Ducks Unlimited NZ
Issue 163

Issue 163

April 2015

 

  • Whio updates
  • Bittern secrets revealed
  • Grey teal – game bird in waiting
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Wetlands need water to function and here we are again engrossed in another dry summer with severe drought conditions being experienced in a number of regions. This adversely impacts on water levels in our wetlands and the biodiversity they support. We cannot ignore that climate change is having an effect. What can we do about…
Finally revealed by DU transmitters Last issue I introduced Australasian bitterns, a rare, secretive wetland bird that often lives within a stones’ throw of people’s houses – yet only the lucky few who spend time in wetlands know this species exists! As our  bittern is the rarest in the world, we have  several reasons to be…
It is looking like another record year of ducklings being produced with hopefully 39 being released. Peacock Springs with 18, Mt Bruce with 16 and Orana with five. Could have been more but you can never count your ducklings till you have them on the ground.   It is really great to see more ducklings…
Freedom at last for the first 17 whio released this year into the Little Maketawa Stream at Egmont National Park. “It went well,” said Peter Russell.   A special karakia for all the birds was conducted by Sandy Parata from Ngati Runaui, before the birds were released.  And they were really happy to get into…
There were 16 Whio ducklings hatched this  season at Mt Bruce. One of our team, Tara, has taken this delightful photo of the latest clutch of whio to hatch at Pukaha this season. These ducklings spent a few weeks here and then were sent to a ‘hardening unit’ at Turangi to ensure that they will…
Before human settlement (from around 1250–1300 AD), freshwater wetlands covered about 670,000 hectares of New Zealand. Now it is 89,000 ha – a loss of 90 percent. Fertile lowland swamps have been lost in greater numbers than those that were infertile or at high altitudes. Wetland importance is often under-rated. Groups like our own DU,…