Hihi
Release
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The
5 hihi arrived at Tiritiri Matangi by
boat
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Each
box was carefully labelled
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The
release site was in Wattle
Valley
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Rosalie
and Ray unscrew the cage
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The
band colours were checked
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Rosalie
releases a female hihi into the
forest
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On
February 9, 2001 five hihi arrived from Mt Bruce for release
on Tiritiri Matangi.
Rosalie
came across in the boat after picking up the hihi in boxes
from the airport. The boxes have special instructions on the
outside so people know what to do with the birds. The bird
symbol on the box was circled today but sometimes the boxes
contain dogs, fish or turtles.
The
hihi had been banded at Mt Bruce. This hihi banded has an
orange and a metal band on one leg and a metal band on the
other.
We
went down the track into Wattle Valley to the release site
for the birds. Ray and Rosalie checked the bands were
secure. The five hihi were released into the forest.
Tiritiri
Matangi is an ideal location to release birds as there are
no introduced predators.
Later
that evening I saw one of the newly released hihi drinking
from a water trough. It was exciting to see one of the birds
in its new environment on Tiritiri Matangi.
Four
of the five birds are still alive on Tiritiri Matangi today.
Next year's birds from Mt Bruce will be released on to
Mokoia or Kapiti Islands.
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