New Zealand rail bridge collasped by worm

[David Benton]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_i ... D=10329873

This bridge collasped under the wieght of a 60 tonne crane sent to repair it . The crane is still in the river .

what is very worrying about this , is the spread of the worm southwards ( into colder waters ) . This could be a problem for both railway bridges , and harbour facilities , that havent needed protection against the worm until now .
This is just one of the problems that the climate change is causing .

[Sir Ray]

Up around these parts (Northeast US), over the past decades as the waters of the various harbors and rivers around have gotten cleaner, marine borers (teredos) have become more common, causing similar problems with many olders wooden piers and docks http://www.geocities.com/submergefestival/teredos.htm

Perhaps the decline in Kiwi guano is causing New Zealand waters to become cleaner...

[David Benton]

Interesting , but i dont think the poor kiwi's contribution was that large a factor , lol .
However you may be onto something , The Nuhaka river is in a very hilly area , and hill country farming has declined in the last 20 years or so . What that may mean , is a lot less areial topdressing of the area has been taking place , so you would expect there to be a lot less nutrients etc , been washed into the river . and less sheep Guano .
I also see the Nuhaka river runs past the Moere hot springs( nice ) , so i would of thought this river was hotter than normal anyway .

[Sir Ray]

Not sure if you are a North Islander or not Mr. Benton (in which case, if so, then it's like asking me, a New Yorker, about fauna in Virginia), but when I toured New Zealand South Island, in several of the parks there was a rather common, noisy bird which loved to beg for food while we ate (tame as Squirrels are around here - these birds came right up to the picnic tables begging for food) - I thought they were Weka, but according to various web sites those turned out to be rather rare - do you know what bird kept begging food from us (seemed rather plain, not colourful, long neck, kinda noisy like our geese)

[David Benton]

i am a North Islander , But the bird your talking about is the Kea (like many its name comes from its call ). Actually a parrot . They are noisy , not shy , and destructive . They love to eat car aerials , windscreen wipers , and plastic pipes etc .
The Weka is a flightless bird , and as such is rare due to Predators . and also due to it been edible . protected , except on one island where it si plentiful , and hunted as a local delicacy .

[David Benton]

oops , didnt read the long neck part , in which case its probably not the kea . maybe the Pukeko , which is purple with long neck and long legs .
otherwise it could be the Canada Goose , which is quite common doewn there .