New Dotterel Signage Install

 Thanks to support from Auckland Council staff, I am busy upgrading our Northern New Zealand dotterel signage with new sturdy signs. The old signs have worked well and have survived going under water at high tides in this location.

 The new signs I think are more appropriate to illustrate our work & message to protect dotterel habitat.

After the successful fledging of one dotterel chick last season, we are hoping to build on that again this year although a harrier did fly overhead while I was fixing up the sign. Harriers and high tides are the main enemy in this location to successful dotterel rearing. 

Dotterel Forum 2026

Searching through some photos in preparation for a school talk soon about our local shorebirds, I was reminded that I had not posted any details of the Dotterel Forum that was held at the Puhoi village hall on the 3rd of May.

The Keynote speaker was John Dowding who shared his experiences on Stewart Island (Rakiura) in the attempts and challenges to successfully raise the numbers of the rare Southern New Zealand Dotterel. 

John Dowding & Southern NZ Dotterel

As always some very supportive interesting talks and I was able to contribute too sharing our local success on having one nest, one egg, one chick, that successfully fledged one Northern New Zealand dotterel this season.

Pukorokoro Miranda AGM

AGM. meetings are not most people's 'cup of tea'.  That includes me but there is one exception the Pukorokoro Miranda Naturalist Trust AGM held at the Shorebird Centre. These are usually bearable due to a lighthearted approach to the nitty gritty of recording and reporting on the annual finances.

Once the AGM was signed off an excellent talk by Dr Jenny Hillman (University of Auckland) followed

 Jenny specializes in research into restoring shellfish species and ecosystem functioning and follows this by then understanding the benefits of this research work.

After the AGM and talk there was following lunch a chance to visit the birds at high tide for some birding. I always enjoy the walk to the hides especially when accompanied by skylarks singing on the wing.

Skylark on the wing

Skylark showing crest

Wrybill in large numbers

SIPO's, Godwit, & Wrybill too