Did you count your kererū?

Mixed results for my great kererū count

Recently Aōtearoa - New Zealand held a week long 'Great Kererū Count' and I think most of my garden's kererū/native wood pigeons flew to Zealandia. I only glimpsed two briefly in my garden's trees and one perched pear-shaped on a garden wire. During that week, it was the wettest and windiest for Spring, but the Zealandia kererū were glossy, plump and twittering away amongst their flock. The awful weather had obviously not affected their feeding on flowering broom and kōwhai!

A recent walk up the Tui Glen track was an eye and ear opener, as Zealandia's birds can certainly be seen and heard!! On the way I saw nesting shags, chirruping tīeke/saddlebacks, darting korimako/bellbirds, squawking kākā and toutouwai/robin males shouting for mates. The trees were alive with the sound of birds - twittering pīwakawaka/ fantails, chirping whiteheads, trilling tuī... and chattering kererū!

How I wished I could have done that ‘Great Kererū Count' in Zealandia and had the numbers to prove my thrice daily observations!! Kererū are thriving in Zealandia along with other birds.

Story by Rosemary Cole, volunteer Sanctuary Storyteller
Photos by Judi Miller, volunteer Sanctuary Storyteller