Is there Tui nesting in our gully?

There are two resident Tui in our gully. What would be good would be to know whether they are nesting. If they do nest, with the pest control we have done, there is a really good chance of the chicks being reared to maturity. The thing to look out for is to see Tui carrying twigs in their beaks and where they are building. The tree will not necessarily be a native as Tui do not know the difference. A good nesting spot is a good nesting spot to them. They are also likely to be very aggressive towards other birds, particularly Mynas. If anyone sees this behaviour please let one of our group know. 

Rubbish bin installation

Any other long running project has been completed along with its retro sign writing. We hope that it is robust enough not to be damaged by hoons!

Shining Cuckoo heard but hard to see

The Shining Cuckoo over winters in the pacific. It flies south for our summer and to nest - or lay its egg in a Grey Warbler’s nest for the Warbler to incubate and rear. They have been heard in the gully over the last couple of weeks. http://www.nzbirds.com/birds/pipiwharauroa.html Click on this link to hear is song. 

Chaffinch

The Chaffinch have been regularly seen and heard in our gully. It is an interesting introduced bird in that it has adapted to our bush areas. To quote A Field Guide to the Birds of NZ:”  they are evenly distributed wherever there are trees or shrubs from sea-level to 4500 feet and penetrate the bush as no other finch has done.” One of our group heard a number of them at the top of Maungatautari Mountain this week. That is a considerable distance from any farm land.