We are recently back from exploring the Waikite Valley area. The Te Manaroa spring eco trail although short is just a fascinating place.
Words can't really describe this magnificent spring as it violently discharges thousands of litres of geothermal energy into the Otamakokore stream.
More to follow............
Excellent talk this morning at the Shorebird centre followed by great birding opportunities before high tide at around 3pm. It's always good to be back on this beautiful coastline.
Between four to five thousand estimated bar-tailed godwits have arrived. Unlike our local estuaries of Shoal and Ngataringa red knots also migrate to the Pukorokoro coastline. We think that the lack of bivalves locally is probably the issue for these birds as Food, Food, Food is the motivator for where these birds visit.
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| Busy with birders at the poaka/stilt hide |
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| A leucistic godwit in the centre. |
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| A red knot feeding near the godwit flock. |
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| Red knots feeding in front of godwit flock |
Photos and more to follow......
A couple of weeks ago it was a Green Golden Bell frog sitting by our garden pond. Today it was the turn of two Mallard ducks to go for a swim. I wonder what's next?
They seemed quite relaxed swimming around and drinking lots of water too. I so often see this species of duck in the nearby Shoal estuary and wonder how they cope with saline water.
This distraction of watching their antics as they swam around our garden pond rather delayed our visit to Wenderholm Regional Reserve with the intention of searching for and watching banded rail.
Arriving mid-morning with the tide low we were soon rewarded with several sightings. Unlike Shoal and Ngataringa estuary where this species is incredibly cautious due to cats and dog disturbance, they are much easier to study at Wenderholm which has restrictions on these animals.
I had a chat to the park Ranger who was working with some other people to set up further traps for other predators such as stoats, weasels and rats.
This is not a New Zealand endemic species of frog, but it has become a native since its introduction to NZ in 1867.
This Green Bell frog also called the Green Golden Bell frog in Australia has just appeared sitting happily by our garden pond. It's a welcome addition to our garden wildlife.
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| Green and Golden Bell Frog September 2024 |
After the recent 'Goodbye Freddy' comments from a government coalition partner, Conservationists were incensed at the blatant disregard for our rare and endangered wildlife.
For comparison below is a photo I took as part of a frog research monitoring project of the threatened Archey's Frog. It's an amazing endemic species only found in New Zealand and now limited to very few habitats. We will certainly not find one of these in our garden.
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| Archey's Frog February 2012 |
The first four bar-tailed godwit have arrived after an 11,500-kilometer flight from Alaska to our local estuary. They seem in good shape and have settled in with the other shorebirds shown in the cropped photo below with a South Island pied oystercatcher and pied stilt.
We look forward to the flock increasing as more adults and then juvenile birds take advantage of favorable winds to assist with the return journey from the Arctic breeding areas.
Their return to New Zealand is to take advantage of the many estuaries and harbours that offer good feeding opportunities during our southern hemisphere summer escaping the cold conditions of Alaska.
They will stay with us in New Zealand before a return journey northward via China in March 2025 to begin the cycle again.
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| Four newly arrived godwit with other shorebirds |
Photos to follow.
At the setting up of a local environment group in 2017 we encouraged the idea of the importance of understanding catchment areas. The streams and waterways running into our local estuaries including stormwater infrastructure plays a big part in the health of these coastal wetlands and further out to the Hauraki Gulf.
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| Northboro' Reserve Stormwater |
Last Thursday I joined a local group who are now taking an interest in these local water inlets to our estuaries. This week they were investigating the small stormwater pond next to the Council owned pumping station in Northboro Reserve. Some years ago, the area had stormwater caged rocks added and native plantings. A fish ladder was also added. This area is a headwater inlet of Shoal Bay estuary. The groups aim on Thursday was to take water samples and test for water quality and also to search for aquatic life.
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| Caged rocks to manage stormwater |
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| Small fish ladder |
In March 2018 concern was raised in the Devonport Flagstaff after dead ducks were found. Local Board members visited but seemed to have limited concern for the ducks only rather than the other wildlife that inhabits this area. Many species do visit and some of these that I have observed and photographed (below) I included in an article published in the Flagstaff entitled 'Not Just Ducks'.
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| Pukeko and short finned eel |
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| White faced heron |
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| Welcome swallow skimming pond for insects. |
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| Great Cormorant (Black Shag) |
Thats Auckland. Today the Auckland Council contractors have cut and dealt with the pampas on this shell bank in our local estuary.
Over the last few years our visiting and resident shorebirds have been losing suitable roosting and nesting space as the first two photos below show. Amongst the native vegetation encroaching on this shell bank is the pest plant pampas grass often seen on roadsides in the Auckland region.
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| Pampas grass encroachment March 2024 |
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| BEFORE- Pampas grass with large white plumes |
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| AFTER- Pampas grass removed |
A big thankyou to our local Council Ranger and the contactors who have dealt with the pampas. A follow up visit is timetabled for April 2025 after the migratory birds have left.
I have often been intrigued by this little taraire tree grove high above Te Muri beach. I visit this often area often its one of my favourite walks .. There are seven taraire trees, one rewarewa and a nikau palm.
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| Taraire tree grove |
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| Seven Taraire trees, one Rewarewa and one Nikau |
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| Spring is on its way! |
It's cool but the morning views across to the Whangarei Heads are always stunning. Its interesting to visit this Wildlife reserve
More to follow.
A stunning blue- sky day to visit the wide vistas surrounding the Pukorokoro Shorebird Centre.
Photos to follow...........
I added our local sightings of spoonbill to the nationwide survey. Many thanks to Cecily and others who tipped me off about sightings locally around Shoal and Ngataringa estuaries. The survey is being conducted this month (July) to assess the present population size of the Royal Spoonbill species. The last survey was completed in 2012 and a little under 3000 birds were counted.
More to follow........
KEEPING THE SHELL BANKS SAFE FOR BIRDS.
What a fantastic job they did of picking up tiny fragments of plastic and fishing line that can be a real problem to the birds that live and visit the estuary and those that attempt to nest here.
I was so pleased to be able to share some information about the birds and we did see a South Island pied oystercatcher through my telescope.
Thank you to all the teaching staff who organised this including RTH and Theo, the Auckland Council Ranger who came along to hand out gloves and help with the clean-up. Most appreciated.
Yesterday the Auckland Botanical Society visited Smiths Bush on the North Shore to check the current botanical species list of his small remnant forest of mainly Kahikatea trees. Ben led the way and Steve added some historic insights into how the bush had been damaged and also cared for over the years.
More photos to follow....
Reassuring to see so many people turned out today to march down Queens Street against the contentious Fast Track Development legislation by the present Government.
Many thousands of people carrying excellent banners voiced their outrage at the anti-democratic approach this government has with its intention to Fast track seabed and other mining projects without any regard to the present environmental legislation that is there to safeguard the environment.
It was great to be invited to the Department of Conservation Tara iti Hui at Mangawhai village today.
Although an early start to drive North to attend I was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise as I arrived at the village library for the meeting.
A most enjoyable day meeting up with friends some of which I have not seen for a while who are all involved in caring for a variety of habitats and species including our rarest endemic New Zealand bird the Fairy Tern Tara iti.
I also enjoyed the online contribution by Dr. Claire Greenwell from Perth in Western Australia. I have met Claire and enjoyed visiting Australian Fairy Tern sites during many of my visits to Western Australia. Claire is a Marine Scientist and is the Convenor of the Western Australian Fairy Tern Network.
Cape Barren Geese at Ruakaka estuary. These geese are endemic to southern Australia.
Excellent presentations at the Dotterel Forum event at the Arts Centre in Orewa this morning.
Always good to catch up with such an interesting group of people helping protect dotterels and their breeding success.
More to follow........
The trees of Waikato particularly around Cambridge area are quite stunning including in Cambridge itself. Hall street has some beautiful Plane trees. It's said to be the most attractive street in Cambridge, so I had to take a look. A credit to Cambridge that they are happy to live alongside decent sized trees unlike Auckland city that continues to cut them down at an alarming rate.
Around the hidden Te Ko Utu Reserve also near the centre of town there are more fine trees which at this time of the year, Autumn, are just beginning to turn beautiful golden shades.
We chanced the rain forecast to visit the Waitakaruru Sculpture gardens just a little way out of Cambridge town and they were well worth the visit.
A Conker tree above the lake brought back many memories of childhood conker fights at school. These were very often banned as the season progressed as they could be quite aggressive. Conkers are the seeds of the Horse chestnut trees.
Te Awamutu has more fine trees including this one in the Selwyn Reserve in the centre of the town. It's a huge sweet chestnut tree which is not the Horse variety. These produce the chestnuts that can be roasted.
Raglan in the sunshine and the rain with views to Mount Pirongia which I climbed some years back from both sides. Today a market was full on at the Old Raglan School that is now an art studio.
More photos to follow....................
Landscape Infrastructure
'Urban design based on principles of Landscape Infrastructure is focused on landscape-based integration of the built and natural environments—seeking out innovative opportunities for building nature and public amenities into the infrastructure of a city'.
With BOT SOC today exploring the Landscape infrastructure of the wetlands at the 'Landings' development at Auckland airport.
