Motuora Island

Perfect day for an early crossing to Motuora Island from Sandspit. The sea was like a mill-pond with hardly a breath of wind. We were soon landed and headed up to see the latest imports of Pycroft petrels from Red Mercury Island. We watched these being weighed individually and have their wings measured.

 Then it was time to work in the nursery and later I volunteered for some track clearing. A great day catching up with people and lots of fun. Shame about Sally's shoes, hope she finds another match during beach combing.

Then  headed off to explore the Southern end of the Island for butterflies and insects, always interested to see the pollinators and was rewarded with sightings of a common copper copper and long-tailed blues.  Heaps of whitehead flickering through the mahoe bush.

 Lovely evening up in the hills of the Dome valley and good to meet Fiona and Warwick again. I enjoyed the Thai meal with you Eliane. Hope you catch that stoat before it catches your remaining chicks.

 

State of Mind

I have spent most of this Summer on the East coast exploring and observing wildlife. This is one of my favourite places shared with a good friend. This is where I like to swim to cool off after a day in the sun. Its a walk to get there but always worth it. It doesn't get much better than this. Its a magic spot. Not so much a place more a state of the mind.

Sullivans Bay

Planetarium

We are indeed so fortunate to live on such a wonderful planet.

 With stars in my eyes this evening after looking through the Zeiss telescope at the Auckland Planetarium, I remembered the conversation I had some time ago with my optician when she mixed up my prescription and was fitting various lenses into that contraption that tests your eyes.

 I asked her if she was planning glasses for me  with a prescription so strong that I could look into the night sky and discover a new planet and have it named after me.

 Smiling she replied, "Philip I do not think you will discover a new planet or have it named after you any time soon"

more to follow........

Big Sand Island on the Kaipara

Many thanks Eliane and Gwen for asking me to join the Birding New Zealand post breeding dotterel count today at Big Sand Island. With a couple of thousand godwits and red knots and the largest number of Caspian terns I have ever seen at one site, well over a hundred.

 I love this place and have fond memories of my first visit about a year ago.

It was good to be able to compare the little tern, white fronted tern and a solitary Fairy tern that were all together not too far from where we were observing.

Other birds seen include whimbrel, skua, South island Pied Oystercatcher, three Vocs, Turnstones, banded dotterel and a lone wrybill.





Tinopai Pelican Search

When someone in the team said we were going on a pelican hunt they were asked if we were going to shoot them so we now prefer to call it a pelican search.

So every track to the waters edge at the top of the kaipara to Dargaville was searched for a view of  pelicans Pelicanus conspicillatus along the river side.
Alan E and I eventually tracked down two at Aratapu on the western side of the Dargaville river. They were on an exposed mud bank.
 On the Saturday we drove up from Tinopai where we were all staying and showed the rest of the team where they were but they had moved by then.

 We had to search further on Saturday afternoon and eventually found three that then disappeared, we lost them while we were seeking shade from the sun,  Fortunately we soon  spotted four further up the river on the western side.

The rest of the team caught up and so we all saw this rare vagrant from Australia. Mission accomplished Margi.
And at Tinopai on the beach this lone godwit with a large gathering of South Island pied oystercatchers.

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Que Bola? Happy Birthday El

Great day with Bot Soc on Saddle Island in the Gulf led by Ewen Cameron from the Auckland Museum. Just in the process of identifying some of the plant photos now with Ewen's help. Mike Wilcox has already id'ed the fish as anchovies (Engraulis australis).   More Saddle Island Images

 Good to catch up with friends and good that you could join us and thanks for your fun input Eliane.
 A great evening and dinner too with your friends around you for your birthday. Really enjoyed being part of it. I'm looking forward to that party. I now know just what to wear.

 

King Tide, Great Cormorant and a Cat

January 2014

NZ Fairy Tern   http://creativemomentsimages.co.nz/library/NZfairytern2014/

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014

Paradiso- Old Years Day -1

Then there were two!

It's Christmas

Well that’s it folks, another year has sailed past. It’s been a good one and here’s hoping that 2014 will be even better.

With the move and big change next year my creative email may be out of action so just use my Google mail address, that’s the one I used during my UK travels.

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas.

Philip

Chenier at Shoal Bay

What has Shoal Bay in common with Miranda? Both have Chenier beaches. That is raised shell beaches formed by long shore drift depositing shells over mud.

 This is a very rare feature and there are said to be only 12 worldwide. http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/publications/factsheets/rare-ecosystems/coastal/shell-barrier-beaches-chenier-plains   Miranda is the largest in NZ and we have several in the Shoal bay area.
 More to follow..........

VOC Success

Do you remember my September 10th blog entry 'Love is in the air' ?Well today I saw the results, three very young Variable Oystercatcher chicks which I would judge to be just a few days old.

 They were at the waters edge just
below a shell bank at Shoal Bay with an anxious mum watching over them that is the bird on the right.

Oystercatchers make good parents and I have been watching them North of Auckland on the East coast each week this season. The father in this case seemed less concerned about my presence. So far all good but its early days, these chicks are vulnerable to cats, rats, dogs and overhead predation by hawks and black backed gulls. I wish them luck and will be checking on their progress regularly.

November

What is it about November? Some you gain some you lose, that’s friendships over time. As my friend Margi says "Friends are for a Reason a Season or Forever."

I seem to meet such interesting people in November usually in the great outdoors usually on a beautiful beach. Last November was no exception. We have just celebrated a year of friendship, with interesting fun times walking, birding, kayaking the coast and exploring bush reserves.

 I look forward to another season and thank all friends for their continued fun and for just being their wonderful selves. Don’t ask me what this photo was about I really can’t remember. It was simply about just being there.