Storm and a dead dolphin

Heavy rain is forecast but the sun was shining early on and this lulled us into not quite watching the approaching weather carefully enough. Suddenly there was a huge torrential downfall shortly followed by a load crack of thunder directly above.

 Sitting under a small sun umbrella with a metal scope, metal tripod, metal binoculars and camera watching the birds suddenly felt quite vulnerable. We decided to make a run for it  to the shelter of a very large macrocarpa tree not too far away.. I then imagined that tomorrows news would relate the story of two people crushed by a very large macrocarpa tree

Later DOC phoned to say they were coming to help bury a dolphin that had been washed up about a kilometre up the beach and so we headed there and later the others joined us after  we had by then dug a reasonable sized pit in the sand above the high tide mark. DNA samples were taken and measurements were made.  A Karakia, a  Maori prayer, was conducted before we buried this unfortunate Common Dolphin

 More to follow...……………..

Game on

Its been a tense time waiting to see if the male Fairy Tern would attract a female but its happened and today the male was frantically fishing and feeding her with fish with the occasional copulation as the reward.

More to follow...………………….

Tutukaka Coast revisited

Just back from a week exploring the Tutukaka coastline.  Its a favourite of mine and some time back was voted the second best coastline by the Geographic magazine,

Whale bay

Matapouri bay

Woolleys Bay

Whangaumu Bay

Ruakaka Beach

Photos and more to follow...………………...

East Coasts re-visited - It's nearly Summer.

Protecting Nests

After stopping two groups of people from trampling this dotterel nest with two eggs I realised that it did not stand much of a chance in this location.

 Fortunately I had posts and tape in the car so decided to put a fence around the nest site. Soon the adult bird return to the nest initially pecking at one of the posts but then settling down on the nest.

Reading the new experimental hand written signage at this Wildlife Reserve I was dismayed to read and hear later from Bob and Jenny who care for this site that 9 eggs were taken over the Labour day weekend from this site and  dog prints had been seen in the area too.