Pheonix the Falcon Chick: A short history of his first 4 weeks of life...
Our very rare falcons successfully hatched a chick on the 8th January, the first in 2 years. This is significant because the falcon, which is native to New Zealand (and appears on our $20 note!), is very rare, numbering approximately 8,000 compared to 60,000 kiwi. What follows is a short history of his first 4 weeks of life at Staglands…
Week 1:
For the first 48 hours he fed off the yoke of the egg he hatched from before mum took over the role. Within a few days, although still weak he had started to move his head more and open his eyes a little and within a week got quite vocal opening his mouth wide so Mum could feed him
Week 2:
At just over a week old the white fluff he was born with started to make way for grey down. By 10 days old although moving around more, he was still confined to the nest but spending more time alone and learning how to keep warm when Mum was not around. Aged 12 days he was officially named Phoenix, thanks to a naming competition run by the Dominion Post.
Week 3:
Pheonix officially sexed – A male he already showed defensive behaviours when we handled him! Already able to stand, albeit a bit wobbly but much more mobile, making him harder to spot in the nest. By now completely covered in grey down with pin feathers coming through on the wings.
Week 4:
At his health check weighed in at 274g! Sadly this was his last week with us as he had found a home in a hack box in the Waikato from which he would learn how to fly and hunt in the wild!
Postscript:
Phoenix spread his wings and left us in early February. From here he went to Massey University, and then onto Kakepuku where he is now safely settled in his hack box being prepared for release into the wild.
Whilst at Massey University Wildlife Centre for his pre-release health check, he was diagnosed with lead poisoning. The only possible source of this was from the meat used in his diet, in particular wild mallard ducks.
According to the Massey vets there is quite a problem with lead poisoning in New Zealand waterfowl. This poisoning is attributed to the use of lead shot over waterways. The shot is ingested by the birds as grit and some is then absorbed into the body.
This lead cannot be excreted from the animal and so accumulates in animals further up the food chain. Consequently the top predators can be found to have large concentrations in them.
Lead shot within 200 metres of waterways is now banned but the effects will continue for sometime.
To end on a more positive note below is a link to an interesting interview with Laurie and Jan Hovaard on Radio NZ Rural news. Laurie is the farm manager at Kakepuku where Pheonix was sent for release.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/countrylife/audio/2509053/kakepuku-conservation
|
|
|
| |
|
Staglands to feature on Taiwanese Television!
Staglands is to feature on Taiwanese Breakfast Television as part of a series of 1 hour programmes about wildlife and nature in New Zealand. The film crew visited us a few weeks ago and enjoyed a fruitful few hours meeting our array of animals and learning about Staglands conservation initiatives.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Do you have old photos of Staglands?
In today’s modern age of digital camera’s and techno-funk machines, there’s not many printed old fashioned photo albums around anymore of ‘days gone by’! But we’ve got a bunch of old photo’s of Staglands which we plan on sharing with you over the next wee while. If you have any old Staglands photo’s you’d like to share with us since we opened in 1972 we would love to seem them. Email them to us (scan and email) post, or plop them onto Facebook.
We’d like to build up a treasure chest of pics from our fans in preparation for our 40th year.
|
|
 |
Staglands only Wellington attraction in Top 10
11 August 2011
Kids Friendly New Zealand recently held a People's Choice Award for the top NZ family-friendly attractions in the country and Staglands is in the top 10.
People voted for attractions they believed should be on your 'Must See or to do' list if holidaying in New Zealand with children. Dominating the top 10 were places in the South Island with only 4 North Island attractions listed and only one from Wellington, which was us!
Top 10 Family Attractions in New Zealand
1. Coronet Peak Ski Field (Queenstown)
2. Auckland Zoo (Auckland)
3. The Remarkable Ski Field (Queenstown) 4. Butterfly Creek (Auckland)
5. Mt Hutt Ski Field (Mt Hutt)
6. Puzzling World (Wanaka)
7. Hanmer Springs Hot Pools (Hanmer Springs)
8. Staglands Wildlife Reserve (Upper Hutt/Wellington)
9. Milford Sounds
10. Skyline luge (Rotorua)
|
|
 |
TripAdvisor Reviews
We would like to encourage visitors to write reviews about Staglands on one of the worlds leading travel review websites - TripAdvisor.
We already have a business listing and TripAdvisor is a popular review website that tourists use to find out what's good and what's not for their travels.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Latest winner of our photo competition
Congratulations to Sian who is the winner for Nov / Dec with this beautiful photo of the Brown Teal. These birds which are endemic to NZ are nationally endangered.
As part of our ongoing conservation work at Staglands we successfully bred 2 chicks in 2011.
Sian won an annual pass to Staglands
|
|
.jpg) |
| ...................................................................................................................... |
|
|
| ..................................................................................................................... |
|
|
Supporting the #blog4NZ campaign
Thanks to Boulcott Primary School we've joined in the support for the #blog4NZ social blogging campaign to encourage international tourists to keep coming to New Zealand.
The campaign ran over a 3 day period (21-23 March 2011) in response to the Christchurch earthquake and local attractions were asked to take photo's to promote that NZ is Open.
............................................................................................. |
|
Click to see the image at full size in our gallery |
Sad end for baby bunnies mothered by bantam hen
Dominion Post Article 29 Jan 2011
Paul Easton
It was a cute tale that made the news around the world, but it has ended sadly after the five baby bunnies adopted by a chicken all died.
The silkie bantam hen got global media attention after she became a surrogate parent to her unlikely brood, at Staglands Wildlife Reserve near Upper Hutt. The inter-species family made the news in the United States, Brazil and Australia.
Read the full story |
|
 |
| |
|
|
TV ONE News 20 Jan 2011
Hen becomes surrogate mum to baby rabbits
A silky bantam hen has become a surrogate mother to four baby rabbits in Upper Hutt.
Dominion Post article 21 Jan 2011
Five Bantam bunnies the apple of mum's eye
A clucky hen at a wildlife park near Upper Hutt has taken an unlikely brood under her wing – five baby bunnies.
|
|
 |
| .............................................................................................. |
|
|
Staglands Snippets
- Very rare falcon chick born on 8th January, check out our regular facebook updates on its progress
- Lamb and goat feeding daily at 12:45pm
- Weather permitting, donkey cart rides at weekends and during the school holidays
- Gorgeous Anglo Nubian Kid waiting to meet visitors -
Staglands Snippets last updated Jan 2012
|
|
 |
| .............................................................................................. |
|
|
| |
|
|