New Zealand Seabird report launch.

Last evening I  was invited to attend, at the Auckland Memorial Museum, the launch of the New Zealand Seabird report.

 This new report outlines the 'Important Bird Areas' (IBAs) and conservation of seabirds in New Zealand.

It's an extremely timely document considering the lack of protection for our marine environment and the Governments recent rush/panic to offer and open up for exploration and exploitation to the highest bidders 90% of our marine resource.


We were also able to view the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition and see some truly remarkable photography.



Thanks Eliane, a fun event and I am now looking forward to that chocolate cake.

Another Birthday!

A great place to celebrate, 16 metres high in the tree top tower of the Maungatautari Ecological Reserve...................

A goal should be to do the six hour cross mountain walk before my next!


Later I wanted to suss out before a longer visit the Whangamarino wetland, a Ramsar site near Meremere. Its a vast area and has 20% of NZ bitterns to be seen there. Also the rare black mud fish and the helmut  orchid that is found nowhere else in the world.

A friend has suggested that we take the kayak next time but that would have to be after the duck shooting season for fear of ending up on someones wall as a trophy.

On Lake Karapiro

 A  date, on a special day, with  a special person at a lovely  house on the lake. 

Sanctuary Mountain

kaka

A perfect time to visit  Mangatautari mountain to see the largest pest-proof predator fence in the world. Its impressive.....................

There are some great projects going on in New Zealand for ecological restoration and this is one of them.

tomtit

Lake Karapiro

Autumn

in the Waikato

Elian's Fish Survey.

With three sweeps on either side of the river this was going to take a while and with a shower of rain too at the first sweep.

As with the previous sweeps at the other site, a small but interesting variety of fish were found.

















We also found on closer examination of the nets
hundreds, probably thousands of  tiny fish below 1cm in size.








Inanga one of the whitebait, migratory galaxiids

Sweeping towards the catch net.

Sweeping mid-stream. This wasnt too succesful probably due to no edge vegetation for the fish to hide in.

Croissant to go !

The best laid plans. The croissants didn't work out as the local bakery had none.

 A French stick was a surreal substitute especially when you walk across this landscape carrying a net in one hand and a French loaf in another, but hey........


I was tempted to have my usual dip but summer is over and  the sea is cooling down. It was good to just enjoy the day, move the nets to another location and catch up with the dotterels, oystercatcher and pied stilt along the Mangawhai coastline.                                                        

 We think these are weasel prints in the sand which is a worry for a new seasons nesting birds so a trap will have to be placed nearby.