Nature's Corner - Early Autumn 2005
Bird Life
During late summer the valley was relatively quiet while mature birds of all species were undergoing their annual moult, the dominant sound being that of kihikihi / cicadas (Amphisalta zelandica), and the young korimako / bellbirds (Anthornis melanura) learning to sing.
By mid-March many of the birds were beginning to emerge from their enforced seclusion in the bush and the level of birdsong is increasing daily.
The release of 33 hihi / stitchbird (Notiomystis cincta) in mid-February has created a new dynamic with korimako. The korimako are becoming more visible and vocal as they compete with the hihi for access to the sugar water in the new feeders. There are three new feeders in the lower valley, one at the beginning of the Beech Track, a second one on the V bend about half-way up the Beech Track and the third on the Swamp Track.
The fruit on the strawberry trees (Himalayan Dogwood or Cornus capitata) in the area on the northern side of the Upper dam and up the Swamp Track are now colouring up and the kaka (Nestor meridionalis) and tui (Prosthermadera novaeseelandiae) are regularly seen feeding on the ripe fruit.
Flora
Flower buds Forming
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| Kanono buds |
Kanono (Coprosma grandifolia). Trees throughout the valley are developing flower buds.
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| Akiraho flower buds |
Akiraho (Olearia paniculata). Flower buds were noticeable in early March on a tree in the garden plot nearest the weka gate.
Whauwhaupaku / five finger (Pseudopanax arboreus). Throughout the valley, clusters of purplish flower buds are showing up on trees of both sexes.
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| Whauwhaupaku flower buds |
What’s flowering?
Panakenake (Pratia angulata). Starry-white asymmetrical flowers on the ground cover in the garden plots in the lower valley. Flowering continuing but new season’s wine-red berries are also present.
Koromiko (Hebe stricta). Still flowering in mid-March. Look for the racemes of tiny pale lilac flowers fading to white, and the new green capsules, on the bushes along Lake Road and other paths and tracks in the valley.
New season’s fruit forming
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| Immature Koromiko taranga seed capsules |
Koromiko taranga / tree hebe (Hebe parviflora). The large specimen, situated behind the Sanctuary sign in the car park, flowered briefly and spectacularly in late January / early February and is now covered with racemes of pale green immature seed capsules.
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| Unripe Pate fruit |
Pate (Schefflera digitata). Throughout the valley but the most accessible specimen is on the lake side of Lake Road opposite Birdsong Gully. Clusters of finger-like stalks crowded with tiny greenish-fruits hanging down beneath the leaves.
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| Mapau fruit and flowers |
Mapau / red matipo (Myrsine australis). Clusters of minute cream flowers often accompanied by new green berries and ripe black fruit from last season. Throughout the valley, but most easily seen on the trees at the rear of the Round Lawn above the Heritage area.
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| Ripening Poroporo fruit |
Poroporo (Solanum laciniatum). The deep purple flowers of this small shrub are still visible on many plants throughout the valley. At the same time large, glossy, green new season’s berries are forming and in some cases mature fruit has ripened to orange.
Kohuhu (Pittosporum tenuifolium). Pale, slightly furry, unripe seed capsules on the female or hermaphrodite trees. Throughout the valley, but look for the tree along the fence at the Heritage area behind the Dora Elder seat.
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| Tarata seed capsules |
Tarata / lemonwood (Pittosporum eugenioides). Bunches of small green seed capsules on trees throughout the valley. Check out the tree overhanging the fence at the back of the Heritage area.
Hangehange (Geniostoma rupestre). Throughout the valley. Small green seed capsules on most bushes. At this stage they look like berries, but when mature they will dry out and split open to expose a cone-shaped mass of sticky seeds.
Ripe Fruit or Seeds
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| Rewarewa seed pods |
Rewarewa (Knightia excelsa). At the Rewarewa Bridge (second from the south end) on Te Mahanga Track to observe the clusters of brown seed pods that have replaced the flowers. At this stage each is tipped with a long needle-like extension that was the style in the original flower.
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| Whau seed capsules |
Whau / corkwood (Entelea arborescens). Clusters of large, prickly, brown capsules, splitting open to shed seeds, are on trees near the end of the track to the Campbell Street emergency exit.
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| Karaka fruit |
Karaka (Corynocarpus laevigatus). Probably introduced to the Wellington area from the northern North Island by Maori for whom the seeds were a major food source (note: the fruit is poisonous unless prepared in a certain manner). The large, glossy, fruits started ripening to orange in the final week of February. By mid-March some trees on the western slopes were so laden with ripe fruit that they had taken on an orange hue. For a close-up look, check out the trees with large glossy leaves at the western end of the Upper Dam.
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| Karamu fruit |
Karamu (Coprosma robusta). Throughout the valley, the masses of small green berries on female trees were ripening to orange in mid-March. At the Heritage area, look for the tree growing near the water’s edge opposite the rear Boatshed doors.
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| Ngaio berries |
Ngaio (Myoporum laetum). New season’s green fruit now ripening to a wine-red. Look for these trees along Lake Road and in the garden plots near the Weka Fence.
Kowhai (Sophora microphylla). Sinuous brown pods can be glimpsed among the foliage.
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| Kowhai seed pods |
Unlike most pods, they do not split open when ripe, and they can remain on the tree for a considerable time. The seeds are released as the pod gradually decays. Check out the large trees on either side of the Upper Dam and the grove between the beginning of the Round the Lake Track and the track down to the hides.
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| Kakaha fruit |
Kakaha (Astelia fragrans). Some plants at the northern end of Tui Terrace have masses of ripe orange fruit. Look into the centre of the rosettes of sword-like leaves near the Miro sign.
Mahoe / whiteywood (Melicytus ramiflorus). A common tree in the Sanctuary. On female trees the tiny round berries are ripening to violet or purple. Look especially at the tree on the left at the entrance to the Round Lawn above the Heritage area or that on the west side of Lake Road just south of the weka Fence.
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| Whauwhaupaku fruit |
Whauwhaupaku / Five Finger (Pseudopanax arboreus). Throughout the valley, although the new season’s flower buds are forming, female trees still had large clusters of ripe purplish-black fruit in mid-March. Fallen fruit clusters may also be seen lying on the tracks.
Porokaiwhiri / pigeonwood (Hedycarya arborea). Tight clusters of bright orange berries on female trees. Best seen on the trees along the roadside through the weka gate as you approach the southern part of the Valley View Track, or along Lake Road and on the Te Mahanga Track.
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| Titoki seed capsules |
Titoki (Alectryon excelsus). Brown seed capsules, which have slowly matured over the past year, started to split open on some trees in early February. Each split capsule reveals a glossy black seed embedded in a fleshy red cup. Quite beautiful, and easily seen on a tree on the bank just south of the white gate at the entrance to the car-park. Stand on the footpath and look up.
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| Maire Tawake berries |
Maire Tawake / swamp maire (Syzygium maire). Clusters of red berries with dimpled ends are visible on a tree on the west side of Lake Road, just north of V Transect and between the Swamp and Te Mahanga junctions.
Vines
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| Akakura flowers |
Akakura / scarlet rata vine (Metrosideros fulgens). Found throughout the valley. Look for the orange-red flowers on the large vines, one above the prominent stand of kiekie on the western scarp across the Lower Lake and the second to the south of this. Both were flowering in mid-March.
Kohia / native passion vine (Passiflora tetrandra). Look for the green, olive-shaped fruit some of which were beginning to turn orange in Mid-March. The largest specimen is growing on the shrubs across the drain at the bottom of the driveway leading up to the Visitor Centre.
Karewao / Kareao / supplejack (Ripogonum scandens). Loose bunches of ripe red berries and tiny newly formed green berries are noticeable throughout the valley but are most easily seen along both the Beech and Swamp Tracks. Note also the vine growing behind the Smissen Family seat at Tui Terrace (left rear).
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| Pohuehue |
Pohuehue (Muehlenbeckia australis). Sprays of tiny flower buds, greenish-cream flowers, immature and ripening fruit are all present on these vines. Look for the vine on the western side of Lake Road, 15-16 paces south of the second group of Weed Garden boxes. Note also the many vines growing on the trees along the western fringe of Tui Terrace.
Flaxes
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| Wharariki seed pods |
Wharariki / coastal flax / mountain flax (Phormium cookianum) occurs throughout the valley and harakeke / swamp flax (Phormium tenax) occurs mainly at the Taylor Wetland. Seed pods were maturing during March. Ripe seed pods are splitting open to shed flaky black seeds. Wharariki is by far the most common in the Sanctuary, being most abundant on the higher slopes toward the southern end of the valley. Of the flaxes in the planted areas the smaller, softer, light green plants with the drooping leaves are Wharariki. The larger and stronger-looking plants are harakeke. The seedpods of the two species are quite distinctive. Harakeke pods stand stiffly upright, but wharariki pods hang down and become quite twisted in shape as they ripen.
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Kahukowhai / Yellow Admiral |
Butterflies
Koromiko (Hebe stricta) flowered throughout February and continues to flower in March. The flower spikes contain many small tubular flowers crowded together, and the nectar they produce attracts native butterflies. In pre-European times they were presumably the main pollinators for this shrub, but now they compete with introduced honey bees and bumble bees.
Koromiko always seems to set masses of seed so pollination must be effective whether by bee or butterfly. A good place to observe butterflies is around the Campbell Street emergency exit and north along the boundary towards the Weka Fence. Koromiko is thriving in the shrubby inner border there, which, being on a ridgeline, receives plenty of sun.
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| Pepe Parariki / Common Copper Butterflies |
In February, the small Pepe Parariki / Common Copper butterflies (Lycaena salustius complex) were frequent visitors to the Koromiko restaurant. When male and female met on the same flower spike, courting displays and mating sometimes ensued. While courting, the female vibrates her wings at speed so that she becomes a blur. Her wings have heavier dark markings than the male. The thin dark veins on a male's wings are double, but you have to be very close to notice that detail. When these butterflies are at rest with their wings closed, only the pale yellow or cream undersides are visible. By hiding the vibrant orange upper sides they can merge into their surroundings and escape unwanted attention.
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| Kahukura / Red Admiral Butterfly |
In March, the larger Kahukura / Red Admiral (Bassaris gonerilla gonerilla) and Kahukowhai / Yellow Admiral (Bassaris itea) butterflies have been equally busy around the Koromiko bushes on warm calm days, uncoiling and inserting their long tubular tongues into flower after flower to sip the nectar. The Maori names mean 'red cape' and 'yellow cape' respectively, and like the English names refer to the prominent patches of those colours on their wings.
Sometimes the males have territorial disputes. One butterfly will swoop repeatedly at another, trying to intimidate it into leaving. If successful it will chase after it for a short distance, seeing it off the premises. Some butterflies' wings look a little ragged, perhaps the result of an accident caused by a sudden gust of wind or an encounter with a spider's web. On very bright days the pale yellow patches on the wings of the Kahukowhai reflect so much light they can appear white. Enjoy watching them while you can. Both the Kahukura and Kahukowhai butterflies hibernate in winter.
The relationship between the butterflies and the Koromiko is beneficial to both parties. The butterflies are provided with food and in getting it they transfer pollen from flower to flower and bush to bush, ensuring the development of fertile seeds to start a new generation of Koromiko. The butterflies never lay their eggs on Koromiko, so their nectar source is not compromised by having its leaves damaged by their hungry caterpillars. Pepe Parariki caterpillars eat Pohuehue leaves, Kahukura caterpillars eat the leaves of the ferocious Ongaonga tree nettle (Urtica ferox) and Kahukowhai caterpillars dine on common nettles. So you see, even these unpopular and unloved plants have a redeeming feature. They are feeding the next generation of these lovely butterflies.
- Reference: “Which New Zealand Insect”, Andrew Crowe; pub. Penguin 2002.
Nature's Corner is written by Sanctuary volunteers Pam Fuller and Allison Buchan.
© All photographs, except where indicated, Karori Wildlife Sanctuary.
Clicking on photos with blue borders will take you to a larger photo.
Published 29 March, 2005.