Comments on: Fernbirds forever

By: anne

anne — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 03:10:31 +0000

Heard from a colleague who lives in Dunedin that fernbirds can be seen and heard quite readily at Lenz Reserve, although sure they’re lots of other places too.
They vary quite a bit in colours and markings depending on location throughout the country, apparently.

By: maria

maria — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:31:40 +0000

see this bird at swampy track behind dunedin its nice walk if its beautiful day.
cheers

By: maria

maria — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:28:49 +0000

Hi reading through about the fernbird,very interesting,its a beautiful bird i just see one last friday didn’t hear the sound of its cry but seening it i like the pretty colours of the body and the tail too.

By: Anne

Anne — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:31:53 +0000

Dave
If you read this, can you please pass on our thanks to the students. They really kick-started fernbird’s cannonball-run.
We now continue with the Pollen Island campaign-work re the motorway to do our best to safeguard fernbird’s home there.
Cheers

By: Kent

Kent — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:23:45 +0000

To those of you who responded to our appeal of yesterday and voted for the fernbird in the Forest & Bird Bird of the Year elections, many thanks!

Your votes helped ensure that the fernbird made it into the Top 10, with most of the other nine birds household names and in some cases national icons. As a consequence, the fernbird was listed in the press release put out by Forest and Bird to announce the results. This is a real publicity achievement for an obscure species like the fernbird. It even aced the fantail, NZ falcon, Pukeko, Kereru, Kokako & Kaka!

There is method in the madness, as we are involved with the conjoint project of Forest & Bird Waitakere and Central Auckland branches in lobbying Transit NZ to make some conservation and restoration improvements in the Motu Manawa (Pollen Island) Marine Reserve, through which the planned State Highway 16/Northwestern Motorway widening project will run. You may not have heard of the Motu Manawa (Pollen Island) Marine Reserve, but you are driving through it when you travel along the Northwestern Motorway between Waterview and Te Atatu & Rosebank Peninsula. The motorway crosses directly over Traherne Island and runs alongside Pollen Island.

Our leverage is that the nationally endangered fernbird is recorded as living on Pollen Island and Traherne Island within the marine reserve. The fact that fernbirds live there will oblige mitigation strategies to be included in the SH16 widening, as was obligated when the State Highway 1/Northern Motorway extension was built near Puhoi. In the latter case a viaduct was constructed to carry the motorway, so that local fernbirds could hop blissfully underneath it rather than risk getting killed crossing the road.

To their credit Transit NZ and DoC are up to speed with the fernbird’s need in the SH16 project.

Go fernbird!

The top 10 birds in this year’s poll are:

1. Kiwi (1586 votes)
2. Rifleman (1230 votes)
3. Kea (1093 votes)
4. Kakapo (829 votes)
5. Tui (619 votes)
6. Takahe (571 votes)
7. Fernbird (462 votes)
8. Fantail ( 395 votes)
9. Karearea/native falcon (383 votes)
10. Pukeko (382 votes)

Many thanks again for your interest and efforts in the fernbird’s cause. The fernbird thanks you from the bottom of its little heart!

The Fernbird Team

By: Kent

Kent — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:35:41 +0000

Thank you all the friends and supporters of the fernbirds out there. —======+++++ Who would have known we can make it to the top 10!!!!! +++++======— Other big and famous birds were laughing out before but let’s wait and see what happens! Protection for our wetlands and help us give fernbird a voice to advocate for Pollen Island Marin Reserve — fighting for a high level of conservation consideration as part of the Northwest motorway widening. Go fernbird!!!!!

By: Kent

Kent — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:22:25 +0000

More blog info: http://forum.forestandbird.org.nz/topic/auckland-motorway-expension-vs-conservation

By: Kent

Kent — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:21:04 +0000

All the voters out there, if your area or someone you know that lives near where wetlands are being distroyed for massive development and motorway expension (particularly west Auckland), ask people you know to vote for fernbird. Give wetland a voice. Protect our Pollen Island marine reserve for fernbirds! Everyday when you drive through SH16 crossing the causeway, look out the window and you know you can make and have made the difference!! Thanks to you all.

By: Anne

Anne — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:47:34 +0000

From one NZ native to another….Cheers
And getting kids involved in the voting. Just fantastic!! They’re our future!!
Go fernbird, and go wetlands!!
Never say it’s over til the fernbird sings….

By: Graeme Hill

Graeme Hill — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:27:16 +0000

Hey you Fernbirders. Well done. What a surge! I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a massive jump in BOTY polling in such a short time. Michael Coote made an utterly compelling case for this elusive treasure on Radio Live on Saturday.

From the Grey Warbler campaign headquarters… hats off.

Graeme