Long flight home for Foxton godwits
A warning about taking Manawatu¯ ’s ecological ‘‘gemstone’’ for granted accompanies an invitation to welcome back the Foxton Estuary’s migratory birds on Saturday.
The shoreline birds are returning from their northern hemisphere wintering grounds to the protected Ramsar site at the mouth of the Manawatu¯ River, after spending eight or more straight days on the wing.
Kelvin Lane of the Manawatu¯ Estuary Trust said the 250-hectare site is the southern hemisphere habitat of many bird species, and hosts birds that travel south to north within New Zealand.
With as many as 93 species identified, the estuary was declared an international Ramsar site in 2005.
The migratory birds are being officially welcomed back at 11am on Saturday at the end of Robbie St in Foxton Beach, by members of the public and the Estuary Trust, and staff from Massey University and Department of Conservation.
‘‘One of the threatened native species that relies on the estuary as a stopover is the wrybill.
At last count there were fewer than 4000 of these birds left in the world, but at least 1 per cent of that population has been seen at the Manawatu¯ Estuary,’’ Lane said
While spotting scopes will help make Saturday’s viewing an enjoyable experience, Lane feared environmental degradation of the river mouth could be at a tipping point.
‘‘International people like it because of the variety of birds you can see there, and because it’s easy to access, but because it has always been there, we’ve taken it for granted.
‘‘There are algae blooms in the estuary, while we’ve lost bi-valves [pipis and cockles] and crustaceans.
‘‘We are fighting to maintain the integrity of the estuary, and we’re losing the battle’’, he said.