Fosterling Island
Beautiful Tiritiri Matangi island: choirs of birds — some I’ve never seen before — and the bush as it was before humans came. I loved meeting the iridescent takahe (photo), thought to be extinct until a few were found in the Fiordland mountains in 1948. A farmer saved them by training his bantams to foster the takahe chicks: see the sweet picture book, Elwyn’s Dream, by Ali Foster of course. There are now 240 in the world. The takahe’s song sounds a lot like a baby crying for its mother (listen: takahe-song).
Tags: children's books
April 17th, 2011 at 5:55 pm
I wonder if they break each other’s hearts every time they sing to each other? It is quite hard not to try to hug the computer and comfort the picture of the takahe when you hear that cry…