Dry Spring
Rainfall for the last 30 days.
Since we put the new water tank in place….. and pumped it full from our existing storage we’ve had very little rain. So much so that Iris has been watering her new vegetable plantings for several days after sowing. Most unusual, especially this time of year. A wry comment on our normal rain fall pattern is that a drought on Stewart Island is 5 days without much rain. What has looked promising on the weather forecast site we use has in most cases come to nothing.
The years rain fall to date
Warm Temperatures
And it has been very warm, especially at night. A couple of nights ago the low was a very mild 15 deg C
Temperature graph for the last 30 days, showing warm days little nighttime drop
Ulva Visit
A couple of days ago I had a family across on Ulva Island, and I was
Wilting Film Ferns
surprised just how dry it was there as well. The forest floor leaf litter was like walking on cornflakes, and several patches of film fern were seriously shrivelled up. Normally something that would be a summer thing after several days of no rain, and equally importantly…. warm dry breezes to dry out the soil and moss.
First Orchids of the Season
Nematoceras acuminatum Dancing Spider Orchid
The first of the seasons orchids are Nematoceras accuminatum, and they are well out, and lots of them
Young Photographers photographing orchids
Spring Courtship
Courting Robins
The robins are busy courting, and my young guests were fascinated by the female begging for food, and the male feeding her. The saddlebacks are also firmly into breeding mode, with the jack birds in close attendance to their mates
And they found a large kiwi dibble hole beside the path.
Kiwi Dibble Hole
We have been hearing Kiwi calling around our house, and our next door neighbour thinks she disturbed one beside her drive way around 10 am. Although its great to hear them it’s also a worry as they are very vulnerable to being hit by vehicles at night.
So all in all, “Spring has well and truly Sprung on Stewart Island”
…. Peter & Iris, Sails Ashore
11 View St,
Stewart Island,
www.sailsashore.co.nz
tait@sailsashore.co.nz