There was a great turnout for the planting day on Sunday the 7th August and despite the dire weather predictions the rain held off and much was achieved without getting soaked. Apart from the planting it was decided to incorporate a working bee out on the last chenier to repair the fencing, which had taken a real battering over the…
Author: Bernard Michaux
Winter Bird News
The season of rain and storms is upon us and I always feel sorry for the birds hunkering down in all that weather. As the seasons change so do the waders. The godwits have left and are now breeding in Alaska and experiencing 24 hours of daylight as they rush to complete their breeding cycle during the short high-latitude summer.…
Bird News – Breeding 2021/22
Another breeding season is coming to an end and it’s been a successful one too. So congratulations to everyone involved in looking after the local environment and helping our endangered endemic birds find a safe haven on the Hibiscus Coast. Weiti A male and two female pateke/brown teal took up residence on the lagoon again this year and both females…
Brown Teal/ Pāteke successfully breed again
The resident pair of locally rare and nationally recovering pāteke at Weiti lagoon have produce four ducklings this year. This is a tremendous result for the trappers because these endemic ducks only survive and breed when mammalian predators (cats, mustelids, and rats) are controlled to low levels. I noticed the ducklings when they were disturbed by a Banded Rail/moho pererū,…
NZ Dotterels are breeding (8/11)
Great news on the breeding front with a two-week old (approximately) NZ Dotterel chick at Karepiro Beach, and pairs of NZ Dotterels with nests (both with single eggs) at the Weiti and Okura cheniers. No sign of the Variable Oystercatchers nesting yet, but the Paradise Duck pair have four ducklings on the lagoon at the Weiti chenier and Pete Townend…
Spring Bird News
International migrants The Bar-tailed godwits or kuaka have returned. These waders breed in Alaska during the brief arctic summer and then fly non-stop back to us to spend the southern summer recovering and preparing for the next breeding season. You can read more at Tracking godwits to understand the migration of birds to New Zealand. We are very lucky to…
Changing seasons
Some days you can almost feel spring in the air – and then the next squall comes over to remind us that winter is still with us. The pied oystercatchers certainly think that spring is here as many of our winter flock have departed for their breeding grounds on the braided rivers of the South Island (or Hawke’s Bay). There…
Pateke at Stillwater
Pateke/Brown Teal on the Lagoon There are three pateke on the lagoon behind the Weiti chenier – one male and two females. The male is in front and has a greeny/iridescent head and one of the females is ringed – metal/white. Pateke have bred here for the past two years at least and it’s looking good for this year too.…
20/21 Karepiro Birds
Bird News from the Beach 20/21 Seasons The Weiti and Okura cheniers and Karepiro beach offer a wonderful opportunity to view at close hand some iconic New Zealand waders. These areas are ecologically sensitive and care should be taken to keep out of the roped-off areas where New Zealand Dotterels and Variable Oystercatchers nest, and remember not to disturb the…
Spring 2019 Bird News
Winter is over, the days are lengthening, and the Northern Hemisphere migrants are starting to arrive. The beach is a dynamic place and winter storms have helped reshape it. At the northern end the creek has eaten into the bank by Dacre’s Cottage and removed areas that Variable Oystercatchers have bred in, but a new spit has started to form…
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