SI Bush Robin in Old Julia hut April 2013
For the second time in about a month a bush robin has spent time in a hut that I've been staying at. This one spent a while catching insects then seemed quite happy to sit & watch what was going on.
Here is a repeat of a tale I've already told about bush robins; "Many years ago when still a teenager working in the native bush in North Westland we were having lunch and being closely observed by a bush robin. An old timer I was working with said to me "I'll show you something", he lit a match and placed it on the ground. The bush robin quickly swooped in, picked up the match by the stem and shook it out. I've seen this feat repeated on a number of occasions."
Old Julia hut dates from 1958 and was an early NZFS job from before designs were standardised. Most of the timbers were cut from the bush. Crude chainsaw work & good axe/adze skills have been employed. A close look at the bunk in the photo reveals axe marks. A reason we stayed at old Julia hut was because of the open fire.