Hāwea Grebes hatch second clutch for the season
Australasian Crested Grebe (pūteketeke, kāmana)
Photo: IM Turnbull
As of today (12 Dec) the parents have hatched two chicks and are waiting for the rest of the eggs to hatch. There may be one or two more hatching this week, and then the parents will take the chicks away up the lake, riding on the parent's back. This is the second clutch this season for the birds, which earlier hatched one chick in late September.
In the meantime we will try and fix the platform, which has developed rather a severe list, and get it back in the water before they notice! The grebe parents will return to the platform from time to time as it's the centre of their territory.
Please give the birds some space if you are out on the water, though
they do seem to tolerate all the summer boating activity.
Jane Forsyth
Guardians of Lake Hawea
