Frogs & Ducks. What's next?

 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.

Hello Freddy - You are safe with us!

 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.

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.

Archey's Frog February 2012

Another flight arrival

More bar-tailed godwit have arrived and now they number 30.

They're Back!

 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.

Four newly arrived godwit with other shorebirds 

Photos to follow.

Catchment - Water Quality

 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.

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.

Caged rocks to manage stormwater

Small fish ladder

This is the area that I recently wrote a short article Flagstaff morepork following the removal by helicopter of some large, tall old pine trees that were the roost of a local Morepork (Ruru) owl. I had last heard the morepork hoots the day before but then all had gone quiet for several weeks until I had a phone call from a local resident who had heard the morepork in an oak tree (another nonnative) by his house. Good news followed as further reports arrived to show that this morepork was still in the area.

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'.

Pukeko and short finned eel

White faced heron 

Welcome swallow skimming pond for insects.

Great Cormorant (Black Shag)