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)

Weed Capital of the World

 Thats Auckland. Today the Auckland Council contractors have cut and dealt with the pampas on this shell bank in our local estuary. 

Over the last few years our visiting and resident shorebirds have been losing suitable roosting and nesting space as the first two photos below show. Amongst the native vegetation encroaching on this shell bank is the pest plant pampas grass often seen on roadsides in the Auckland region. 

Pampas grass encroachment March 2024

BEFORE- Pampas grass with large white plumes

AFTER- Pampas grass removed

This removal work is timely before our NZ dotterel and Variable oystercatcher attempt to nest here and in September our quota of around 200 bar-tailed godwit that are site-faithful to these estuaries will arrive after breeding in Alaska. 

A big thankyou to our local Council Ranger and the contactors who have dealt with the pampas. A follow up visit is timetabled for April 2025 after the migratory birds have left.

Taraire Grove

 I have often been intrigued by this little taraire tree grove high above Te Muri beach. I visit this often area often  its one of my favourite walks .. There are seven taraire trees, one rewarewa and a nikau palm.

Taraire tree grove

Seven Taraire trees, one Rewarewa and one Nikau

Spring is on its way!

Ruakaka in Winter

 It's cool but the morning views across to the Whangarei Heads are always stunning. Its interesting to visit this Wildlife reserve

  

More to follow.

Pukorokoro /Miranda Coastline

 A stunning blue- sky day to visit the wide vistas surrounding the Pukorokoro Shorebird Centre.

Photos to follow...........

Royal Spoonbill Survey

 

I added our local sightings of spoonbill to the nationwide survey. Many thanks to Cecily and others who tipped me off about sightings locally around Shoal and Ngataringa estuaries.  The survey is being conducted this month (July) to assess the present population size of the Royal Spoonbill species. The last survey was completed in 2012 and a little under 3000 birds were counted.

More to follow........

Hauraki School Beach clean-up at Shoal Bay.

KEEPING THE SHELL BANKS SAFE FOR BIRDS.

 It was so good to meet the students' teachers and helpers from Hauraki school at the shell banks of Shoal Bay this morning.

 What a fantastic job they did of picking up tiny fragments of plastic and fishing line that can be a real problem to the birds that live and visit the estuary and those that attempt to nest here.

 I was so pleased to be able to share some information about the birds and we did see a South Island pied oystercatcher through my telescope.

Thank you to all the teaching staff who organised this including RTH and Theo, the Auckland Council Ranger who came along to hand out gloves and help with the clean-up. Most appreciated.

Smiths Bush -late post.

 Yesterday the Auckland Botanical Society visited Smiths Bush on the North Shore to check the current botanical species list of his small remnant forest of mainly Kahikatea trees. Ben led the way and Steve added some historic insights into how the bush had been damaged and also cared for over the years.

More photos to follow....

A War on Nature

Reassuring to see so many people turned out today to march down Queens Street against the contentious Fast Track Development legislation by the present Government.

Many thousands of people carrying excellent banners voiced their outrage at the anti-democratic approach this government has with its intention to Fast track seabed and other mining projects without any regard to the present environmental legislation that is there to safeguard the environment. 

Tara iti Hui (NZ Fairy Tern)

It was great to be invited to the Department of Conservation Tara iti Hui at Mangawhai village today. 

Although an early start to drive North to attend I was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise as I arrived at the village library for the meeting.

 A most enjoyable day meeting up with friends some of which I have not seen for a while who are all involved in caring for a variety of habitats and species including our rarest endemic New Zealand bird the Fairy Tern Tara iti.

I also enjoyed the online contribution by Dr. Claire Greenwell from Perth in Western Australia. I have met Claire and enjoyed visiting Australian Fairy Tern sites during many of my visits to Western Australia. Claire is a Marine Scientist and is the Convenor of the Western Australian Fairy Tern Network.

North of the Brynderwyns

Cape Barren Geese at Ruakaka estuary. These geese are endemic to southern Australia.

Dotterel Forum

Excellent presentations at the Dotterel Forum event at the Arts Centre in Orewa this morning.

Always good to catch up with such an interesting group of people helping protect dotterels and their breeding success.

More to follow........

Cambridge Trees & Raglan

The trees of Waikato particularly around Cambridge area are quite stunning including in Cambridge itself. Hall street has some beautiful Plane trees. It's said to be the most attractive street in Cambridge, so I had to take a look. A credit to Cambridge that they are happy to live alongside decent sized trees unlike Auckland city that continues to cut them down at an alarming rate.

Around the hidden  Te Ko Utu Reserve also near the centre of town there are more fine trees which at this time of the year, Autumn, are just beginning to turn beautiful golden shades.

We chanced the rain forecast to visit the Waitakaruru  Sculpture gardens just a little way out of Cambridge town and they were well worth the visit.

 

 A Conker tree above the lake brought back many memories of childhood conker fights at school. These were very often banned as the season progressed as they could be quite aggressive. Conkers are the seeds of the Horse chestnut trees.

Te Awamutu has more fine trees including this one in the Selwyn Reserve in the centre of the town. It's a huge sweet chestnut tree which is not the Horse variety. These produce the chestnuts that can be roasted.

Raglan in the sunshine and the rain with views to Mount Pirongia which I climbed some years back from both sides. Today a market was full on at the Old Raglan School that is now an art studio.

More photos to follow....................

Landscape Infrastructure.

Landscape Infrastructure

'Urban design based on principles of Landscape Infrastructure is focused on landscape-based integration of the built and natural environments—seeking out innovative opportunities for building nature and public amenities into the infrastructure of a city'.

With BOT SOC today exploring the Landscape infrastructure of the wetlands at the 'Landings' development at Auckland airport.

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Stingray feeding pits

 Whangateau estuary

I have always been intrigued since being educated by John Walsby about how stingray feed on cockle shells in our estuaries. Staying at the excellent  Whangateau campsite for a couple of nights recently I was reminded of a memorable visit to the Whangateau village hall at the edge of the Whangateau harbour in January 2011 that I first met John who was part of an environment open day event.

 In the morning there were snorkeling activities for children. Then talks about the many marine creatures on display in tanks on trestle tables in the hall. Roger Grace the expert underwater photographer was also present. Sadly, Roger has since passed away.

 After the excellent talks John offered to take a group to explore the now waterless estuary. What I haven't mentioned is that the weather was atrocious on that day and although there was a good number of visitors at this event only 7 of us were game enough to join John on what was to be for me a not to be missed opportunity to learn from an excellent educator.

Whangateau estuary with John Walsby January 2011

Whangateau estuary with John Walsby January 2011

Whangateau estuary February 2024

With a little imagination you can see the shape of a stingray as it flutters its wings to clear the sand so exposing in a little pit the buried cockle shells which it would then devour leaving only small fragments of shell.

Stingray cockle feeding pit.

Fortunately, the weather on our present stay is very different and we have had yet another week of sunshine and heat. 

Tawharanui open sanctuary

The sands at Tawharanui were too hot to walk on barefoot but I did enjoy exploring one of the wetlands on the Tawharanui peninsular behind the predator proof fence of this open sanctuary.

Tawharanui white sand beach

Tawharanui predator proof fence

Tawharanui wetlands

Northern Light

 Heading North and some wonderful lighting and seascapes to enjoy.

Ruakaka

Motutara Reserve

Whananaki Estuary

Copper butterfly

Happy New Year -2024

 Late post-as we have been enjoying this year's sunshine having missed out in January last year with Cyclones bringing heavy rain and flooding. Temperatures are 25C creeping up to 28C today. 

Camping in the van at Mahurangi West was very enjoyable. A Bar-tailed godwit flock of 42 birds landed 

 in Sullivans Bay on the 12th of January at High tide to roost. Nearby was a regular flock of 29 oystercatchers all but three were Variable oystercatchers. The three were South Island pied oystercatchers.

Just one NZ dotterel was observed.

Just Stunning !

Today the pohutukawa trees were in full flower and were just stunning in the coastal Mahurangi Regional Reserve.

 I enjoyed one of my favourite walks to enjoy these stunning views of the Mahurangi estuary.

More to follow....................

Pukorokoro Fly By

A beautiful morning to drop into the Pukorokoro, Robert Findlay wildlife reserve to check out the over 6000 bar-tailed godwit (kuaka) that are resident there at the present time. We have just over 200 as our share of this migratory species in our local estuaries at Shoal and Ngataringa so it's a great opportunity to see this much larger flock at the Pukorokoro reserve.

I have chosen well; the tide is good for approximately a 10.30 am high tide and the reserve is very quiet. Its just a week proceeding Christmas day so very few people are around which is just how I like to experience this wonderful habitat. But first I called into to the nearby Shorebird Centre to check with Keith on the latest news and birds likely to be seen.

Back at the hides it was good to catch up with Hera one of the Kaitiaki Rangers who had set up her scope at the stilt pond hide where most of the 6000 bar-tailed godwit were quietly roosting (resting).

Also, a scattering of some of the birds we see at Shoal estuary -South Island pied oystercatcher and Caspian tern. I was pleased to also see just a small group of wrybill remaining. This wonderful shorebird, one of my favourites with its bent to the right bill. Our local wrybill have left our estuary to migrate to the South Island to breed before returning next year to avoid the South Island winter.

eBird Team Talk

 An excellent workshop talk today by Ian Davies and Tom Auer from the Cornell University. A range of information to showcase how eBird data informs our understanding of species distribution, status and population trends.

I have been adding my local data to the eBird site for some years now to share with the birding community. This also safeguards data for the future. One of the interesting aspects raised in the talk was to include audio recordings when uploading to eBird as these can be used to build identification of species in an associated App called Merlin which is useful for bird identification.

A big thankyou to Ian Mclean (BirdsNZ Auckland Regional Representative) for organizing this event and also to the Auckland Council staff for hosting at the Ambury Regional Park Centre.

Shoal Bay Godwit Welcome Event

 Yesterday morning with perfect sunny weather, we held the 5th Welcome to the Godwit event at Sandy Bay Road Reserve. This is an annual event hosted by the RTH team.

With over a hundred local residents including many children it was a fun active event. It also gave me a chance to share through the scope some sightings and information about our flock of over two hundred bar-tailed godwits including juveniles that have recently arrived from Alaska. They will stay with us until March. Then many will return via China to Alaska to breed.

205 Bar-tailed Godwit - 4th November 2023

Another Marathon

 Today was the Auckland Marathon an annual event with this year 14,000 people taking part. They run from the start in Devonport on a circuitous route with the finish line in Auckland. Yesterday I ventured out at dawn to catch up with the number of Bar-Tailed Godwit that have now arrived in our local estuary.

 When I left in mid-September for Australia only five had arrived but yesterday well over 200 hundred where roosting on a local shell bank at high tide. These included a high percentage of juvenile birds that will have followed the adult birds from Northen Alaska finding their own way to the estuary. Now that is a little more than a Marathon, I think.

Photos to follow.