Dedication hallmark of bird rescuer

Bird Rescue Wanganui/Manawatu, Dawne Morton cuddles LK (Little Kiwi). PHOTO/LIN FERGUSON

It's always fascinating visiting Turakina's bird woman Dawne Morton, the champion of rescuing wild birds, nursing them back to health and releasing them back into the wild.

Dawne is the dedicated face of Bird Rescue Wanganui/Manawatu and wild birds are her life.

Dozens of birds are housed in aviaries spread throughout a large paddock where lambs frolic. Others are in cages indoors in her bird hospital and intensive care ward.

Volunteers come daily to help, especially cooking up and feeding out the special dinners of mixed veges, fruit, dried biscuits and rice in small plastic bowls.

At the end of the paddock a sprawling kiwi aviary donated by Opus houses a precious kiwi that was hit by a car.

Named LK (Little Kiwi), she is a permanent resident because her beak is broken and can't be re-aligned. Returning her to the wild would be cruel, Dawne said.

"She can't forage the way she used to, so preparing special food for her is very important."

But LK is now helping the Department of Conservation (DoC) with its kiwi aversion training for dogs, Dawne said

"Well her faeces are, and the little rug in her daytime sleeping box. They are used to give dogs the scent of kiwi for their training." Dog owners volunteer their dogs for kiwi aversion training, which is held in Wanganui's Gordon Park Scenic Reserve.

"Most of the dogs are pig dogs and their owners are keen hunters who don't want their dogs killing kiwi," she said.

The dogs were fitted with special collars, through which the DoC ranger was able to give them a mild electric shock if they showed an interest in "kiwi" stationed at two points on the reserve's track.

Kiwi had a strong and irresistible scent for dogs, Dawne said. "But given an electric shock when they head for it means most of them will avoid taking any interest in kiwi for at least a year."

The training is offered every six months in the Wanganui district. The only cost for dog owners is a gold-coin donation to the BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust.

Dogs are among the commonest killers of adult kiwi and the flightless birds are quickly crushed by even a soft-mouthed dog, Dawne said.

The aviaries and wards of her bird hospital are filled with wild birds from kereru, hawks and magpies to moreporks, waxeyes, kingfishers and tui.

Dawne points out a handsome male kereru and said he had dropped out of a tree.

"Two trampers were sitting under a tree having lunch when the wood pigeon suddenly tumbled out of the tree and landed on them. When they looked at him they saw that one of his wings had been damaged and the feathers had been stripped. It looked like he'd been attacked by a falcon. He must have been hiding for days in the tree."

Dawne said she was not sure if the feathers would fully grow back. "We'll just have to wait and see."

A tui in an aviary nearby that had been in the hospital for a few months, had nearly driven everyone mad when he learned how to imitate the phone ringing and then squawk, "Hello ... Bird Rescue", Dawne said with a laugh.

"He's very clever but then most birds are. I love them all even though some of them are vicious and can really harm you."

One of the worst were moreporks, she said. "They're more vicious than hawks who are actually quite gentle birds."

Funding her work at the rescue centre is always tough but people throughout the rescue area - Taranaki, Wanganui and King Country - were good at donating and helping, she said.

"It's important work caring for our wild birdlife.

"It's my life's work."