[vc_row row_height_percent=”65″ back_image=”7468″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”243960″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”3″ overlay_color=”color-584830″ overlay_alpha=”80″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_custom_heading text_color=”color-xsdn” text_size=”fontsize-321034″ uncode_shortcode_id=”692641″ text_color_type=”uncode-palette”]Spring has definitely sprung![/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic=”h4″ text_size=”h4″ uncode_shortcode_id=”198586″]Author: Neil Davies, Guide
Date: September 2024
Photos credit: Neil Davies[/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”810315″]Sunday 1st Sept.

On Sunday Mary-Ann and I were over on the island checking tracking tunnel cards as part of our on-going monitoring programme. Nothing untoward and just the usual critters showing up on the cards – footprints of birds, weta, wētā punga, skinks, tuatara and Duvachel gecko to name a few. However, it was impossible not to be taken by the level of bird song, even in the middle of the day, which indeed sounded like the ‘dawn chorus’. There were lots of encounters with kōkako, hihi, korimako, tūī, pōpokotea and tīeke as well as several tuatara spotted outside their burrows. I think they were celebrating the return of sunshine and mild temperatures after the heavy rain, thunder and lightning from the weather ‘bomb’ that passed over on Saturday night.

Things definitely seem to be warming up and Spring has definitely sprung! Kōwhai and karo are still blooming prodigiously all over the island and the ground is now being carpeted with yellow flower petals and the deep crimson colour of the karo flowers. It also looks like it’s going to be an exceptional year for harakeke (flax) with a huge number of flower spikes and the first flowers already opening (I haven’t seen any on the mainland yet). Rewarewa has started to flower too which also seems earlier than usual. So, plenty of food for our nectar feeders – tūī, hihi and korimako. Perhaps this means the birds will be breeding earlier this year!

Right now is a great time to visit the island (is there ever not a good time to visit?) I snapped a few photos and videos to capture some of those moments.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image media=”7464″ media_width_percent=”100″ media_ratio=”four-three” uncode_shortcode_id=”844771″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image media=”7465″ media_width_percent=”100″ media_ratio=”four-three” uncode_shortcode_id=”603495″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_custom_heading text_size=”h6″ uncode_shortcode_id=”114889″]Kōkako enjoying the nīkau[/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image media=”7470″ media_width_percent=”100″ media_ratio=”four-three” uncode_shortcode_id=”192578″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image media=”7471″ media_width_percent=”100″ media_ratio=”four-three” uncode_shortcode_id=”207358″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_custom_heading text_size=”h6″ uncode_shortcode_id=”189131″]Spring has sprung[/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row]