Shoal Ngataringa Wader Census Count

It was good to have Jim Eagles join me for this mornings sunrise wader census count. It was a beautiful morning and the estuaries were like mill-ponds. A good spread of species were observed including wrybill, South Island Pied Oystercatcher, Variable Oystercatchers, pied stilt, banded dotterel and NZ dotterel.



Waitemata Wader Census morning- Just like a millpond

SIPOS on High Tide Roost shell bank



Wrybill




Pied stilt with banded dotterel behind

In the afternoon It was good to meet up with Emma and her neighbour Barrie both Upper Shoal Bay local residents to set-up and GPS a new predator control bait line.

Emma and Barrie setting up a bait line

Miranda Winter Census

A beautiful day to be counting birds after a foggy drive to the Miranda Shorebird Centre. I was pleased to be able to help as we paired up and were sent to different shorebird locations along the coast and inland on some farmland sites. I counted up to 1700 when something disturbed them and had to start again. Gillian was more successful and made it to 2200



That's over half the World population of Wrybill at Miranda today



Wrybill can be fidgety birds not the easiest to count

We will soon be adding our count for Shoal and Ngataringa Bay as our local contribution to the winter Waitemata census.

Strutting Our stuff

Well here I am at the Pest Forum last Monday strutting my stuff explaining the Shoal Environment and where the predator control with help from the 'Ratpack' fits in.

Kym is strutting her stuff too facilitating our meeting

 

The French Connection

Great day on the Mangawhai coast meeting up with Sofiane who is an intrepid traveller. Sophiane has travelled extensively through Australia and Japan and is part way to Cape Reinga following the Te Ararowa trail. He had many tales to tell of near death experiences during his travels.



Looking for a safe place to cross this river

 

 Sofiane was camping nearby on route from Bluff so we asked him to join us for a day exploring the three dune beaches checking traps for predators.

 Three weasels, two hedgehogs and a mouse was a good total for the day. We finished the day with a Cointreau or two and then an Indian meal joined by other friends.

A great day and I'm looking forward to meeting up with Sofiane when he returns to Auckland after completing his walk and also hearing about the next leg of his travels.

Chew Card Project Tour

Its been an eventful week with meetings, walks, attendance at a tree hearing for a notable scheduled listed pohutukawa and today a walk on the wild -side to show Craig from Auckland Council the Shoal and Ngataringa estuary habitats.

 Amy joined us and I was pleased to have her along as she has recently returned from the Norfolk islands where she completed her Masters degree and more work on a bird trans-location project to an off-shore Island.

Craig from the  Auckland Council Biodiversity department is going to help with a chew card project at various locations around the estuaries to check for the presence of rats. We were pleased to listen to his advise and look forward to starting this project including checking the high tide  shell bank roost sites.

It was good to meet up with Roger and Cecilia at Ngataringa Park and be shown around. Then to Ngataringa Bay to meet with Graham to see where cards can be laid on the shell bank.