Discussion
A very special winter day out on Kapiti, a sanctuary island. I spend as much time as I can in the rainforests on the mainland, but this place-world just 5km off shore is a very different biological reality. The canopy was thriving with song, a whole new scale.
The fruit of over a century of dedication removing destructive invasive species like goats, deer, stoats, rats, cats & possums, introduced by European settlers. The biome heals & finds itself again.
(Some music for you)
A few more shots. I was very moved to not only hear the haunting calls of the Kōkako, but actually see a pair. My first time outside of captivity. None of my photos were good however.
There are many Kōkako on Kapiti.
When I heard them call out today over a deep valley, I found myself saying "they are singing to the infinite".
Weka also rummaged around us, Hihi, robins - you never see them that close on the mainland.
The peak of the island is ~520m. ~10km in length.
These sanctuaries are a keen reminder of just how catastrophically disconnected the 'let nature find its way' mantra is. Were this island to have been left to sort itself out, it would today be denuded, with a few remnant mobs of starving goats and deer, none whose ancestors asked to be there, a world away from their native European habitats.
Just as is the fate of so many other mainland biomes not given the support they need to biologically decolonise, and regenerate. They disappear.
All said, shout out to mana whenua iwi Ngāti Toa esp, the Department of Conservation, and all those that went before (like the insanely busy Richard Henry (1845 - 1929)), for their kaitiakitanga protecting this incredible taonga.
Here's a bit about the Kōkako.
https://www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/north-island-kokako
@JulianOliver nature will find it's way, just give it a couple of million years or so for all the biodiversity and species niches to re-evolve... 🙃
@JulianOliver I have one halfway decent picture of a Kōkako from Kapiti Island. I also tried to look for them near Rotorua but struck out.
@va2lam Lucky human! I look forward to going back soon.
Oh yep, for your Sunday grunt, definitely be careful on the tops! Slow, maybe two poles, low profile. More than once up there I've been nearly blown over. One clear but extremely windy day, my hat was blown off with such force I swear it could've made it to the Wairarapa.
You have a PLB or Garmin?
@JulianOliver Postponing the Southern Crossing to some weekend with less wind. My spouse had a hat blown off in similar weather on Mt. Fyffe. The gusts were forecast for 80km/h, down from 100, but that is still a lot for those tops.
I do have an inReach, yes. Having one of those devices seems to be prudent these days. Though it's not clear the helicopter could come either.
@JulianOliver were you lucky enough to see kōkako?
(PS it certainly is forecast to be windy on the tops tomorrow)
@va2lam two of them! I could not believe it! Right above our heads.
Install bonfire.cafe
Get the full app experience
