Environment – Support nature this spring

At Shakespear, we had just under 500 lambs born this season and several Pāteke/brown teal ducklings have been seen in the park. These are just two of the signs of spring that provide a great picker-upper after the recent stormy weeks. 

September also has two noteworthy events. First, you can still vote in the local body elections. Nature is one of the strongest building blocks for what we, our kids and our mokopuna require to thrive as humans, and I will reflect on this when deciding who gets my vote.

Secondly, the Forest and Bird annual Bird of the Year competition opened on Monday, September 15 and closes Sunday, September 28. It aims to raise awareness of native wildlife, habitats, and the threats they face. You can vote for up to five birds, and we encourage you to go to the Forest and Bird website and take part in this very fun event. SOSSI (Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society) is supporting two of our locals: the kiwi pukupuku/little spotted kiwi and the hihi/stitchbird, both threatened species that have been translocated here because of the safety provided by the predator-proof fence.

Kiwi pukupuku are the smallest kiwi species with males about 1150gm and females around 135gm. They are nocturnal and rarely seen. At Shakespear they are now often heard calling as their population slowly increases. The female lays one or two eggs between July and January and the male does the 70-day incubation. The chicks first leave the nest after about five days and are independent after four weeks. Without predator control, the species would face certain extinction, due to stoats and feral cats, and the risk of being killed by dogs. But in our sanctuary, individuals will be able to live and reproduce for more than 45 years. 

Hihi were once found throughout the North Island, but introduced predators, as well as habitat loss and diseases, meant that by the 1880s there was only one naturally surviving population left, on Hauturu-o-toi /Little Barrier Island. From there, successful translocations took place to seven islands or fenced sanctuaries, including Shakespear. These populations are actively managed, including supplementary feeding (sugar water made with raw sugar) and nest-boxes. 

Up to four clutches of one to five eggs can be laid per season. Females incubate alone, but males assist with chick rearing. Hihi have “social lives”, that are quite complicated compared to many other small bird species – and possibly too racy to describe in detail in a family newspaper! A good place to view hihi visiting a feeder, is from the “hihi seat” near the Waterfall Gully track. 

So, go kiwi pukupuku and hihi for “Bird of the Year.”

For more information on SOSSI (Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society Inc.) see www.sossi.org.nz or our Facebook page.