During a recent visit to the Cambridge Matamata area in the Waikato it was interesting to visit the Firth Tower near Matamata township. I had read about this tower some years back but didn't appreciate the undertaking, location and the present site as a museum including some very interesting old buildings.
It was great to attend another annual Department of Conservation (DOC) Tara iti (NZ Fairy Tern) hui in Wellsford today and hear more about the ongoing work and planned projects to protect this endangered endemic species.
One of the projects that captured my imagination was by Cara who plans to trial this motorised falcon to drive Australasian hawks (kahu) away from Tara iti nesting habitats.
Another idea that Cara is researching is to supplementary feed Kahu and their young to discourage them from taking other species. This research could be a game changer for our shell bank areas that are often patrolled by Kahu looking for easy prey. That easy prey is our nesting dotterel including their eggs and chicks.
I will be following Caras projects closely.
I do remember in the early days when I first set out to watch banded rail, I was always unlucky. Following a search at a wetland reserve and still no success someone commented that I should have seen them as the place was 'dripping with rails'.
Gradually my luck changed, or I became more observant, and I began to see them more often in coastal wetland habitats.
I regularly watch them at Wenderhom Regional Park providing the tide in the estuary is just right to enable them to feed. Today was ideal and these photos show one rail busy feed as the tide recedes.
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| This banded rail launches itself at a crab |
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| Another tasty crab is caught |
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| The crab is dipped in a pool probably to remove sand |
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| The crab still alive is swallowed whole. |
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| The student from Hauraki school searching for rubbish on the shell bank. |
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| These are just a few of the shorebirds that live and visit Shoal Bay estuary |
Dawn and Dusk at Waitangi.
They are back again. This time just one Cape Barren goose near the Ruakaka estuary campsite.
Last May there were three. The seem quite confiding flying in to feed on the grassy slopes above the estuary edge.
Following a recent survey between December 2024 and February 2025, Reef Heron numbers in the Auckland region appear to be critically low.
This information was revealed last evening during our Auckland Regional Birds NZ meeting. I was rather dismayed to hear that only 10 nests were located and only a few reef heron observed.
I have always enjoyed watching these birds when I have come across them. I have observed them on Motuihe Island, Mangawhai estuary, Huia in the Waitakeres and also in the middle of the Shoal estuary.
Another stunning clear blue-sky day to visit the Mahurangi Regional Reserve and a quick count of the birds on Sullivans beach and the grass reserve at high tide showed 45 Variable Oystercatchers (VOCS), two New Zealand dotterel and about 20 mallard ducks.
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| Some of the 45 Variable oystercatchers roosting around early afternoon. |
This is a regular site for roosting VOCs and occasionally a pair of NZ dotterel although their is very little room for the dotterel to breed on the beach with high tides.
Pukorokoro Miranda shorebird centre is this year celebrating its 50th Anniversary with a series of events.
Today a beautiful blue-sky day to attend the AGM and a talk by Keith Woodley who with the help of historic photographs and interesting memories illustrated the many events and the people who over the years had contributed to the success of the Pukorokoro/Miranda Naturalist' Trust.
The NZ Herald this morning in their article recording the severe storm during the early hours of this morning that the 'Heavens opened' with heavy rain across the Auckland region.
There was little warning of this ahead of this morning's downpour recorded by the Met Office as shown below with over 50mm of rain over just a few hours.
Sadly, these heavy downpours of rain not only cause flooding to people's homes and livelihoods but cause huge amounts of sediment to flow from inadequately protected development sites across the city into our streams, estuaries and ultimately into the Hauraki Gulf.
A full-on week enjoying the Oceania Seabird Conference at Auckland University which was hosted by SPREP (Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme).
The vision of SPREP - 'A resilient Pacific Environment sustaining our livelihoods and natural heritage in harmony with our cultures'.
Three days of excellent lectures from researchers active throughout the Pacific region working on the collection of data and protection of some very challenging Island environments crucial to seabird ecology.
It was excellent to meetup with New Zealand friends and engage with many Pacific Island visitors too.
Due to the extreme weather front arriving today the field trips including a pelagic from Tutukaka marina and visits to Tawharanui sanctuary and Motuora Island had to be cancelled.
Today was the 10th Auckland Dotterel Forum and this year it was held at a new venue the Mangere Mountain Education Centre hosted by Auckland Council. Each year the Forum gathers together a group of people (Dotterel Minders) who are dedicated to the care and protection of the Northern New Zealand Dotterel species.
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| Landcare researcher shows cat aversion research to protect nesting sites |
Great talks today from a variety of contributors. It's always interesting to hear success stories but we are also reminded of the ongoing lack of action on the damage and disturbance from cats, dogs and development to the breeding success of this species...
The tides were good to explore the Te Muri Reserve. Or so I thought but after climbing over the hill from Sullivans bay I realised that the tide was turning and coming in fast.
So rather than cross the river I found a shady spot to observe any fish moving upstream with the tide. The water was incredibly clear and soon several good sized parore fish were observed feeding on vegetation along the nearside of the river just below where I was sitting.
Over to the West coast of Auckland today to the Muriwai gannet colony. The newly fledged young gannets are about to launch from the high cliffs of the gannet nesting colony for their first migration.
more to follow.................................
It's always good to catch up with people at the Robert Findlay Reserve and at the Pukorokoro/Miranda Shorebird Centre on the Thames estuary.
Today was extra special as I was able to meet up with my friend Claire from Perth WA and share with her the Pukorokoro shorebird environment. Claire is a Marine Ecologist whose specialty is the Australian Fairy Tern. Her work now includes assisting the New Zealand Scientific Advisory group for research into the Tara Iti, the New Zealand Fairy Tern. I have enjoyed many visits to WA to catch up with the Australian Fairy Tern work by Claire and her colleagues which aligns with my voluntary work with Fairy Tern projects in New Zealand
Claire was enjoying seeing large numbers of shorebirds including South Island pied oystercatchers, Bar-tailed Godwit. Pacific Golden plovers and our New Zealand endemic the Wrybill a small, unusual bird with a bent to the right bill.
Today recent arrivals to NZ from the UK Shona and James were also visiting the Shorebird Centre and by chance Shona and Claire are linked to conservation projects in Australia. I wish them good luck for their future time in NZ and hope to catch up with them in Auckland some time.
It was good to chat to Natalie at the hides about Conservation. Natalie is the present President of Birds New Zealand.
The weather was great the birds were great and the company excellent. Altogether a very enjoyable day.
Exploring the Motutara Reserve looking for the mermaid pools. There are many so called mermaid pools around New Zealand and they are well worth the effort to seek them out.
We have visited this area on many occasions but somehow missed the mermaid pools hidden away at the far end of the Motutara reserve. It's an enjoyable walk with first a climb over the 60 metre hill to the Trig point. From there we enjoyed fantastic ocean views including the Poor Knights islands and in the opposite direction the Whananaki estuary below the Reserve.
On this occasion we were rewarded after a hot but beautiful walk and then enjoyed a well-deserved refreshing swim at the small, secluded bay below. On this occasion the sea temperatures were the warmest I have experienced in the North and this may be why a Manta Ray was recently observed on this coastline.
Cicadas, bee's, paper wasps, small blue butterflies and moths and very occasionally birds fly into the front porch. I'm always rescuing them especially the bees because by morning they are really sluggish due to the overnight temperatures. However, they soon recover and using the sun re-calibrate and are off again on purposeful flight.
A stunning day to observe 200 bar-tailed godwits roosting in the estuary this morning and a reminder of how sensitive this Shoal Bay estuary environment is.
Today was a joint walk around the Marsden development area with the local environment group (RTH). We were joined by a representative from the Councils Healthy Waters department to share learning ahead of another intensive development, that could impact on this Significant Ecological Area.
My concerns follow the impacts of previous developments around the estuary edge that have either not followed sediment control guidelines or that the guidelines themselves have been totally inadequate to deal with current impact of climate, namely heavy rainfall events.
I hope that with early involvement in this project that members of the local environment group (RTH) will have the chance to monitor the methodology and any risk factors that could jeopardize this vulnerable cliff edge and risk sediment flow into the marine environment below.