Monday, 20 September 2021 15:30

Rosé Bird Feeders

Written by  Staff Reporters
Picton Dawn Chorus Picton Dawn Chorus

A Picton predator free project has teamed up with a Marlborough winery to help bring bird song back to the Sounds.

Picton Dawn Chorus and Two Rivers have combined forces to create an effective bird feeder out of Rosé bottles, as a social enterprise to help pay for trapping. Chris Webb, from Picton Dawn Chorus, trialled the bird bottle, including a trick of adding a drop or two of red food colouring into the sugar water. That makes it look like Rosé and seems to attract tui to the feeder, he says.

Trials have seen a sweet success, with three to four tui calling into Chris's front driveway at a time, while bellbirds and wax eyes wait their turn.

Two Rivers founder and Winemaker David Clouston has long been a supporter of Picton Dawn Chorus, as a sponsor of one of the many pest trap lines around Picton, by gifting his Rosé for events, and now by providing bottles for the bird feeders.

"It's great what Picton Dawn Chorus are doing," sayd David. "This is a small way of giving back. We have a bach down at the Sounds, and it's so important that our kids get to hear those birds like we did when we were kids, and in 30 years hopefully they will be hearing that bird song still."

The feeders are going into production in August and will be available at this year's Rapaura Srpings Garden Marlborough from the Picton Environment Centre, or through the Picton Dawn Chorus website pictondawnchorus.co.nz

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