuddly, but they are voracious predators that do enormous damage to New Zealand's biodiversity. If more people could only grasp this fact more fully, there might be better understanding of why toxins and other pest control methods are used and needed in New Zealand, including 1080.

Below: That's me outside our gazebo at the Matariki celebration.

A wet celebration

Our chair, Anne Managh, with representatives of
Ngati Rangiwewehi: Mrs Hinapouri Mita, Mr Ted Mita,
Mrs Kathleen Mohi and Mr Henare Mohi.

Last weekend (20 June) the Kaharoa Kokako Trust organised a celebration for our Green Ribbon Award. The plan was to have a bush walk to hear the kokako, followed by a barbeque breakfast. Sadly, it was raining cats and dogs, so most people stayed home. We didn't.

We were delighted to welcome the few dedicated souls who showed up, despite the weather, including members of Ngati Rangiwewehi, the tangata whenua of Kaharoa Forest. Also present, in full wet weather gear was Nicki Douglas, Area Manager of the Department of Conservation who has been a great friend of the Trust.

A few of our hardiest volunteers braved the weather, as did Rotorua MP, Todd McLay, with his wife and four children, who made full use of all available puddles.

The kokako weren't interested in singing for us, and the rain showed no signs of easing. But we did enjoy a hearty breakfast and an intimate celebration with a handful of people who are very special to the Trust.

We Won!

That's me on the left with Rotorua MP Todd McLay

and our wonderful chairwoman, Anne Managh.

(Photo courtesy of http://www.pixs.co.nz/)

I've just returned from Wellington where I attended the Green Ribbon Award ceremony. These prestigious awards are given every year by the Ministry for the Environment to honour outstanding contributions to protecting New Zealand's environment.

A group of us from the Kaharoa Kokako Trust went to the awards dinner at the Beehive because we had been named as a finalist in the Biodiversity category.

The Biodiversity winner was the first category named, so we didn't have to wait long. We were beaten by the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust, an awesome group who does great work with Tui. Although we were secretly disappointed that we didn't win, we were pleased for them, and glad to have made it to the finals.

After working our way through an excellent meal and 12 category annoucements, we felt very privileged to be in the company of so many fantastic people who were doing so many good things for the environment.

When the Supreme Award was finally announced by Nick Smith, the Minister for the Environment, we were shocked and thrilled to be picked above all the other category winners. This is an amazing honour for the Trust and all of our supporters.

I was gobsmacked then, and I still am. It's great to be acknowledged in this way. I must confess though that my greatest reward still comes every time I hear the kokako sing.

Hello kokako friends

My name is Margaret Horner and I fell in love with kokako the first time I heard them. Up until then, I wasn’t much interested in birds and believed that bird enthusiasts were rather strange. To me, birds were things that flapped around in the sky and occasionally got brought in by the cat. I could tell a duck from a seagull, and that was about it.

The sound of a few poignant kokako notes ringing out amongst the trees was enough to change all that.

If you aren’t familiar with the kokako, go to the Kaharoa Kokako Trust website and click on the bird song. It’s a strange, haunting sound that resembles a musician trying to extract the perfect note from some mystical flute. That’s what it sounded like to me anyway.

I was captivated from the moment I heard it in the Kaharoa bush near where I live. The only other time I had heard the kokako sing was on the national radio programme. Out there in the forest, the solitary bird sounded to me like a remnant echo of an ancient symphony, tuning up for a grand performance. And I wanted to hear more.

Over time I was to learn more about these birds, and how endangered they are. The bird I heard in Kaharoa was part of a remnant population that was disappearing fast. Very few kokako still live on the North Island mainland, and they are believed to be extinct on the South Island. The only places kokako could thrive were on off-shore islands that were predator free.

I also learned, once I became involved with the Kaharoa Kokako Trust, that I could do my bit to save the local birds by helping out with pest control. Without this protection, all the chicks and many of the mothers are killed by introduced animal predators. By reducing the number of possums and rats in the forest, we enable the birds to fledge chicks so the kokako population can grow.

At Kaharoa I got what I wanted. I can go out into the forest on any still morning and hear the kokako singing. But it’s not one lone, mournful voice anymore, it’s usually a duet, or a whole chorus of notes.

Now what I want is to help spread their song further.