Karearea – The Second Stage

Have you seen one of Martinborough’s Karearea lately? We are now host to six native falcons , and all appear to be doing very well indeed. Late in 2014 three Karearea chicks were transported from Wingspan Birds of Prey Trust in Rotorua to Martinborough, settled into their nesting box at the edge of the escarpment in Te Muna Road, and released when they grew old enough to fly. Two of those, Honour and Pari, survived the initial nail-biting days as they grappled with the tricky business of flying and finding their way safely home again. A third – Hohoro – was blown away in the November gales soon after release and subsequently taken by a predator.

In April last year a one year old male called Quentin, uncle to Honour and Pari, was released in the same area. Quentin was a rescued egg, hand reared at Wingspan and then trained to hunt. A very fit young Quentin was released, but after the first week no confirmed sightings were made of him until early in January when his white leg band was identified in Todds Road, so it seems that Quentin has been here all along minding his own business and hunting in Martinborough vineyards.

In early December, Jane Lenting, who is the driving force behind the Karearea project, brought three new chicks down to Palliser Vineyard’s Clouston Block for a similar release to that of the trio in 2014, bringing the number of these beautiful and endangered birds to six. The programme of falcon release is a five-year one, arranged with DOC and Wingspan. Ten chicks in all are expected to be released in Martinborough and then it is hoped that we will develop a breeding population. Jane commented that she was “wildly optimistic and thought we had it all right” when the first chicks arrived, but that this time she is “a lot more realistic”.

At just a few weeks old, Jimmy, Tipu and Clouston flew down as hand luggage in the aircraft cabin, with their cage bouncing around in the rough conditions, but they coped admirably with their windy arrival at Wellington Airport, long journey over the hill, and introduction to their new home. When Jane brought one of the chicks out to meet the welcoming crowd I was struck that although at first glance she was just a bundle of cute grey fluff, the predator’s beak and the keen searching eyes were clear signs of the bird of prey she would develop into.

Clouston Vineyard was a very deliberate choice of location for the nesting box, after at least eight other sites were explored around the South Wairarapa. Problems such as access for feeding, the land being for sale, or conditions being too windy eliminated most, and while the Clouston block has more risk for the fledgling Karearea because of its proximity to the village and greater accessibility by people and dogs, it had other definite advantages. Jane said that “Palliser staff are really keen, Honour and Pari like to hunt there, and there are plenty of people looking out for the birds”. As she said, “being close to the village means there are more ears and eyes and more reports”.

So far, all is going very well. On December 19th Jane reported on Facebook that “it is a nail biting time while young Karearea explore the world and learn to fly, but our three are getting there”. By the 23rd their very different temperaments were becoming evident and on January 10th Jane’s post noted that “our three juveniles are flying fast, diving for things on the ground and generally getting around including neighbouring properties. The sparrows which used to roost in macrocarpas near the hack box have decamped and moved to the neighbour’s place. And I had it reported to me that two F-16s had been seen chasing a DC3 (the DC3 was a hawk)”. The latest report before going to print, on 24 January, was that all three are flying well and starting to hunt.

It is hoped that our three youngsters will grow into what Jane describes as “sensible, smart birds, hopefully with Honour and Pari as mentors”. For Jane this is “one of the best projects I’ve ever been involved in” and her dedication and enthusiasm are infectious. Such a project does not happen without assistance from generous local organisations. Wines from Martinborough hold the DOC permit and were instrumental in the project setup, Wairarapa Winegrowers were the major sponsor last year, and Palliser Estate Wines is the major sponsor this year.

For updates on the chicks’ progress and some wonderful photos by Pete Monk, go to https://www.facebook.com/BushFalcon. Meanwhile, Jane is always grateful for positive sightings, which can be reported to her at janelenting@xtra.co.nz. To help distinguish the common Australasian harrier hawk from the native falcon, the former is larger and has a quite different style of flight. Falcons are usually seen in active hunting flight, chasing small birds with rapid wing beats and seldom showing any interest in road kill or carrion on the ground. The hawks, in contrast, circle around, gliding in the air currents and looking below for prey or road kill. So keep your eyes skywards, enjoy the beauty of these inspiring birds, and let Jane know of any sightings as our new inhabitants settle into Martinborough life.