Precious cargo, 12 adult Korimako or native NZ bellbird being carried into Te Parapara Maori garden, Hamilton Gardens, 2 weeks ago, to be released into our city environment after an absence of 100 yrs ! The birds were mist caught on TiriTiri Matangi and other areas north of Auckland where they have flourished in predator free sancturies - I truly hope they will flourish here again.
The 2 people mostly concerned with this project, John Innes (Landcare Research, and a young chap from the University of Waikato carried the box onto the garden, welcomed by a kuia from the local iwi, Ngati Waiwere. It always sends shivers up my spine when I hear the haunting call that can either welcome or send-off a being onto a marae or sacred place by these women.
A prayer from the kuia to send them on their way, these native birds once were everywhere throughout the Waikato, but with loss of habitat and introduced predators, they survive only in 2 or 3 isolated bush areas.
aThere were alot of people including children at the Gardens to watch this historic event, it is heartening to see the number of keen conservationists gathered together and so interested. I am very proud of my city for having the foresight to replant and repopulate.
A beautiful male Korimako with his olive green plumage, the female is not quite as green. Their song is truely amazing, check out any NZ bird site and find a recording, sorry, i`m lazy and haven`t done it for you.
Precious cargo, 12 adult Korimako or native NZ bellbird being carried into Te Parapara Maori garden, Hamilton Gardens, 2 weeks ago, to be released into our city environment after an absence of 100 yrs ! The birds were mist caught on TiriTiri Matangi and other areas north of Auckland where they have flourished in predator free sancturies - I truly hope they will flourish here again.
The 2 people mostly concerned with this project, John Innes (Landcare Research, and a young chap from the University of Waikato carried the box onto the garden, welcomed by a kuia from the local iwi, Ngati Waiwere. It always sends shivers up my spine when I hear the haunting call that can either welcome or send-off a being onto a marae or sacred place by these women.
A prayer from the kuia to send them on their way, these native birds once were everywhere throughout the Waikato, but with loss of habitat and introduced predators, they survive only in 2 or 3 isolated bush areas.
aThere were alot of people including children at the Gardens to watch this historic event, it is heartening to see the number of keen conservationists gathered together and so interested. I am very proud of my city for having the foresight to replant and repopulate.
A beautiful male Korimako with his olive green plumage, the female is not quite as green. Their song is truely amazing, check out any NZ bird site and find a recording, sorry, i`m lazy and haven`t done it for you.
