Kia ora
The nature of wilderness
Some of you are aware that this heading is our by-line I like it because it plays on two meanings of the noun nature. You may wish to challenge me for using wilderness in associating with the places we visit and explore. However I was reminded recently that wilderness is a relative term by Robbie Koller, formerly owner and chef at Stronechrubie Restaurant. He sent me his diary of a climbing trip he undertook in Arthurs Pass National Park in which he stated
A river , at the start of a tramp, marks a boundary between wilderness and nature and roads and worldly things. We left behind our comforts and luxuries and unnecessary things. Before us were forests, rivers and mountains and pure, beautiful things.
Sound like a Tussock & Beech Ecotours experience?
Autumn highlights
Rifleman / Titipounamu update
Our smallest native bird, the Rifleman, seems to be making a come back - at least around the mountain beech forest of Mt Somers. So much so that we have some living in the patch of bush we have planted near our home at Staveley. Great surprise and thrill - I had last seen Rifleman on our property in the mid 1970's. A few weeks later our association with Rifleman took another step - when I opened the back door of the lodge I found one on the doorstep. It obviously wanted to come inside out of the rain - it hopped past my feet, through the door and into the kitchen. From a distance of 0.5 metres I was able to get a very positive identification!
And then a few days ago, a little female Titipounamu took it upon herself to visit me in my study. This was no mean feat - she had to pass through 3 rooms and the stairway to the study. There she settled on the window sill, just 50 cm from where I was sitting in front of the computer! I was so concerned to let the little bird out that I forgot to take a photograph with my digital camera right beside me!
Rifleman belong to the wren family and are one of three native members of this group. One, the Bush Wren, is now extinct, the last surviving population being exterminated in the early 1970's by rats which had escaped from a boat on a mutton birding island near Stewart Island. Rock Wren, the third member of the wren family, live in open screes, moraines and fell-fields above the bush line on some mountains. I have seen them on Mt Potts.
The two sexes of the Rifleman are quite different in appearance. The male is a bright yellowish-green above (hence the use of pounamu or greenstone in its name) whereas the female is striped dark and light brown above. The origin of its unusual name "Rifleman" dates back to the 19th century. The colouring of the female was seen to resemble the uniform of a British regiment. Their nests are most commonly found in hollow limbs of trees or crevices in bark. . It also uses nesting boxes readily, providing the opening is small enough to exclude rats. I have a plan for the nesting box if anyone is keen on giving these beautiful little birds a helping hand. Rifleman breed from August to January.
Grebe Survey
Just received the final results of the survey I took part in back in January. 300 adults seen + 15 estimated and 75 juveniles; total 390 birds. Disappointing to see the juvenile : adult ratio so low (1:4) which highlights the need for predator trapping in many areas. Only 2 weeks away from the annual winter bird survey - news of that next Newsletter.
Tussock & Beech News
Images of a frozen landscape
We are running this again this year, 9 - 15 July.
Lord of the Rings
I was reminded by one of the readers of this Newsletter of the responsibility we have in showing LOTR fans the New Zealand landscape. To quote him: LOTR is a valuable means of promoting distinctive New Zealand themes. It will be important that the tourist feeding frenzy that will follow has a clear idea of what image New Zealand is promoting - Mt Cook surrounded by lupin flowers, Queenstown looking like Canada dominated by wilding pines, or Ranunculus crithmifolious on the screes, wetas and whio, podocarp forests, matagouri and tussock grasslands.
New coach
We have changed our 4WD coach for a newer model. Trust that it gives us as good service as our first vehicle.
Qualmark
We have decided to seek Qualmark endorsement. We had thought that it was not necessary because of our Green Globe status. However we can see that it is regarded by Tourism NZ as being a very important element of their promotion of New Zealand.
Website
If you visit our website (www.nature.net.nz) you may notice some changes. I have spent many hours through June updating it as the site has been changed to a different web management system (called Thrive 3). It would be interesting to find out if you notice the changes. We would appreciate feedback.
Natural History News
Birdlife at Staveley
As our native planting grows we seem to be attracting more birds. This autumn in addition to the rifleman, we have seen and heard more bellbird, silvereye, grey warbler and welcome swallow, in addition to increased numbers of introduced species such as house and hedge sparrow, thrush, black bird and redpoll. Wood pigeon (keruru) still has not returned. The little family of German owl are still in residence in the old telephone exchange building at Springburn.
Nature Heritage Fund
In May, the Nature Heritage Fund announced the purchase of 10 000 hectares of high country land on Clent Hills Station. This new acquisition to the conservation estate will extend from the southern shore of Lake Heron to the summit of Mt Taylor (233 metres) and provide us with new areas to explore on our ecotours.
From the kitchen
Lemon apple muffins (muffins again!)
For 12 average muffins
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
Wet ingredients
- 25g butter - melted
- 1 cup packed grated unpeeled apple
- Grated rind & juice 1 lemon
- About ¾ cup milk - add to lemon juice to make ¾ cup liquid
Thoroughly mix dry ingredients in large bowl. In a smaller bowl mix melted butter and rest of wet ingredients. Pour wet mix into dry and stir to combine. Do not over-mix.
Place in a non-stick muffin tray lightly sprayed with baking spray.
Bake at 200ºC for 10-12 minutes until golden, and top of muffin bounces back when pressed. Leave to cool for 10 minutes or so before turning out.
These do not need buttering; they are moist and nice enough without.
Marita & Warren
Ka kite ano
