All previous newsletters can be found here.
Work Day Reminder, August 17 2024
The next monthly work day will be from 9.00am – noon this coming Saturday.
This month we’ll probably be doing a bit of planting and releasing plants from weeds somewhere around the wetland.
If you arrive late there will be a notice on the Education Centre door explaining where we have gone and a phone number for if you need more guidance to our location.
All tools provided. Gumboots are recommended, but if you don’t have any we have pairs for loan. Please bring your own gloves if you can, but we have some of them for loan too.
If the weather on the work day is poor and we decide to cancel then an email will be sent by 8am on Saturday morning. So if you think the conditions are marginal, please check your emails.
The July work day was cancelled because the forecast for rain did not sit well with the proposed planting location – in the very damp Southern Woods. We’re hoping for improved weather this month.
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Latest News
Keith Mackay
In July Travis Wetland lost Keith Mackay, a staunch supporter from the very early days of the campaign to save the wetland from development as a housing estate. Trust president Colin Meurk wrote to his wife and family to pass on the board’s condolences and here are his words:
I am writing on behalf of the Trust to convey our deepest sympathy to you and your family for loss of your great man. We knew Keith in the early days of getting Travis protected and the partnership with City Council established. Keith was instrumental in negotiating these deals for which we – and the city – will be eternally grateful. He carried out these roles when he took over the chairmanship of the Trust from the founder Anne Flanagan.
I personally knew Keith in those foundational times of establishing Travis Wetland as the largest urban wetland in the country and a favoured recreational and nature reserve for tens of thousands of citizens of Christchurch and visitors each year. He was not only out there planting and weeding, but his community/business connections were no doubt critical in the success of this venture. His legacy will live on.
Native Stinging Nettle
Wayne’s Wonderful Wednesday Workers arrived at Styx Mill to help plant Urtica perconfusa [stinging nettle] at chosen sites there; a little tricky as the nettle is not frost tolerant. We were guided to the right spots for the plants by very experienced Ranger Andrew; he knows his stuff! [He did test our skills at avoiding very wet spots streamside.] Plant shelter is provided by mature Carex secta. It can also survive at the forest edge if there is sufficient constant moisture.
Why is the plant important? It is a host for several of our native butterfly species, which can gobble the whole leaf leaving only the main vein. However, they don’t kill the plant!
Such a worthwhile morning; so glad to help at the Styx. Lovely surprise! We were given 15 nettle plants for Travis Wetland by Trees for Canterbury! Thank you, T. F. C. for your generosity.
Article and images: Eleanor Bissell
Grey and mallard ducks and hybrids of the two
You’re probably familiar with the introduced mallard (rakiraki) ducks that are seen all over the city. The males are very flashy: “in breeding plumage, drakes have the head and neck glossy dark green, separated from the maroon breast by a thin white collar”. The females on the other hand: “dull brown with feathers edged with buff, and have an indistinct dark eye-stripe on an otherwise featureless face”. The indistinct dark eye-stripe is key, because there is the native pārera (imaginatively called the grey duck by Europeans) that looks a lot like the female mallard, but with a well-defined dark eye stripe.
That would be all well and good, but the two species interbreed and hybridise.
Pārera: “The bill is leaden grey with a black nail, legs khaki, and the eye dark brown. The upper wing is brown, with the speculum (on the trailing edge of the inner wing) an iridescent green with a trailing narrow white band (and no anterior band).”
Mallard: “Bright orange legs and feet, orange-and-brown bills, more diffuse eye and bill stripes and mottled face, and a blue speculum edged with white both at front and back.”
Hybrid: “Confusingly variable in most characteristics and otherwise ‘good’ grey ducks need to be examined closely for any indication of anterior speculum stripe (alar bar) on wing (white or fawn, narrow or wide…if it is visible it is probably of hybrid ancestry), hints of orange on legs, and “dirty” cream face with indistinct edges to the facial stripes.”
Here are a couple of Grahame’s images of hybrids from Travis. A male: yellow legs, purple speculum, bill whoops and a twisty tail. A female: not a bad eye stripe, green and purple speculum, two tone bill and orange legs. A beaut!
I wonder if they are self-conscious about their looks? For the real enthusiasts there is a key here to help decide if the duck you are looking at is a mallard, grey or hybrid.
This article was triggered by a post on the DOC Conservation Blog that is a pun-filled guide to mallard and grey ducks entitled Quacking the case on mallards and grey ducks
It ends with some great advice on looking after ducks that includes this important point:
Please don’t feed ducks, feeding wild birds can:
Make them sick or make them starve because they are eating the wrong things
Make them gather in high numbers, spreading disease (we’re especially wary of this with H5N1 avian influenza spreading overseas)
Increase their numbers at a cost to other species (e.g. mallards outcompeting pāteke on Aotea/Great Barrier Island)
Increase risks to human health by increasing the concentration of bird faecal matter
Unattributed quotes are from NZ Birds online.
Article: Dave Evans and images: Grahame
Sketching and Discovering at Travis Wetland
with Dr Morgane Merien and Lily Duval
Lily’s captivating sketches of New Zealand Critters had all, daddies & mummies included, working hard on their sketching skills. Concentration was intense, pencils busy; colour was added. Impressive results too!! Lily’s guidance was step by step and easy to follow! [Think there was a bit of competition among the family groups as well. Peeping!]
The sunny afternoon lured participants armed with containers, to forage for critters with lots of “oohs” and “what is this” to be heard. Back in the meeting room with the critters, Morgane (of TV programme “Bug Hunter”) set up her microscope, put the finds on the pad with a large screen attached. All could easily view. The jumping spider caused much excitement! All critters were returned to their homes. To follow, Morgane set up a canvas and sieved leaf litter on to it. Magnifying glasses proved useful so all could see tiny critters which could be easily remain unseen.
Those who wanted to planted some swan plant seeds to take home to grow. Afternoon tea, organized by Susan and Ann, was thoroughly enjoyed; a very successful outing.
Article and images: Eleanor Bissell
Images from Grahame
