Rotorua’s Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre is well known for their advocacy with New Zealand birds of prey, but less is known about their valuable raptor research depository.
Continue Reading...Steep-sides and a flat-top. No, we’re not talking about our next hairstyle, we’re describing Mana Island — a distinctive landmark on Wellington’s west coast.
Today, Wellington Visitor Centre Ranger Don Herron, tells us about his recent visit to this pest-free island reserve…
I’ve often seen Mana Island from the mainland, and always thought it would be a rad place to visit.
Mana Island as seen from Wharehou Bay near Makara. Kapiti Island in the distance
I recently got to confirm my hunch when I was invited over, together with local iwi, Zealandia, Wellington Zoo, Pukaha Mt Bruce, Staglands Wildlife Reserve, Friends of Mana Island, Rimutaka Forest Park Trust, and others from DOC.
Goldstriped-gecko
It was supposed to be a Christmas celebration but, due to bad weather twice cancelling the trip, it ended up being a New Year event. Third time lucky!
Jeff Hall, the Resident Ranger on Mana Island, welcomed us to the island and gave us a great introduction talk. He seemed as pleased to have visitors as we were to visit!
We heard two versions of how the island was formed – one about faulted terraces (yawn), the other, about a taniwha who crash landed on top of Mana causing the top of the island to be smashed off (yeah!)
Ranger Jeff, together with Ranger Di (Diane Batchelor), took us on walk around the island. During the 1½ hour ramble we saw: kākāriki chicks (“too cute” as my wife would say); a million geckos; takahē; variable oystercatchers; shore plover; and more.
Takahē on Mana Island
We finished our walk at North Bluff – the old lighthouse site and the highest point on the island. We were rewarded with magic views of Kapiti Island, Titahi Bay, the rugged west coast of Porirua; and even Ohau Point and the wind turbines.
North Bluff – the old lighthouse site and the highest point on the island
After some very nice kai, including fresh paua, we had a hui to talk about how we work together (and with others). There was an open floor to voice new ideas and discuss what has worked well in the past, and what can be done in the future.
After the meeting we made our way back past the historic woolshed to the beach to wait for the boat.
Historic woolshed
Historic woolshed
Wool from Mana Island sheep is reputed to be among the earliest exported from New Zealand, and the woolshed, from European occupation that began in the 1830s, has been recently restored.
Mana Island
Mana Island
Mana Island
Mana Island
When I heard the rumble of the boat heading back to collect us, I was tempted to run and hide. Explaining an “accidental” missed boat felt like a small price to pay to spend more time exploring this special place.
In the end I made the savvy career choice not to miss the boat, but that tempting view of the island from the mainland reminds me of my resolve to spend more time on Mana. It is indeed a rad place to visit.
Mana Island Scientific Reserve lies three kilometres off Wellington’s west coast and has been free of all introduced mammals since mice were eradicated in 1989.
You can’t stay overnight on the island but visitors are welcome between 8.00 am and 5.00 pm.
Today’s photo of the week is from the Bealey Spur Track in Arthur’s Pass.
The track climbs gently up through mountain beech forest to the base of Mt Rolleston up toward the Black Range and it offers a fantastic view of Arthur’s Pass and the Waimakariri River.
DOC is interested in finding out more about your thoughts on exploring the outdoors. Are you an early morning hiker, or a late morning latte drinker? Does camping excite you or frighten you?
Take this quick and easy survey to share your thought on the outdoors – and you could win a $200 Prezzy card as a ‘thanks’ for filling it in.
Photo by Jason Blair | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
By Lyndon Perriman, Head Ranger at Taiaroa Head/Pukekura
Perfect weather for young albatross chicks
Summer in Dunedin didn’t seem to stay around for long this year, but I wasn’t complaining. Unlike most years, where fly strike leads to the loss of young albatross chicks, we had such mild weather over the hatching period that no fly strike occurred.
Last season we had 26 chicks fledge. We are hopeful that the 24 chicks on the headland this season will all fledge, making a nice round 50 fledglings in two years.
Seven years abroad: Pukekura’s 500th royal albatross returns
After seven years abroad, the 500th royal albatross chick to have hatched at Taiaroa Head/Pukekura, has finally returned home.
Toroa, the 500th royal albatross chick to have hatched at Pukekura
Toroa, and two other chicks, had transmitters attached to their back feathers when they fledged in 2007.
All three survived their long journey at sea for the first year, after which the transmitters stopped sending back signals. It has been a long wait to see if any of these birds would return.
Map of albatross flight path from New Zealand to Chile.
Toroa, the grandson of ‘Grandma’—the colony’s oldest bird (over 60 years old when last seen in 1989)—arrived home to find his own parents breeding again.
The image below shows Toroa with a two-month old sibling. This chick is on its nest close to where Toroa himself was raised.
Toroa sitting in the background with his two-month-old sibling in the foreground
Toroa has been hanging around this same area not because of any bond with his sibling or his parent (there is no interaction between parents and returned chicks), but because he, like most males, will nest fairly close to the site where he was raised as a chick. Nest sites tend to be closer to the male hatch site than to the females hatch site.
Scurvy explosion
Cook’s scurvy grass (Lepidium oleraceum) has had a population explosion here at Taiaroa Head/Pukekura.
Cook’s scurvy grass has had a population explosion
Just three plants of this threatened species (once abundant and used by Captain Cook to help reduce the effects of scurvy) were on Pukekura last year.
Now, nestled in among the 2000 pairs of red-billed gulls (that produced plenty of quality fertilizer), this species numbers over 40 large healthy plants.
The ice plant in the background of the image above is South African, and was probably introduced onto the headland to help hide the stone and concrete gun emplacements used during the Russian Scare of the late 1880’s.
Interestingly, the ice plant can not tolerate the excreta from gulls and dies back, whereas gull excreta doesn’t affect the native ice plant found in the same area.
Planting for penguins
The Pukekura Trust little penguin colony at Pilots Beach has recently benefited from Air New Zealand Environmental Trust funding.
This allowed several hundred new natives to be planted—mostly by school children—throughout the reserve.
New natives have been planted throughout the reserve
You can see part of the little penguin viewing platform in the image above. Here, at dusk, as many as 300 little penguins waddle in from the sea.
By Trudi Ngawhare, Partnerships Ranger, Gisborne
Tiki the conservation dog
Recently, we lost a “totara” for conservation.
Tiki the conservation dog passed away at the prime age of 11 (human) years.
Tiki was based at Motu, in the Gisborne region, with Ranger Joe Waikari and whānau.
He was a small Border Terrier cross who specialised in detecting mustelids (weasels, stoats and ferrets).
Ranger Joe Waikari describes Tiki as an “energizer battery, he never went flat”.
More travelled than most humans, Tiki’s work would take him (and Joe) all over the country: island work; in the back country… anywhere where extensive pest control programmes were in place, to ensure mustelid populations were gone from the area.
Tiki heading to Mokoia Island, Rotorua
Tiki, was part of the Conservation Dog Programme. These detection dogs are trained to locate specific target species—either protected or predator. This helps the handler to capture and monitor protected species, or eradicate the pest species through trapping, poisoning or shooting.
Joe says the highlight in working with Tiki has been “doing our part in protecting our endangered species”.
Tiki was also a public relations specialist, winning over the crowds with his unassuming charm. He attended A&P shows and school talks, and he was a great advocate for conservation efforts with many children declaring that they wanted to go home to teach their dogs to be like Tiki.
Joe and Tiki entertaining a crowd
Also a valued whānau member, Tiki was the champion in the small dogs category at the Matawai School Pet Day a couple of years running.
Tiki is a tribute to all conservation dogs that quietly go about their work (for cuddles and food), making huge gains for conservation.
He whakamaumahara ki a ‘Tiki’, he kuri o te papa atawhai. Moe mai e hoa, moe mai. A tribute to Tiki, the conservation dog. Rest easy friend, rest easy.
Watch this video tribute to Tiki but be careful of ‘dust getting in your eyes’:
