Ahika kai from Ō Tū Wharekai

"food from the home fires "-
A fascinating article appears in Ngāi Tahu's latest issue of Te Karaka about the harvesting of eels by Moko Tuna within the Ashburton Lakes. Photos taken of eeling at the front Maori Lake appear in the magazine.Moko Tuna prides itself as being a local business which makes an award winning smoked eel product available to the local market ( most of our freshwater eel is exported to premium markets in Europe and Asia) so good to see available on homeground. The commercial harvest celebrates the richness of the wetlands within Ō Tū Wharekai ( which tranlates to the food basket)-
Photo-vacum packed Moko Tuna purchased from the Riccarton Market- connecting Ō Tū Wharekai to Ōtautahi

Lake Clearwater show cased

Photo of Easter weekend recreation at Lake Clearwater appears in Last Picture Show in latest North and South- thankfully most birds have finished breeding by early Feb- a great spot for chilling out !

White-winged black tern sighted in Upper Rangitata

A stunningly marked bird. A pair was sighted feeding with black-fronted terns at the riffle next to Deep Stream in December - An uncommon n\migrant to New Zealand from South -east Asia.

black stilt - Upper Rangitata

Photographed leaning low into a NW gale !

Black Stilt - Kahi sighted in upper Rangitata

An exciting sighting on 15 November was of a pure black stilt in the upper Rangitata. The bird was colour banded and I am awaiting banding details from DOC- the first black stilt sighted in the upper Rangitata for some time ! The bird was single and may just be passing through. Black stilts disappeared from the upper Rangitata as a breeding species about 50 years ago- hopefully with the future recovery of the species they may breed again in the upper Rangitata River- a braided river environment to which the birds have naturally evoloved.

Upper Rangitata- braided river wilderness

The upper Rangitata- fresh snow- very invigorating !

First wrybill chick for season -2011