May wildlife 2014

[Anthony Darby]

Had a trip to Tiritiri Matangi island (two ferries each way) for the release of 150 wetapunga, bred at Auckland Zoo. The last wild population was found on Little Barrier Island. Now it has been reintroduced to more of the Hauraki Gulf Islands. Formerly distributed over much of the north of the North Island of New Zealand, introduced cats, rats, mice, possums, weasels, stoats and other vermin have wiped them out, and much of the bird life people go to Tiri to see. I saw for the first time bell birds, saddlebacks, stitch birds, North Island robins, white heads, kaka, takahe, and kakariki. I missed out on kokako, kiwi, rifleman, little blue penguin, northern mutton bird and the tuatara.

[Anthony Darby]

More from Tiri.

[ashley]

Yes a wonderful place.  I'd love to hear the dawn chorus there, though not possible for day visitors.

Unfortunately we missed the wetapunga but later met another big 'un, in my daughter's shoe one morning at a campsite near Wellington.

[mark smyth]

Nice selection of birds

[Anthony Darby]

Yes a wonderful place.  I'd love to hear the dawn chorus there, though not possible for day visitors.

The singing during the day is amazing. Seeing and hearing half a dozen bell birds and a similar number of stitch birds plus the odd pair of saddlebacks in the same small area at once is a joy.

Unfortunately we missed the wetapunga but later met another big 'un, in my daughter's shoe one morning at a campsite near Wellington.

The Wellington tree weta, like the Auckland version, are large enough. Bigger than anything I've come across in Europe.

[Steve Garvie]

Garden full of bird activity today.
First Swift of the year over the house. Singing Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Great Tit, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Dunnock, Robin, Wren, Swallow and Goldcrest. Also the first brood of Robins have just left the nest box; the Spotty youngsters have scattered to all corners of the garden.

Local Buzzards have a nest only 300m from our back door, the female makes a real racket calling for her mate. Ravens also regularly flying over the house -they and the Buzzards both run the gauntlet of the local Carrion Crows. 15 years ago the Buzzards and Ravens were real Fife rarities and now they are regular over the garden.

Unfortunately there are losers as well as winners as we no longer have roding Woodcock or Green Woodpeckers in the woods behind us whilst Spotted Flycatchers and Cuckoo have also disappeared.

[Anthony Darby]

If you have five minutes to spare, here is my daughter Lucy's (she's the one with the walking poles) school Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award tramp. The Auckland cave weta seen in one of the old gold mines can be 355 mm from the tip of their antennae to the tip of their hind legs.

[Anthony Darby]

Unfortunately some people should not be in positions where they can destroy the environment: https://www.facebook.com/greenpeace.nz/photos/a.417987320774.213959.11870725774/10152427688100775/?type=1&theater

[ChrisB]

I've got wasps in my greenhouse.  Big ones.  Looks like they're settling in.  Any recommendations about how to get rid of them?  Quite worried....

[Gerry]

Can you see where the nest is? Poison is best used at dusk when they've settled down for the night.

[ChrisB]

I don't think they've got properly started yet Gary but they're in one of the joins it's a cedar greenhouse... Guess I'd better get the stuff... Don't like this sort of thing but I'm afraid I won't be able to go into the greenhouse unless I do something fast...

[Maggi Young]

As a first move, Christine - a rag dipped in Citrus oil, eucalyptus oil or some other essential plant oil, tied in the glasshouse will probably put the wasps off enough to let you in  the greenhouse.  Cut lemons  studded with cloves  are said to deter them as well.

[ChrisB]

 I read on the net that if you crush them they set off a scent that attracts mates who come to their rescue so I'm dissuaded from doing that.  Have killed two more this afternoon with my electronic tennis racquet thingy mostly used on flies in the house but I took the remains outside.  If I get more I've created a honey trap out of a bottle but I'll also do as you say Maggi.  No sign of any sort of nest inside the greenhouse yet, maybe they've just been coming in to get the wood they need to build it elsewhere but there are quite a few buzzing around outside.  I'm getting a lot of bumble bees around as well but I'm very happy to see them and don't want to harm them using chemicals on the wasps...

[ArnoldT]

Chris:

Best to approach in the evening. They do release a scent when attacked that will rile up any others near by.

[johnralphcarpenter]

This works quite well: http://www.waspbane.com/