Annette, a long time and very active member of our group helped
with a recent transfer of 40 Saddleback (Tieke) from Bushy Park Sanctuary to Rotokare
Scenic Reserve.
Annette has filed this report.
Bushy Park Sanctuary is 100
hectares of fenced, predator free, original
lowland rainforest about 25km west of Whanganui.
Complementing the magnificent rainforest (which
contains Ratanui, known as the largest living N I rata) are healthy populations
of a variety of native birds. Saddlebacks and robins are particularly
conspicuous, which is exciting since both populations have grown from
relatively recent translocations.
The first day of catching started with a heavy frost
and was very cold. Saddleback are usually caught in mist nets and attracted
using playback of recorded calls.
 |
| Saddleback in mist net, photo taken on Kapiti Is during a previous transfer |
That morning most of them were more
interested in feeding than in responding to unusual disturbances, so we caught
just 15 between 9am and 2pm. However after that things livened up and 20 more
were caught in about half an hour.
 |
| Kevin P processing a bird while others wait in line on a line. |
5 more were easily caught the
next morning, and we had our quota in record time, with a few juveniles and an
even mix of sexes.
 |
| A juvenile bird complete with bling. |
The birds were kept in an
aviary where they soon keyed into their new diet and feasted on thousands of
mealworms and pecked at juicy oranges. Many other fruits and food were
available but these were their favourites. Four days later most of them
had gained weight and they were caught and put in transfer boxes and driven to
Rotokare.
Rotokare Scenic
Reserve is a 230 hectare forested hill-country catchment with extensive
wetlands and a 17.8 hectare natural lake.A Trust was formed in 2004 and in an ambitious community-owned and
community-driven project the reserve was surrounded by a pest proof fence and
the pests within eradicated. Now they are starting to reintroduce missing
species. Both Whitehead and Saddleback have now been introduced this year.
It is a free
access, open Sanctuary and boating is allowed.
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