Another Australian ex-pat

Australasian Gannet

Whilst breeding colonies on offshore islands formed earlier, this white seabird was first recorded breeding on the mainland around the late 1800s. Since then it has well and truly colonised the country with Cape Kidnappers, Muriwai and Farewell Spit, being the most readily accesible. The colony at Kidnappers is one of the most famous. By the late 1990s, over 6500 gannets were reported to be breeding there. Now the beach is covered in their feathers and the air rings with their calls. Hens lay only one egg, and both parents take turns incubating it. The nest is made from dried seaweed, cemented with guano. The chick hatches blind and helpless but grows swiftly and at 14 weeks is bigger than its parents and ready for the next stage in the adventure of its life. After exercising its wing muscles and learning to fly with skill and ability, the now four-month old youngsters depart on-mass, making the long flight - unassisted, to the east coast of Australia. Here they remain for about 2-3 years, foraging and surviving, before making the return journey. Only about a quarter return safely to the waters of New Zealand, and from here-on they remain here, diving for fish and eventually finding their own mates. It may take them a couple of years to succesfully pair off and find a space of land to call their own, but once mated, gannets remain life-long companions and can live for up to 30 years.

Awry Bill

Ngutuparore, the Wrybill

This wading bird is truly unique - for it is the only bird in the world with a bill turning to one side. It is a species of plover, and its bill is turned slightly to the right. Why? Well, theories on this differ - it could be a mere evolutionary quirk, or it could be an aid to its foraging. The Wrybill hunts for caddisfly and mayfly larvae, which hide beneath rocks. With its bill it is perhaps more adept at locating and extracting these. Wrybill are migratory within New Zealand, but have never been reported outside the country - not even as a windswept vagrant. They breed exclusively in the braided rivers of the South Island, but outside of breeding season can be found across the north and south islands. A favourite vacation spot is the Firth of Thames, which can hold up to 75% of the entire population in the colder seasons. These means that an environmental thread in this location could, literally, decimate the population. Whilst not considered uncommon, wrybill numbers have been undergoing a slow but steady decline.

Seldom seen, sometimes heard

Pipipi, the brown creeper

Related to the Whitehead and the yellpowhead, the brown creeper is the only one still frequently found in native forest of the South Island. Even there, it is declining in numbers. It forages fairly high up the trees, catching insects. Mostly the flock moves in silence, but will occasionally break into song. The name "Pipipi" comes from its distinctive call. It is an active fellow, often hanging upside down from its strong toes. Like its cousins, it also frequently acts as a "host" to cuckoo chicks.

You can purchase this piece for $20 via Trademe:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=327805102

Some cuckoo pictures will come soon, I promise! We have two very distinct species.

The Pipipi here is pictured on Marbleleaf and is a larger version of an ATC I made some years ago. Here for comparison is the original:

Wetland Stalker

Matuka-moana, the White Faced Heron

Another Australian that now calls New Zealand home, the White-faced heron started to breed in this country in the 1940s. Now they are the most common heron species and are frequently sited in estuaries, swamps, around lakes and rivers and - essentially - anything wet. Their main diet is aquatic creatures - small fish, crabs and invertebrates, as well as the occasional reptile, frog or insect. Several techniques are employed while hunting - the stand and watch and wait method, stalking slowly about and keeping their eyes open, flicking their wings or raking with their feet to disturb anything buried in the mud. Or, if all else fails, charging at it with wings open. Dring breeding season these birds become highly territorial, choosing a mate, defining their territory and laying 3-5 eggs in a shallow , untidy bowl-shaped nest. Outside of breeding season they sometimes socialise with others of their species. , particularly if there is a lot of wetland to go around - such as after rain or flooding.

A Royal Visitor

Kotuku Ngutupapa, the Royal Spoonbill

Like many of our avian species, the Royal Spoonbill made the journey across from Australia and decided that life was better here. Spoonbills were first recorded in New Zealand in the 1930s, but it was only from 1950 that they truly became an established species. It's long, spoon-shaped bill might look quite ridiculous, but it is a most elaborate tool. When feeding, the Spoonbill stands knee-deep in the water, swirling its bill about to create a mini-eddy or tidal pool that will draw and any small creatures, such as crustaceans, fish and frogs, from the water and mud. Papillae (touch receptors) inside the bill detect the prey and these birds are able to forage at night as well. Spoonbills travel in flocks, a feature which can be used to distinguish them from the rather more regal Kotuku or white heron. They fly in a V formation. Many breed at Okarito, along with their slender billed cousins, but other breeding sites have been established along the coast. Nests are constructed high in Kahikatea trees, or atop smaller, scrubbier bushes - or even the ground. The higher the nest, the more risk they have of losing chicks or eggs during stormy, windy weather.

The Maori name - Kotuku Ngutupapa, translates as "board billed kotuku."

C is for Cow

Hostess gift for the "Illuminated alphabet" swap

Baby Animal Alphabet

These cute wittle baby animals are for an Illuminated Alphabet 4x4 swap over on Illustrated ATCs.

A is for Anteater
B is for Bat
C is for Crow
D is for Duck

And here I was swearing I would never draw another crow, but it's a baby crow - all beak and feet and gawky as heck. Couldn't you just gobble him up?