Departure Day

It rained all last night and is still going strong this morning. It was very pleasant to listen to before going to sleep.

I sat down to work on my jigsaw puzzle last night but realized the futility and packed it up instead. 

I set up the camera on a tripod and attempted to take a self-portrait in the living room. The results are what I call “A portrait of the researcher as a chubby middle aged woman.” 

I have saved a few of the least horrible images so I have memories of my pleasant times spent in this house.

After the photos I gathered up personal items and put things back the way they were in the house.

I ended the evening by reading a chapter of “Kea, Bird of Paradox.”

I was struck by the reality that this habitat will become inhospitable to the kea in a few short months and that many of them will face starvation if they don’t find adequate food sources during the winter. They are brilliantly adapted to dealing with snow, cold temperatures and high winds but an empty stomach is still fatal.

I have been comparing the lives of the captive kea at Willowbank to the wild kea here. The captives have a safe environment in which to survive but the risks there is that they will get bored so constant stimulation and environmental enrichment is required. The birds can only fly for short distances and their diets do not consist of their native foods. Willowbank’s flock has a good social system because most of its birds are siblings born from Rugby and his mate. They receive stimulus from the visitors who walk through and bring in new items like strollers, hats, bags and foods.

The wild birds can soar and find endless sources of entertainment and stimulation but they face starvation risks in winter, 1080 and lead poisoning, rock throwing, being hit by cars and even some shootings by frustrated locals. 

Their ability to get over shyness and insatiable need to satisfy their curiosity endears them to visitors but also puts them at risk for harm.

I wish DOC would put out feeding stations at forest locations closed to the public and supplement the kea’s diet in winter. Starvation seems to be the biggest threat to kea numbers. Until such a program exists, the birds will struggle with limited natural food sources during this time and sheep or ski field foods will become a means for survival.

The Kea Conservation Trust might be interested in trialing such a program. Funds and locals would be needed to keep the stands stocked with food but local volunteers could help. Researches could also participate in observing the birds during these times to see how many come to feed, the state of their health and social interactions at the feeding stations.

The stands would only be stocked in the winter so the birds would resume their natural dispersal and foraging habits in the spring.  

Such a feeding program existed on Kapiti Island where a DOC ranger put out nectar for the kakas every day. 

Anyone arguing that this would disrupt the natural habits of the birds should be reminded that they are already drawn to refuse dumps, garbage bins and cafes where human food sources can be exploited.

A local told me that even though the bin lids in Arthur’s Pass Village had been weighted to keep out the kea, eight of them had been observed working together to lift the lid and get into the garbage.

I observed banded kea “M” going into the storeroom of the Wobbly Kea. He would go in for a few seconds and regularly pop his head out to make sure no one was coming. At one point he hopped out and ran around the corner when one of the employees went in. When she was gone he checked that the coast was clear and went back in.

Death’s Corner is littered with plastic bottles and containers and the remains of human foods like carrots, chips, fruit cores, spilt coffee and cauliflower. 

I found 4 scavenging candy from a container thrown in the rocks. Her beak was coated in sticky sugary matter.

I feel that some of these items are taken from visitors rather than willingly given but feeding still takes place. 

I’ve seen people put down bits of fruit and one family tore up a hamburger bun and gave it to three birds.

It is interesting to hear what visitors to DC tell others about the bird. 

Some say they are smart and the world’s only alpine parrot while others say that they kill sheep, destroy cars (which they sometimes do) and “will take your finger off.”

It slowly dawned on me that people might get the impression of keas as dangerous because of the unique size and shape of their beaks. 

However, it is their cousin the kaka that has the beak form to crush objects efficiently. 

According to Diamond and Bond the kea is more adept at prying, probing and tearing.

Their beak tips are not sharp and they have the capacity to be very gentle and precise with the things they pick up or explore.

I have been pinched on several occasions by youngsters and grumpy keas at Willowbank and only twice has the pinch nearly broken the skin. It isn’t a pleasant sensation by any means but it isn’t life threatening and it removed the fear I once had about getting gouged in some way.

I think this perception of the kea as a blood thirsty finger eater is good for making people keep a respectful distance from them. (Now if we can only get the kea to remain a respectful distance from the people we might reach an easy peace.)

I’m planning on stopping at DC for one last observation this morning although I’m not sure there will be much activity in this weather.

Yesterday I found a rain soaked A singing out mournfully beneath a rock but after watching me approach he flew off with a series of contact calls.

As I was sitting in the car and writing down this info, 4 appeared out of the bushes and I went out to see what she was up to. 

She was by herself and she went through a series of play moves. She shook the piece of plaid fabric someone had left on a rock. She walked all over my car and tested the rubber window lining with her beak. She tested a leather dog collar with her beak before picking it up and tossing it off a rock. She picked up a stone and tossed it away from herself and then hopped after it, picked it up again and gave it another toss. I picked up the same rock and tossed it for her. She picked it up for a few more tosses and seemed content to throw it by herself. After that she fossicked in the nearby rocks. 

When she got too saturated with rain she gave her neck a shake like a dog and made all her head and neck feathers stand out on their ends. 

It was still raining lightly and the visibility was limited by mist when I left her fossicking at about 7:30 pm.

January 3, 2016

I am now going to gather my things, load up the car and turn in the key to Holiday House over to Donna. 

I will miss being here but I have missed my family and hot showers and clean laundry and Indian curries so I am glad to be going home.

It is nice that this place is only two hours from home and accessible to me on any weekend. I think my next few visits will be long weekends. I hope to come back in a few months and see what the group at DC is like.