Nene releases at Slimbridge.
I love Nene. Their Hawaiian time keeping means that their January breeding season keeps me entertained in a period of the year dominated by cloudy mornings and drizzle. As ever then, and just in time for the dingy February mornings, they are preparing to breed...
In preparation for the breeding season it became clear that I needed to redistribute some pairs from our off site holding area at the Top Hut. Many old pairs had been up there since the summer months, bulking up within the safe confines of the gosling field. In addition to these we have some old marauders who are old enough to remember being hatched out of their shell by mum and dad within areas of Slimbridge that are now dedicated to wild birds. It is a touch frustrating to reserve staff that when on an advanced birding session overlooking the south lake, they need to spot the rarities between the legs of two fat old Nenes that know how to jump the fence! (Love them...)
Even with my best efforts, and with late distribution, some naughty girls and boys are already out and about in the wild areas adjacent the South Lake and the Canoe Safari. All they need to do is look adorable next to a gate, and someone lets them through! It is a symptom of their personal history on the whole; with most Nene returning to their point of hatch. Most adult Nene can remember the South Lake before it was dug out and made wild, and even more can remember having the run of the decoy and Marsh garden. I can try to combat these instincts by attempting to redistribute the Nene hatched out there to other centres, or by hand rearing clutches of eggs laid in there. Nevertheless, someone always manages to slip through!
This year I have retained a ratio of 5:5 from the 2012 season for the Slimbridge flock of 66. These babes are hanging out in single sex groups at the moment, finding their feet before the flirting floodgates open up to them! These can be identified using their plastic darvic rings. This new generation are called anything like BIC BID BIF BIJ BIM BIN BIO BIK BIP BIS. Please show them the love!
