1

MIRANDANatura l i s t s ’ Trus t

NEWS

February 2005 Issue 56

Visiting the Far North

Southern Salt Marsh Mosquitoes

30 Years at Miranda - or longer!

Issue 56 2

February 2005 Issue 56Situated on the Firth of Thames between Kaiaua and the MirandaHot Pools, the Miranda Shorebird Centre provides a base for birders,right where the birds are. Drop in to investigate, or come and stay anight or two. The Centre has three bunkrooms for hire, plus two self-contained flats. For rates see Back Page. The best time to see thebirds is two to three hours either side of high tide. The Miranda hightide is 30 minutes before the Auckland (Waitemata) tide.

The Newsletter of the Miranda Naturalists’ Trust is published fourtimes per year to keep members in touch, and to bring news of eventsat the Miranda Shorebird Centre. No part of this publication maybe reproduced without permission.

Upcoming Events

February 20Celebratory LunchBookings essential. Please contact Keith at the Centre(09) 232 2781 or Nanette on(09) 486 2515

March 6 11AM StartOpen Day.Guest Speaker David Melvilleon his work on the flyway andthe avian flu issue.(note the last issue gave the open daydate as March 9, this was incorrect)

April 2-3Wader ID weekend courseLearn about Wader Identifi-cation and other interestingaspects of waders. For detailsand costs contact the Centre.

May 15Annual General MeetingSpeaker to be announced.

June 12OSNZ Firth of Thames Cen-sus. All Welcome! Contactthe Centre closer to the datefor a time to meet.

CONTENTS:

Moroshechnaya Estuary 3World Wetlands Day 6Field Course 2005 7From the Manager 8Giant Oystercatcher 9Mosquitoes 10New Zealand Pigeon Nests 11Thoughts on 30 years 12Chairman’s Report 14OSNZ Column 15Disabled Birds 16Backyard Bards? 17Colour-banding update 18

A word from the editorI always get to write this bit last, when the rest of the magazine is finished. Oneof the real advantages to this is that, by the time the magazine is finished, I’vetalked to so many people about what’s going on in the Trust, that I feel like Istart to get an overview of where we are. (Of course this feeling never lastslong!)

As a comparatively new member of the Trust I didn’t really understand untilputting this issue together how important the 30th Anniversary is to so manypeople, particularly the more long-standing members. Many of the people Ihave mentioned the anniversary to have a real sense of achievement about get-ting this far, and about where the Trust is now. In some ways it might be a littlelike growing up. At 21 you think you’re all grown up, at 30 you realise you areonly starting to discover who you can be! Given how far the Trust has come sofar, and the changes occurring in just the last four or five years, it will beinteresting to see where the Trust is 30 years from now..

I won’t be able to attend the celebratory lunch on the 20th of February, as I’ll beoverseas (looking at waders in North-west Australia!). I regret that more nowthen I did when I started putting this issue together, and recommend to othersthat they attend and hope the day goes well.

My favourite part of this issue is the opportunity to once again use a KeithWoodley original, check out page 17. The concept of Cattle Egrets in thebackyard can take a little beating! Banded Rail chicks would probably do itthough.

I hope you enjoy this issue, as usual your articles, observations, poems, bits ofresearch, drawings etc would be welcome. The deadline for the next issue ofthe news is April 15th. Gillian Vaughan

Cover Photo: A Red-Necked Stint at Moroshechnaya EstuaryPhoto unknown but one of the expedition participants, see articlepage 3.

Back Cover: A Weka at Kawakawa BayPhoto Nova Coory

3

Moroshechnaya Estuary is one of themany river mouths along the westernshores of Kamchatka. It is the mostnorthern shorebird network site in theEast Asian Australasian Flyway (56°50’N, 156° 10’E) providing an excitingcomparison with New Zealand’s mostsouthern site, Farewell Spit (40°32’S172° 55’E).

Early 2004, expressions of interestwere sought to participate in ashorebird research expedition fromself-funding volunteers. In August2004 a group of internationalvolunteers joined Dr Yuri Gerasimov(Kamchatka Institute for Ecology andNature Management, Far-East BranchRussian Academy of Science) on anexpedition to the west coast of theKamchatka Peninsula to monitorshorebirds during southwardmigration. The group of volunteerscomprised Dr Falk Huettmann(University of Fairbanks, Alaska), SteveKendall (US, Alaska), John Geale(Canada, currently residing in NZ), RobSchuckard (NZ), Dick Veitch (NZ),Ken Gosbell (Australia) and WarrenGeeves (Australia) who alsocoordinated the volunteerparticipation. Three other Russiansjoined the expedition, Alexandre andKatya Matsyna (Nizny Novgorod) andSasha who was our hunter-protectorfor potential bear interactions.

Wetlands International - Oceania,endorsed the expedition.

The team developed four objectives forthe expedition:1. Study southward migration onshoreline and tundra-like habitat.2. Collect blood samples to identifysubspecies of Dunlin passing throughKamchatka.3. Collect feather samples for stableisotope studies to identify origin ofjuvenile shorebirds.4. Identify occurrence of AvianInfluenza.

Kamchatka and Koryakia form a longlandmass peninsula in NE Russia. Thearea is 372,300 km2 with 4 millionpeople, a third bigger than NewZealand with 267,826 km2 and 4 millionpeople. Of these 4 million people,250,000 live in the capital,Petropavlovsk. A range of snow cladactive volcanoes surrounds the city andhot water is bubbling up everywhere.The place is truly situated on top of“the ring of fire”.

Travel agents do not often deal withtrips to these desolate destinations but

it was surprisingly simple, Auckland,Seoul, Vladivostok to Petropavlovsk.

At arrival, our host, Yuri Gerasimov,kindly rearranged his house toaccommodate all seven overseasvisitors. In Petropavlovsk requiredpermits took about five days toorganise. Meanwhile the lush greenpatches of deciduous trees between theapartment buildings were inspecteddaily for birds.

Finally with permits, food andequipment, a yellow bus took us 500kmnorth to Esso. From this little Arcticplace, our helicopter was leaving for thefinal destination. The forest changedfrom low deciduous broadleaf tosmallish conifers and then mixedpatches of both with fine streams andwetlands – plenty of space for birds,but all this is under many feet of snowin winter. Between Esso and theEstuary we had passed over some grandhills clothed in varying forests andgrasslands, and huge wetlands. Rugged,extensive, untracked, inhospitable,frozen for many months each year.

Unlike the Petropavlovsk scene of somany apartment buildings, the town of

The Moroshechnaya Estuary,the most northern Shorebird Network Site in EAAF

By Rob Schuckard and Dick Veitch

The city of Petropavlovsk, with a nearby volcano towering over it!

Issue 56 4

Photos

Top:A flagged Dunlin seen afterrelease.

Middle:the Moroshechnaya Estuaryand the first yellow overblack flagged shorebird (aDunlin).

Bottom:Do bear prints make it moreexciting? and locals pullingin their catch.

5

Esso consists of individual woodenhouses. No lawns – every house wassurrounded with potatoes mixed withsmall patches of other veggies and,huge lush Delphinium gardens,revealing a very fertile soil.

Having slept in the parked yellow busfrom 1 am to daybreak not far fromEsso, we arrived early. With somedelays, we finally loaded our gear andboarded the big most commonly usedhelicopter in the world, the MIL 8. Anhour later we landed at our destinationand stayed there between 7 and 22August 2004. The Rangers House (tworooms proudly built from locallygathered bits) beside theMoroshechnaya Estuary was the onlyobvious human construction on the flattundra. We pitched our tents not farfrom the hut and the birding began.Our nearest neighbours were about 5km to the north, a small settlement oflocal fishermen living off the migratingsalmon. They are land-basedfishermen, hauling out the daily catchwith long set nets at high tide. Once ina while small old rusty boats pick upthe fish and other products. The mostvaluable part of the salmon is theorange egg mass, which is preservedwith brine and sold as salmon caviar.

As soon as the ice begins disappearingfrom the rivers in May, the first fish thatis caught is Char. The season ends inearly November when everything isfrozen again. The salmon run in theserivers is overwhelming. Six species areknown to migrate into the river forspawning. Not only people make ahabit of living from this oily delicacy, awhole ecosystem is dependent on thisphenomenon of salmon run. Browngrizzlies, big white Beluga’s, seals,Steller’s Sea-eagles, etc. are all verydependent on salmon. We were toldthat the bears are so well fed, that theydo not hibernate and are able to sustainthemselves between November andMay. The rangers, who arrived a fewdays after our arrival, were also catchingfish for personal use. It only requireda smallish net to stay in the water a fewminutes to catch an overabundance offish.

The river has created an extensivecoastal plain and the fine gravel spitbetween the river and the Sea ofOkhotsk was covered in short tundravegetation. The Moroshechnaya Riveris 270km long and one of the largestrivers along the west coast with acatchment area of 5450 km2. Theestuary is 20 km long and up to 2 kmwide near the mouth. Maximum tidalrange is 7 m. At low tide, large sandybeaches and mudflats are exposedwhich are important feeding areas forlarge numbers of the shorebirds duringmigration. In 1974 - Zakaznik (Gamerefuge) “Moroshechnaya River” wasestablished to protect breeding areas ofThick-billed Been Goose and thisimportant staging place for ducks andshorebirds. About 250 pairs of Thick-billed Bean Goose breed here, while5000–8000 Middendorff ’s Bean GooseA. F. middendorfii moult here. In 1994the territory of Zakaznik was includedin the newly established Ramsar Site“Moroshechnaya River” by the decisionof the Russian government. Organisedpoaching of geese and illegal shootingof other wildlife is still regarded as abig problem. In 1996 theMoroshechnaya River estuary wasincluded in the East Asian – AustralianShorebird Reserve Network. Onsouthward migration up to 1,000,000shorebirds pass through, including350,000 Dunlins; 300,000 Red-neckedStints; 100,000 Great Knots; 100,000Whimbrels; 50,000 Bar-tailed Godwits;and 10,000 Black-tailed Godwits(Gerasimov & Gerasimov 2000).

A total of seven counts of the wholearea were carried out during this visitand we compiled a list of 70 birdspecies. This happened during low tidewhile birds were feeding. The majorroosting areas at high tide are unknownand may well not be suitable for censuswork due to the height of thevegetation, inaccessibility, etc. Thoughsome birds were seen at the other siteon the river, the majority were feedingin the census area. Some birds thatwere feeding from the many berries ofthe tundra, like Whimbrel, were not apart of the full census. It was alsonoted that some of the Great Knots

that we caught with mist nets had verypurple coloured faeces, most likelyfrom eating the widely available berries.

The most dominant shorebirds duringour two week stay were: MongolianPlover (days max. 751), Dunlin (daysmax. 9161), Red-necked Stint (daysmax. 1205), Great Knot (days max.1198), Red Knot (days max.104),Eastern Curlew (days max. 34,Whimbrel (days max. 3490), Black-tailed Godwit (days max. 80), and Bar-tailed Godwit (days max. 1867). Ahighlight was of course the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, with two on one day.A great challenge is to differentiatebetween the numbers that are stagingand passing through. Due to ourretraps, we know that Red-necked Stintcan stay at least six days in the area andDunlins up to 10 days. Therefore theoverall estimate for shorebirds that usethe Moroshechnaya Estuary is verycomplex. It was also noted that inparticular the juvenile Red-neckedStints and Dunlins were using the smallbrackish ponds on the tundra. Afterspring tides all the ponds fill with waterwhere small amphipods provide a shortsource of food when the water is slowlyretreating.

On the 9th August 2004, Yuri added afirst yellow over black flag to a Dunlin.This was the first time this colourcombination was used in EAAF. Intotal 123 Dunlin, 85 Red-necked Stint,11 Mongolian Plover, 1 Red-neckedPhalarope, 5 Great Knot, and 2Whimbrel were caught and flagged.

We have already received an interestingnumber of resightings with 3 Red-necked Stint and 1 Dunlin sightingsfrom Japan and another Dunlinsighting from China.

Through the expedition, a series of flagobservations revealed some ratherunexpected sightings from NewZealand:ORANGE (Victoria, SE Australia) -1 Red KnotYELLOW (NW Australia) - 6 sightingsof Bar-tailed Godwit (assessed to be 4individual birds)

Issue 56 6

WHITE (New Zealand) - 7 sightingsof Bar -tailed Godwit (assessed to be2 individual birds)This is the second report fromKamchatka of white flagged birdsfrom New Zealand during southwardmigration. On 2nd October 1992, awhite flagged bird was shot insouthern Kamchatka (52°30’N156°23’E). Either a small portion ofthe baueri population from Alaska isfollowing the Russian and Asianshores on southward migration or asmall portion of the menzbieripopulation from NE Russia is alsohosted in New Zealand. Yellow flagshave been seen earlier on migratoryBar-tailed Godwits in Kamchatka andRussian Far East by Yuri Gerasimovand Falk Huettmann, e.g. in August1999.

A range of passerines were also caughtand processed by our Russiancolleagues; Lapland Bunting, Olivebacked Pipit, Pectoral Pipit, ScarletRosefinch, Yellow Wagtail, andYellow-breasted Bunting.

The expedition was most successfulin reaching the other objectives. Wetook almost sixty blood samples fromDunlins. Where this species is themost common in our flyway, hugegaps of knowledge occur in thedistribution during their winter

World WetlandsDay

February 2 2005.

This years World Wetlands Day sawthe release of a new book sponsoredby the National Wetlands Trust. Thebook goes over details of five wetlandslisted as internationally significant bythe Ramsar Wetlands Convention,one of which is Miranda. As well asproviding a brief overview on eachsites features and history, maps areprovided showing where the publicaccess is available. As wetland sitesare often difficult to access this is a par-ticularly important feature. The bookwill be launched on February 6th atthe wetlands day celebrations and willbe available through DoC or theShorebird Centre.

Also released recently is the bookWetland Types in New Zealand,which will be available through DoC.This book is more of a textbook, butwill be of interest to those who wishto delve into the details!

Unfortunately the names ofthose associated with eachphoto in this article wereunavailable. All photos weretaken by the expeditionmembers. Shown below.

The “A” Team. - Expedition Members

staging. The blood samples willhopefully reveal which subspecies areactually passing through Kamchatka inAugust. One subspecies is breeding inKamchatka but at least two othersubspecies are also expected to migratesouthwards, one from NE Siberia andthe other from North Alaska. Feathersamples from most of the juvenileDunlins and Red-necked Stints will beused for further analyses in stableisotopes. It is likely this can likely revealthe areas where those juveniles wereraised.

Though we were really thrilled to seesome of the New Zealand flagged birds,that was the only true overlap withhome. The landscape, speciescomposition of shorebirds and overallsetting makes Moroshechnaya trulyunique.

Gerasimov, Yu and N.N. Gerasimov2000. The importance of theMoroshechnaya River estuary as astaging site for shorebirds. The Stilt36:22-25.

7

Expanding Horizons

The Residential Field Course 2005Deeper

FurtherB

road

er

More

Seven years on, the Miranda Field Coursecontinues to evolve. The latest was oneof the smallest, with only tenparticipants, but some of us who havebeen involved from the beginningconsider it to be the best yet.

Expanding horizons was a theme thisyear, and muddy feet was often theoutcome. Out in the mud with WarwickSandler was actually out at the low tideedge of Miranda Stream mouth, at leasta kilometre off shore. In brilliantconditions, the great vault of sky andcloud spread as a sparkling carpet aroundour feet. An excursion into the mangrovezone off Karito Canal with Bill Brownellfocused a wider ecosystem overview,down to this confined and often secret

zone. Focusing down even further –literally microscopically -we came tothe world of invertebrates with PeterMaddison. Also new this year wasthe dissection by Richard Norman ofa migrant wader (fallen foul of apower line), revealing the layers of fatbeing laid down in preparation fordeparture.

Even after seven successful years, westrive to improve the course.Traditionally we finish the last morningwith a field session on coastalvegetation. This is usually conductedby Bruce Clarkson, but this yearCatherine Beard led the exploration.Next year this session is rescheduledto the middle of the week, with the

final morning devoted to an extendedwader watch in the field.

This wader watch will be much morethan a pleasant ending to the course.Participants will be practising newlyacquired skills, not only identifyingdifferent wader species, but countingbirds, collecting banding data, andobserving and recording birdbehaviour. It will also be a chance tolook from a more informed opticalperspective through the variousbinoculars and telescopes available.

You could be there. We are takingbookings now for the limited numberof places on Miranda’s eighth fieldcourse, 14-19th January 2006.

Keith Woodley

Photos Keith Woodley, except for bottom right Lyn Scott

Issue 56 8

from theMANAGER

In the 1996 aerial photo used as thebackdrop to our chenier plain display,a small white patch of shell is visibleabout 400 metres offshore from whatwas then the end of the shell spit. Overthe next few years this gradually formedinto a shell bar. It became a regular sub-roost for waders, especiallyoystercatcher and godwit, until theywere pushed off by each tide. Since2000 a dramatic expansion of the barhas occurred, a process which appearsto have accelerated over the last 18months. The formation is now at leastforty metres wide, sloping up to a ridgeon the landward side. Tides of less thanthree metres no longer cover the ridge,and waders roosting on the outer edgeof the bar are not always visible fromthe shore.

Thanks to a research project byEcoquest, we have a vivid illustrationof how quickly this new bar hasexpanded. A series of tall poles wereused to mark a mud-sampling plot in1999. As late as 2001, mud samplingstill occurred in this plot. The entireplot is now completely within the newshell bar. (see photo)

The axis along which the bar is lyingsuggests it will shortly be joined to the

mainland several hundred metres southof the area that was once Access Bay.This is very similar to the formationof the current shell spit as recorded inthe two earlier photos on display at thecentre, from 1977 and 1988.

A notable absence from the blackboardlist of sightings this year is Red-neckedStint. None have been recorded sincea sighting of 3 on 21 September. Thetwo Marsh Sandpipers that werepresent throughout last year also appearto have decamped. Taking their place

on the Stilt Ponds by mid-January weretwo Pectoral Sandpipers and six Sharp-tailed Sandpipers.

In late January Widgery Lake was as fullas it has ever been at this time of year.This seemed most agreeable to severalMallard families. Swallows and twoLittle Shags also relished the situation.A Banded Rail or two were seen aroundthe lake margins, and sometimes on thelawn immediately outside the SibsonRoom. (On one occasion I virtuallytripped over one while crossingbetween the cottage and the centre!)However one doesn’t maintain a waterfeature in such good condition oversummer by having a good summer!Throughout December and the earlydays of January it was a universal topicof conversation with visitors; where issummer? Some travellers from overseasreported three rain-sodden weeks travelthroughout the country with minimalsightings of the sun. Indeed one birdersaid that when recording such solarevents, she found no need to troubleher other hand!

A low flying aircraft incident wasreported in Miranda News 54. We havesince received a letter of apology fromone of the pilots concerned, along withnotification from the Civil AviationAuthority that an official warning hasbeen given. However low level aircraftactivity continues to be an issue. Theone aerobatics pilot who has long beena source of concern, still makes

The new shell bar off the coast from the hide. Photo K Woodley

Twelve “trampers” visit the Shorebird Centre. Photo K. Woodley

9

periodic visits. With the support ofsome community members we haveresolved to seek a “special use”classification for the airspace overMiranda, and will pursue this withCAA.

This summer we have taken anotherstep forward with regard to alternativestaff for the centre. Last summer twoGerman students Bastian Schmitz andFelizitas Rupp arrived to do a threemonth term as interns, a requirementfor their university degrees. Felizitashad to return home after six weeks dueto a family bereavement, but Bastianstayed on and proved to be excellent atall tasks. In mid December 2004 RachelPierard, a fourth year university studentfrom Auckland, began working as anassistant and relieving manager on apart time basis. Generally this hasworked out as one or two days a week.Then in mid-January, two Englishvisitors Dan Bennett and Kate Kellettbegan a three week stint as volunteers.Dan brings ten years experience ofworking in the governmentenvironmental agency in the UKtogether with plenty of experience onvarious volunteer projects around theworld. Kate has experience in publicinterpretation, and is pursuing interestsin environmental education.

Late on Saturday afternoon in earlyNovember a vintage tractor rolledthrough the gate. It was soon followedin by several others. Before long elevensuch machines, of all manner of modeland vintage, along with a modern utilityvehicle travelling in support, wereparked in front of the centre. Thedozen drivers, all members of theFranklin Vintage Machinery Club on atwo day trek through the HunuaRanges, had come to stay overnight atthe centre. Apart from the nature ofvehicles involved, there was reallynothing unusual about thisarrangement. The only thing which hadme initially scratching my head, was thatit wasn’t quite what I had beenexpecting. When the original telephonebooking had been made, instead of “12tractors” I had heard “12 trampers!”

Keith Woodley

“A long time ago before peoplecame to this country, the largest landanimals were birds. Torea manguwas the mother of all Oystercatchers.She had laid the first egg and hadseen all the good, all the bad andeverything in between. (A messagerevealed itself where her tail feathershad fallen out.) A growth hadappeared on the end of her beak.Some Oystercatchers saw the shapeof the bird and believed that thisshape told what was yet to happen.”

The first rays of dawn on Sunday 23January picked out a giant shape onthe shoreline near the northern edgeof Kaiaua. Around its shrouded formpeople were gathering. Ngati Paoakaumatua and kuia were there towelcome a gathering of communitygroups, local councillors and Franklinmayor Mark Ball. Also present waslocal artist Tony Johnston, for it washis creation that was about to beunveiled.

The giant sculpture of anoystercatcher stands between theSeaside Store and Kaiaua School.Over four metres long and three anda half metres tall, the 2.5 ton bird isconstructed of ferro-cement. The onemetre long bill consists of a series ofceramic rings. A stainless steel fluteis being specially designed for thesmall structure near the tip of the bill.

In theory this will whistle when itcatches the wind. Erected facingnorth east, the direction of prevailingwinds, the sculpture symbolises thewildlife of Tikapa Moana – the Firthof Thames.

The project was funded from theAuckland Regional Services TrustArts Fund, and administered byFranklin District Council and KaiauaCitizens and Ratepayers Association.

Prior to the unveiling, Trust memberPhil Battley gave a brief outline ofthe biology of VariableOystercatchers and their status as avulnerable endemic shorebird.

Some years ago then MirandaNaturalists’ Trust chairman John Galeand I made approaches to localcommunity groups seeking to get theSeabird Coast renamed theShorebird Coast. Given the largeflocks of shorebirds present on theFirth all year round, we believed aname change would moreaccurately reflect the wildlife valuesand attractions of the area.Understandably however, given theexisting name had already becomereasonably well established, we wereunsuccessful. It is ironic but entirelywelcome to now have a shorebirdrepresenting the Seabird Coast.

Keith Woodley

T O R E A M A N G U

Issue 56 10

The Australian Southern SaltmarshMosquito Ochlerotatus camptorhynchus isone type of mosquito that we don’twant. The presence of the SouthernSaltmarsh Mosquito in New Zealandwas discovered in 1998 after Napierresidents complained of vicious bitingby a mosquito. An intensive eradicationprogramme began in January 1999 andcontinued using BTI and later S-methoprene. Infestations discoveredsince this time are probably establishedpopulations not previously detected.

The Southern Saltmarsh Mosquito issaid to be a vector of Murray Valleyencephalitis, Barmah forest disease andRoss River virus. Though it has notbeen responsible for transmitting anyof these diseases to NZ, Ross Rivervirus has been isolated from this speciesin temperate Victoria and Tasmania.The presence of this mosquito in NewZealand therefore increases the risk ofan outbreak of Ross River virus here.Disease from Ross River virus infectionranges from mild flu-like symptoms todebilitating joint pains.

The Southern Saltmarsh Mosquitobreeds in well drained saline wetlandsthat are principally found in the areas

behind the mangrove communities, onwhat is called the ‘high’ marsh, wherepools of water in mudflats or Saltmarshvegetation are left by the highest tides(spring tides) of each month, or arefilled by rainfall/runoff, and are notflushed by the daily tidal movementsduring the weeks thereafter. In wetlandsthat are not well drained, mosquitoesare also able to exploit impounded‘stagnant’ pools retained within standsof mangroves, and other vegetation onthe ‘low’ marsh, caused by siltation orother blockage of the normal tidalchannels and thus not subject to thenormal daily flushing.

Around MirAndA

Miranda happens to have just the righttype of environment conducive for theSouthern Saltmarsh Mosquito to breedand survive. The old Chenier ridgesare composed of high areas of raisedshells separated by lower areas wherewater can pool, either after particularlyhigh tide, or heavy rainfall. In additiontheir are areas such as the Stilt Pondswhich often contain still water. Aroundthe Shorebird Centre itself places suchas the swallow pools, or the flats onthe other side of the road may be the

GenerAl inforMAtion on Southern SAltMArSh MoSquitoeS

new ZeAlAnd StAtuS: introduced AndbeinG erAdicAted

perfect environment for the SaltmarshMosquito to breed.

life cycle

Fertilised eggs are laid by femalemosquitoes on drying soil and the baseof plants at the edge of depressionson the high marsh and at the edge ofimpounded pools in the mangroves.The embryo in the egg completesdevelopment in one to two daysdependent on temperature.

After a period of growth the first instarlarva moults, shedding its skin to forma larger second instar larva. Thisprocess is repeated twice more toproduce a much larger fourth instarlarva. At the end of the developmentphase of the fourth instar larva itmoults to form a pupa, which is thecomma shaped stage sometimesreferred to as tumblers. In this stagethe larval tissue is completely reformedto produce an adult insect whichemerges from the pupa.

Male mosquitoes normally emerge 24hours prior to the females. The insectson emergence are very vulnerable untiltheir cuticle hardens. Usually within 24-48 hours of emergence the femalemates and goes in search of a blood

The Stilt Pools are only one of many areas of still water around the Miranda coastthat would be suitable for the breeding of the Southern Salt Marsh Mosquito. PhotoG Vaughan

11

meal. The development time for eggsis from 48-96 hours dependent totemperature, then the cycle starts againwith the female selecting a suitableovipositor site, depositing her eggs andgoing in search of a blood meal tomature the next batch of eggs. Thenumber of eggs laid can vary from lessthan fifty to more than two hundred-depending on the species andnutritional state of the insect. Theperiod of aquatic development varieswith temperature. The higher thetemperature the shorter thedevelopment time.

SurveillAnce

A surveillance programme for SouthernSaltmarsh Mosquitoes commencedregionally 10 years ago in the Aucklandarea.

Priority areas were identified early atthat time and Miranda was targeted asa high priority risk. No SouthernSaltmarsh Mosquitoes have beentrapped as yet at Miranda but there is aneed for monitoring to continue asresults are in no way immediate. Overthe ten year period no SouthernSaltmarsh Mosquitoes were trapped atShakespear Regional Park, on theWhangaparaoa Peninsula, until 18months ago. The same set ofcircumstances may well arise atMiranda.

Shaun YuTechnical Officer, Environmental HealthAuckland Regional Public Health Service

referenceS(1) Eberhart-Phillips 1999(2) Cook et al. 2002(3) http://www.mcaa.org.au/

In late October 2003, two New ZealandPigeons (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) beganbuilding a nest c.13 metres up in aTanekaha (Phyllocladus trichomanoides)growing among other trees only c.8metres from our house in NewPlymouth. They appeared to abandonthe site later the same day, but were seenthere again on 15/11/03 and 27/1/04.On the latter occasion, they spent severalminutes adjusting twigs they had takenthere before. However, these pigeons didnot proceed any further with this nestat that time. I am not aware if theynested elsewhere on our property duringthe 2003/2004 nesting season.

Pigeons were not seen at the same sitein the Tanekaha again until two,probably the same birds as previously,were courting there on 24/7/04. Bothbirds were at the site again on at leastthree subsequent occasions in July,August and October 2004.

The pair started serious nest building inthe Tanekaha on 4/11/04 when bothof them spent at least an hour goingregularly between it and a nearby LillyPilly (Acmena smithii) from which theycollected twigs and placed them at thesite of the nest that had beencommenced in October 2003. One orboth pigeons were seen there for varyingperiods on most days over the followingthree weeks. On several occasions, oneof them was observed making foraysevery few minutes into nearby trees,including a Mangeao (Litsea calicaris),from which it took twigs to the nestwhere they were placed by its mate thatwas sitting on it. The Handbook ofAustralian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birdstells us that New Zealand Pigeon nestsare probably completed in two days. Thispair took three weeks to do so fromwhen serious nest building started on4/11/04 until 25/11/04 whenincubation probably began.

One or other of the pair seemed to beon the nest almost continuously fromthe time incubation began. We sawthem changeover on nine occasions inthe evening, between 6.20pm and7.30pm. The changeover usually took a

very short time to complete. The sittingbird would depart from the nest as soonas its mate arrived in the tree, and thearriving bird would then move quicklyto the nest and settle on it. The egghatched on either 23 or 24/12/04. Theparents brooded the chick for varyingperiods from then until at least 2/1/05.We could see the chick through thebottom of the nest. It grew steadily, butwe never saw the adults feed it.

When I went to check on the youngpigeon during the morning of 11/1/05, I was disappointed to find it sittingon the ground directly under the nest.It had probably not been there for longbecause it was on the nest when I hadlast checked it at 6pm the previousevening. The young pigeon was notinjured despite the considerable distanceit had fallen. It was 18 or 19 days old bythen, and was developing well, in perfectcondition, and bright and alert. I do notknow if it had accidentally fallen fromthe nest, or whether the strong north-westerly wind gusts occurring at thetime, that moved the branches in thenest tree around quite a lot, were acontributing factor in that event.Unfortunately, I was not able to get theyoung pigeon back up to the nest, so Itook it to the local zoo in the hope thatit could be raised there. It was still aliveand doing well at the time of writing(24/1/05), so this story may yet have ahappy ending.

Breeding efforts of New ZealandPigeons that end when young of variousages fall from the nest are not unknown,although this is not included in theHandbook of Australian, New Zealand &Antarctic Birds among the causes offailure of their nests. Such incidents mayin fact be more common than we realise.Unfortunately, even older young that fallare unlikely to survive, even if they arenot injured as a result. They would betotally defenceless on the ground againstmarauding cats, dogs, mustelids, rats,and probably possums. If a fallen youngis not killed by one of them, it wouldalmost certainly die of starvation.

David Medway

An UrbanNew Zealand Pigeon Nest

Issue 56 12

My first visit to Miranda was at age 12on November 12th 1949 as part of aForest and Bird party led by DickSibson, Dick properly dressed in collarand tie. The party travelled in a bus andnumbered about 30 people. Notableamong the group were Barry Heather,John Davenport and Don Urquhart.Travelling in cars that followed the buswere Ross and Hetty McKenzie, Jimmyand Mrs Prickett and Mr and Mrs A HHooper. All the above were well knownat the time in New Zealand birdwatching circles.

To get to Miranda we travelled the wellknown route leaving the highway at theMaramarua turnoff as we do today butin 1951 that was where the seal ended.We returned via Kaiaua and KawakawaBay being rewarded at Kawakawa Baywith two New Zealand Pigeonsightings, my first.

The roads around Miranda itself werevery corrugated and basically followedthe existing shell chenier ridges.Surrounding farmland was hard toview because of pampas hedges rightalong the road verges and along canalbanks.

Our first stop on this occasion was atthe pump station at Karito where wewalked to the stopbank in the hope ofviewing Wrybills. Nearby, steam rosethrough the Manuka at what is now theMiranda Hot Pools.

Then it was on to the lime works. Thesereally were lime works in those days and

THOUGHTS OF MIRANDA AND THETRUST OVER 55 YEARS

(By Stuart Chambers – chairman 1986 – 93)

during a shower we sat on bags of limewithin the building. Everywhere outsidewas grey and wild but with many birdson the mud nearby. My first impressionswere of a bleak place to which I neverfelt I wanted to return. It was lifeless,apart from those birds, and not a singlecar passed along the Miranda roadbeyond the lime works while we werethere.

Birds seen on that day were mostlygodwits, knots, Wrybills and PiedOystercatchers. New birds for me wereWrybills (20), Black-billed Gulls (2),Curlew Sandpipers (2), Red-neckedStints (2), Sharp-tailed Sandpipers (6).The most memorable thing was a viewof two stilts’ nests with four khaki eggsin each and a Banded Dotterel nest withthree fawn speckled eggs. These werein the Taramaire area.

However, upon leaving Miranda in therain that day, even after adding all thosenew birds to my list, I never wanted toreturn. Its loneliness, bleakness andremoteness had got to me. Little did Iknow though that one day I was tospend so much time there.

Dick Sibson subsequently talked meinto further visits to the area and withtime I began to enjoy the sense ofwilderness and space the area had tooffer, so much so that eventually I cameto visit Miranda just for that feelingalone. The need to see birds wasunnecessary.

Birds though were what Miranda wasalways about and why most peoplewent there. They added to the overallwilderness feeling and completed thepicture. So when an idea was floatedamong bird watchers to place a buildingon the lime works site with views fromit to the endless low-tide mud, I becameinterested. I started to think a place tostay on the coast would have appeal tomany people, both bird watchers andthe general public alike.

Other people obviously felt the sameway and when the Miranda Trust heldits first ever field day at Miranda theresponse was overwhelming, with anestimated 800 people attending. ThisFebruary day in 1980 was at a timewhen nature pursuits and the outdoorswere starting to become popular andpeople were looking for interests awayfrom their home vegetable gardens andthe mowing of lawns on Sunday.Hobbies were becoming fashionable.

Although other Trust events neverquite showed so much enthusiasm,subsequent field days, always held in theold Miranda Hall, nevertheless drewgood crowds. This enthusiasmconvinced me and others that a smallbuilding for overnight accommodationat the lime works could work. It wouldallow people to spend weekends in thearea and so minimise travel on whatwere then very poor roads. And itwould allow people to bird watch overseveral high tides at a visit. I therefore

An early Open Day at the Limeworks. Photo unknown

13

joined the Trust, even though I farmedin the area quite handy to Waitakaruru.

There was no doubt that the earlyenthusiasts and council members onthe Miranda Trust saw the Trust’s roleas that of placing a small lodge besidethe old lime works looking on to theroosting high-tide birds. Early plansshowed a simple building with sleepingaccommodation downstairs and livingaccommodation upstairs. This was thewell-known ski lodge concept butadapted for bird watchers.

This idea was supported by many, itsmain enthusiasts being Dick Sibson,John and Beth Brown and Sylvia Reed.Such was their enthusiasm that theyquickly started fundraising with thehope of raising sufficient funds($15,000) in a year to get a buildingunderway.

However progress wasn’t easy. Therewere objections from local peopleincluding the Franklin District Counciland the Wildlife Service. Theninvestments were lost in a financialupset and generally the Trust idea of abuilding at the lime works faded away.

At this stage Dick Sibson, the chairman,got dispirited and resigned leaving theTrust in the hands of Brian Ellis and acouncil with a different direction. Thisdirection was the result of spiritsdampened by the failures of the past.Nevertheless the council was somewhatbuoyed by the success of the 1980 fieldday which drew the big crowd, and theTrust moved into a different role ofbecoming educational. Its motivationcentred around its news-sheet and twofield days a year, and later for those whowanted to stay overnight in the area, itpurchased a small cottage at Kaiaua,later known as “The Roost”.

That was where the Trust remainedduring the chairmanship of Brian Ellis.At this time it had a membership baseof about 220 people, and continued tomuster good attendances at its fielddays on the coast.

When I took over the chairmanship thedirection of the Trust changed again.The council at this time had co-optedsome pragmatists. They were people

who were not daunted by pasthindrances. The lime works’ site, as thesite for a building, was forgotten and anew site found. “The Roost” was soldand the building as we know it todaywas quickly erected.

And with this building has come acompletely revamped MirandaNaturalists’ Trust. It is an organisationfar removed from the simple sleepingaccommodation envisaged initially atthe lime works.

Now instead it is a well-known visitorfacility on a tourist highway receivingbus-loads of people at a time all with adesire to learn. It has become a majorcentre for shorebird knowledge, acentre for education and has a strongconservation role in protecting theflyway to the breeding grounds in thenorthern hemisphere.

Further its members attend overseasconferences to do with shorebirds anda group has even led a delegation toChina in an effort to secure the flywayand its feeding and breeding groundsfor the birds. It has become a majorvoice in conservation circles worldwide.

Those of us who raised money for thecentre in order to provide a simplelodge on the coast never anticipated amove in this direction. Had we doneso, the building we now know wouldprobably have been different.

Nevertheless, this building fulfils apurpose and is a fitting monument tomany members over the years. In myview though, it wouldn’t be there at allif it hadn’t been for John and BethBrown’s determination to keep it goingwhen all the odds were against it. Theywouldn’t let it go.

Further, there is no doubt that the pushgiven it by the likes of Dick Sibson,Kay Haslett, Anthea Goodwin, DavidLawrie, David Baker, David Stonex,David Walter, Adrian Riegen, MontyWidgery and an enthusiastic team ofsupporters from the Waikato, saved itsday and got it up and running.

And what has been the Trust’s greatestfeature in its first 30 years? In my viewit has been the camaraderie it has

engendered among its members. Thesemembers have always been a disparatebunch from all walks of life. They haveincluded full-on twitchers, genteel birdwatchers, nature lovers and non-birdwatchers, as well as the local peoplefrom the Miranda and Waitakaruruareas.

This divergent group has alwaysenjoyed each other’s company and thisdesire to meet and greet has become anotable hallmark of the Mirandacentre. This feature, plus the additionof a congenial Miranda host in itscentre manager Keith Woodley, hasencouraged people to use the centre asa base for their personal social activities.

It is obvious too that this congenialityamong members is a reason why theTrust’s current events are always so wellattended by members as well asoutsiders. It would be nice to think thismood started with that first field daywhich drew the masses in 1980.

When looking back though, probablythe greatest asset the Trust everpossessed has been its association withthe Alan Lane family. For those whodon’t know or have forgotten, the Lanefamily are the owners of the lime workssite, and as such they have given birdwatchers unlimited access to the bestbirding spot at Miranda since 1940.Without them the Trust would havebeen that much the poorer.

Stuart Chambers when Chairman of theMiranda Naturalists’ Trust. Photounknown.

Issue 56 14

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT30th Anniversary:As has been well advised 2005 is the30th Anniversary since the inauguralmeeting held in Auckland in mid 1975.In all of the discussions that led tothe formation of the MirandaNaturalists’ Trust at that time even themost optimistic view could not haveenvisaged the position the Trust is intoday.

In the past 10-15 years there has beena proliferation of single purpose trustsformed but 30 years ago that type oforganisation did not exist. Even theestablishment of the constitution atthat time provided a major hurdle forthe Trust as there were no examplesand the Solicitors had great difficultyin establishing wording that satisfiedthe Registrar of IncorporatedSocieties and also the Inland RevenueDepartment.

The constitution that was establishedhas been used as a model for a numberof other organisations since that time.

Even with the launch of the Trust atthe inaugural meeting it was believedby most government departments andTerritorial and Regional GovernmentOrganisations that the Trust wouldultimately fail. The model of avoluntary organisation of that typewas so far ahead of its time that itreceived very little if any officialsupport from governmentdepartments. There were of coursecommitted individuals in thosedepartments who provided assistancebut there was clearly a culture of“ignore them and they will go away”syndrome in official circles.

However all that has changed in recenttimes with the continued success ofthe Trust, not only in meeting itsprincipal aims of providing overnightaccommodation but now in being amajor education and conservationorganisation recognised not only inNew Zealand but around the world.This has now led to much greateracceptance in official circles andhopefully that will continue as theTrust is now advancing into areas

outside the financial resources of therelatively small membership to sustain.

Founders Luncheon:On the 20th of February it is intendedto have a sit down lunch to officiallylaunch the 30th Anniversarycelebrations. This will be anopportunity for members of all agesand length of membership to sharememories and celebrate the successesand laugh at the failures which seemedfatal at the time.

I would urge you to attend if you can,although numbers will be limited to 70as that is the maximum number thatcan be comfortably seated. NanetteMcLauchlan would also like people toprovide brief stories and anecdotes ofthe people involved in the Trust andevents that have helped shape ourdestiny. Please contact Nannette, (09)486 2515, before the day so that shecan make the appropriatearrangements.

Judy Piesse who was the very firstsecretary is also intending to organisea display so if you have any snippingsfrom the past, and in particular theRonald Lockley articles in the NewZealand Herald, you shouldcontact Judy to ensure thatthey are displayed during theday. (Contact details areavailable from the ShorebirdCentre.

Field Course:Early in January Eila Lawtonorganised and supervised therunning of the week long fieldcourse. I took the opportunityto pay a brief visit during thecourse and was mostimpressed at the obviousenthusiasm of the attendees.This is also a reflection of theexcellent organisation and theskill of the voluntary tutorswithout whom the success ofthe field course would not bepossible. From the attendeesto whom I spoke it wasobvious that they were

gaining a great range of skills andknowledge in a relaxed atmosphere.

I would take this opportunity topublicly thank Eila and her team ofvoluntary tutors along with all the otherpeople who make the field course sucha success.

Chinese Visit:We have recently received confirmationthat a seven person delegation iscoming from China to visit Mirandasometime in March or April 2005. Thisvisit has resulted from the invitationthat I extended during the visit that theMiranda delegation made to Yalu Jiangin April 2004.

The final dates and details of the visithave not yet been made known as thedelegates are in the process ofobtaining the appropriate visas at thepresent time. During their visit we hopeto show them the workings of theShorebird Centre and take them toother shorebird sites around theAuckland area so that they can gain anappreciation of the work that is beingundertaken in New Zealand.

The Trust Council believes that thistype of visit is important as the

David involved in the Black-billed Gullbanding project at the Maitaitai Shell-banks January 2005. Photo G. Vaughan

15

shorebirds were the key to theestablishment of the Trust in the firstplace, and we believe that it isimportant to ensure that the migratoryshorebirds keep coming to the Mirandaarea. It is now clear that China is a keystopover point on their journey to thebreeding grounds.

We are trying to ensure that thedelegations visit coincides with theautumn migration day so that they canget a feel for the educationalopportunities that such a day provides.The officials at the Yalu Jiang NationalNature Reserve have a building whichcould serve similar purposes to that atMiranda but at this stage they have notwoken to the opportunities that itprovides. It is hoped that this visit willshow the benefits of educating thesurrounding residents and the widercommunity into the wonders of naturethat are taking place in the surroundingreserve.

Black Billed Gull Colony:Of a more practical nature I provide abrief summary of the banding studythat Tony Habraken has beenundertaking on the Black-billed Gullcolony that is often present in theMiranda area. Anthea Goodwin andRoss McKenzie frequently observed afew Black-billed Gulls attempting tonest in the Miranda and Clevedon areasover 30 years ago always withoutsuccess.

In 1994 however a small colonyestablished in the Manukau Harbourand Tony commenced a study toinvestigate the dispersal of the birdsfrom that colony. Over the intervening11 years it has now been confirmed thatthe colony that nested that year in theManukau Harbour is the same groupas that which has also nested at Miranda,Thames and at the Clarks Bay shellbanks. There is also some transfer ofbirds to the small colony that has nowestablished in the Kaipara Harbour.

This year for the first time the birdswere successful in nesting at Mataitainear Clevedon. This followed earlierfailed attempts at Miranda and alsoearly investigations on the SouthManukau Harbour. A total of 150

chicks were banded with year cohortcombinations of yellow over metal onthe left leg and nothing on the rightleg.

Since the commencement of theproject Tony and his team have bandedapproximately 1900 chicks and themajority of the colony that now nestsin this northern area is banded. Tonyhas received very few records of birdsaway from the Firth of Thames orManukau Harbours so members ontheir travels should inspect all gullflocks to help find where the birdstravel in the winter period. I am sureTony will write a more detailed reportfor the Miranda News at some time inthe future.

THE OSNZ COLUMNUpcoming Conferences

Conclusion:I look forward to meeting as manymembers as possible during this 30th

Anniversary year. The one thing thathas kept me involved with the MirandaNaturalists’ Trust has been thewonderfully enthusiastic people thathave been involved or are members. Nomatter what level of interest in eitherbirds or natural history or even just thetranquility of the area we all have acommon interest at the Centre. It isindeed our marae of which I am, and Ihope all of you are, intensely proud.

David LawrieChairman

Australasian OrnithologicalConference

The Australasian OrnithologicalConference is a biennial conferencethat provides a regular forum for theexchange of information and ideasbetween avian researchers andconservationists throughout theAustralasian region. It is a jointOrnithological Society of NewZealand and Birds Australia initiativeto promote ornithology.

The third Australasian OrnithologicalConference will be held in Blenheimfrom 6-10 December 2005. Thescientific programme will includepapers, poster sessions, anddiscussions. Field excursions areplanned to Kaikoura to see albatrossesand other seabirds; to Nelson LakesNational Park to visit a Departmentof Conservation Mainland IslandProject; to outer Pelorus Sound callingat the important bird sanctuaries ofMaud Island and Outer ChetwodeIslands; and to Motuara Island inQueen Charlotte Sound.

Australasian Shorebird Conference

The Australasian ShorebirdConference is the conference of theAustralasian Wader Study Group. Itprovides an opportunity for waderenthusiasts to exchange ideas andinformation in an international forum.The conference focuses on waderresearch and conservation.

The Australasian ShorebirdConference will be held in Nelsonfrom 11-13 December 2005,immediately following theAustralasian OrnithologicalConference. The scientificprogramme for this conference willalso include papers, poster sessions,and discussions. It will be followed bya two-day excursion to Farewell Spit.

Further information about these twoconferences and registration forms areavailable on-line at the Society’s websitehttp://osnz.org.nz/conference.htm, orfrom Sue Bell, 35 Selmes Road, RD3, Blenheim(email: wmilblenheim@clear.net.nz).

David Medway,President,Ornithological Society of NZ.

Issue 56 16

D i s a b l e d B i r d s

In May 2004 on a grey, wintery day Ivisited the Karaka shellbanks. Thenumbers of birds were down dramati-cally from their March and April num-bers - as you’d expect, and this makesscanning the birds that are present aneasier prospect. It also makes pickingup anything that is different easier.

The knot flock, nearly a thousand thatday, was roosting on the mudflats, asthe tide wasn’t big enough to push themup onto the shellbanks. In the middleof the flock there was a constant dis-turbance, one bird constantly flutteringits wings. David Lawrie, who was withme that day, said that he had seen a RedKnot with no feet on an earlier visit,and expected that this was the samebird, constantly using its wings to keepitself balanced. Later on the individualbird was seen, and it while the bird didhave both its tibia and tarsus, both legsended in a stump.

At the time I thought that this was abird who would not last long. The en-ergy requirements in simply standingupright must be incredibly high underthese circumstances, so I thought evenif it could feed it would be unable tofeed enough to keep itself going. Inaddition the mudflats during winter areoften wet, so, if the disabled bird choseto roost with the flock, during mosthigh tide periods it would not be ableto sit down to roost without getting itsfeathers muddy, and losing the insula-tion they provide. If the disabled bird

chose to roost on the shellbanks, awayfrom the flock, it would also be awayfrom the protection the flock provides.

During several visits over the winter Idid not see the bird again, and didn’tthink more of it. However on a visit inlate September 2004 a knot with no feetwas seen, I assume it was the same bird.At this time the bird was able to standeasily , without using its wings for bal-ance, and was able to walk easily, usingthe lower part of its legs as a new foot,sometimes raising itself up onto itsstumps.

While its unlikely the bird migrated thatyear, as it would have been unable toput on enough weight to migrate, andno breeding plumage was seen on it ateither end of the season, if it is indeedthe same bird then it has been able tolearn to deal with what would appearto be a large disability, and do it overthe winter period, when conditions areharsher then over summer.

This is not the only record of a birdcoping with this type of disability. ABar-tailed Godwit was reported fromthe Avon-Heathcote estuary in Decem-ber 2004 that “wormed its way throughthe flock”. This bird also had no feet.

I regularly see waders with injured legsand bills when out birdwatching. Re-cently I decided to see how many in-jured birds I could find if I looked. Ina flock of around 6000 Bar-tailed God-

wits and Red Knots I saw 7 individu-ally identifiable birds with leg injuriesof some sort. On the same day I alsosaw a Turnstone and a Pied Oyster-catcher with leg injuries.

There seem to be a number of ways inwhich they can get injured. I’ve seenbirds with shellfish, particularly smallcockles attached to their toes (this is nota new observation - see box) . PiedOystercatchers with swollen feet cansometimes be seen with sheeps wool,presumably picked up when they arebreeding in the South Island, wrappedaround their feet and toes. But whatcauses a bird to lose both feet I don’tknow.

Birds can however recover from injury.One example is a colour banded RedKnot that has been seen several timessince banding. On the first fewsightings the bird was fine, howeverwhen I saw it in September 2004 it wasnot using one leg, and the foot on theleg not being used was curled up. InJanuary 2005 the bird was seen againby someone else who said it showed nosigns of a limp. It’s nice to know thatnot all of the injuries we see birds withare permanent.

Gillian Vaughan

A tale of a curlew anda shellfish

Translated from a wellknown Chinese storyby Liu KeDa

One day a curlew caught avery big shellfish while lookingfor food by the shore. Whenthe curlew thrust its bill at theshellfish something happened,the shellfish grabbed the bill ofthe curlew. Neither the curlewor the shellfish would let go, soneither could leave.

A very lucky fisherman waspassing by just at that time, sohe caught both a curlew and avery big shellfish.

A Red Knot walking on its tarsus. Photo I Southey

17

The only thing unusual about thepaddock full of cattle immediatelysouth of the cottage were the foursmall white patches moving aroundamong the stock. They were CattleEgrets, small numbers of whichregularly visit New Zealand eachwinter. But this was mid November,and all four birds were in breedingplumage – the dark tawny heads andnecks prominent even at a distance.They were present in the same paddockover the next four days, after which one

or two birds continued to be reportedfrom somewhere in the district up untilChristmas.

This contributed to something of a“white bird” theme over spring andearly “summer”. The White Heron thathad been present through much of theyear was not reported after earlyOctober, and the Royal Spoonbill flockhad reduced from 15 to three. Then inmid November the four Cattle Egretsappeared. Sporadic sightings of whitebirds subsequently occurred until lateDecember. One of these was of two

egrets and a spoonbill sitting in thesmall macrocarpa south of theshorebird centre. On 26 Decemberwhile Nigel Milius was at the centre, anEnglish observer reported a LittleEgret sitting with a spoonbill on theshell bank. He was very familiar withLittle Egret from the UK andpersuasively eliminated Cattle Egretfrom contention, so we took his reportto be credible. Later that day howevera second spoonbill was sitting on theshell bank, and no small egrets havebeen sighted since.

Keith Woodley

Back Yard Birds?

Banded Rails have been regularly, if notcommonly seen around the Shorebird Centreand Widgery Lake. Answering the often askedquestion - do they breed around here a pairbought their chicks into view on Widgery Lakeon January 29th 2005. The photo of the singlebird was taken the day before.

photos right G Bullen below K Woodley

Drawing Keith Woodley

Issue 56 18

As many readers will be aware, colour-banding of common Arctic-breedingwaders is going on in the Aucklandregion, and also now in the SouthIsland as part of an OrnithologicalSociety project on the movements ofwaders within the country (see MNTNews 55 and NZWSG Newsletter 19;details on the colour-banding projecthave been put on the ornithologicalsociety’s website: www.osnz.org.nz/nzwaderstudy.htm). Phil Battley andMNT members have been markingbirds at the Firth of Thames since lastFebruary, and this summer RobSchuckard and David Melville havecaught and banded birds in Nelson,Canterbury, and Christchurch. AroundAuckland, 137 Bar-tailed Godwits (123in the Firth, and 14 in the KaiparaHarbour) and 126 Red Knots (120 inthe Firth, 6 in the Kaipara) have beenindividually marked. In the SouthIsland, 159 godwits have been banded(17 in Southland, 56 in Christchurch,and 86 in the Nelson/Golden Bayregion), along with 3 Ruddy Turnstonesand a single knot in Southland. Thesehave been the source of manyinteresting resightings already.

On the international scene, the lastnorthward migration saw a surprisinglygood return from just the 35 godwitsthat were banded and on migration atthat point. As mentioned in theNZWSG newsletter #17, two birdswere seen in South Korea and China.The story got even better when theChinese bird was spotted in Alaska inAugust before heading back to the Firthwhere it was seen in October and is stillhere at the end of January. Four other

birds were seenin Alaskapreparing formigration, and allreturned safely tothe Firth. Withmany more birdsmarked this year,and godwitsbeing the focusof some majori n t e r n a t i o n a lresearch effortsin Alaska, weanticipate a

deluge of sightings in 2005!

Godwits are proving to be very site-faithful within New Zealand (the topbird has been seen 17 times sincebanding), with only a few exceptionsso far. One female was caught at theFirth on 21 September, right in thearrival period for adults, weighing just264 g (which is very light for a female).She was later spotted at Maketu, in theBay of Plenty, and was probably alwaysheading towards the Bay but had tostop in short for a little refuelling.Another stopped off in the Manukaubefore coming to the Firth, but it isunclear whether a momentary glimpseof a bird at Rangaunu Harbour in theFar North by Tony Habraken inSeptember was of a returning migrantor a local overwintering explorer. Thebiggest movement recorded to datewithin New Zealand is of a juvenilecaught at the Avon-Heathcote estuaryin Christchurch in October. It isevidently unsure where to reside, as ithas subsequently been seen at theAvon-Heathcote, at Lake Ellesmere,and most recently at the ManukauHarbour. South Island birds have awhite flag on the left leg as part of theircombinations, whereas North Islandbirds have it on the right. Clearly, it isimportant to spot the flag as well asthe bands if possible.

Knots are proving to be a lot moremobile than godwits, though this maybe partly because we caught moreoverwintering subadults, which seemquite prone to wandering.Internationally, we have just two partialband-readings from Australia, so it is

OSNZ colour-banding study updateunclear exactly who was involved andwhat age they were. The most mobileknot on record to date has already beenmentioned in NZWSG Newsletter 17.Banded in June, it was seen at Tapora inthe Kaipara on 7 July, made a quick tripback to the Firth where it was seen on 8and 12 July, and by 25 July was with alarge group of colour-banded knots atKaraka on the Manukau Harbour. Itwas seen there again on 21 August butwas then lost from the record, untilspotted at Parengarenga in the FarNorth in late January. Keeping track ofbirds as mobile as these is a challenge,but shows the detail that can be gatheredon how bird use the networks ofestuaries and tidal flats around thecountry.

Phil Battley

Luddism all but GoneRemember the man who did not wantto know about the fax machine? Or thegrump about email just doubling thedisappointment each day – once whenyou look in the letterbox and again whenyou check the email.

Now he trains people to use the EFTPOSand is in the field with cellphone anddigital camera. The Luddism remainingis just a little bit in his brain and his failureswith modern equipment aremanageable.

Yes, he was avidly pointing out featureson the laptop screen in front of him whilehis audience could see only the big pictureon the wall. We trained him out of that(shut the laptop lid).

Text and Photo Dick Veitch

Photo: A Red Knot being weighed.Brent Stephenson - www.eco-vista.com

19

Check out the website forthe latest events news.

www.miranda-shorebird.org.nz

Miranda Naturalists’Trust People:

Shorebird Centre Manager:Keith Woodley: RD 3 Pokeno. phone/fax(09) 232 2781 email: shorebird@xtra.co.nz

Chairman: David Lawrie, R.D. 2, Pukekohe.Phone (09) 238 8407.

Deputy Chairman, and Banding Convenor:Adrian Riegen, 231 Forest Hill Road, Auckland8. Phone & fax: (09) 814 9741.

Secretary: Will Perry, 34 Morrin St, Ellerslie,Auckland. Phone (09) 525-2771 hm; (09) 526-1944 wk; (09) 526-1960 fax at work.

Treasurer: Ashley Reid, 1 Picquet Hill Road,Te Awamutu. phone (07) 871 5729. email:reid.AandS@xtra.co.nz.

Editor: Gillian Vaughan, 54 Appleby Road Druryphone (09) 294 7610 fax (wk) (09) 522 5518 email:gillianv@actrix.co.nz

Council:Kathy Barrow Nigel MiliusPhil Battley William PerryJohn Gale (Ex officio) Ashley ReidDavid Lawrie (Chairman) Sue ReidEila Lawton Len TaylorNanette McLauchlan Gillian VaughanAdrian Riegen (Deputy Chairman)

Membership RatesOrdinary Member - $35Family Member - $40Overseas Member- $40Life Member, under 50 - $1050Life Member, 50 and over - $525

Membership of the Trust entitles you to –! Four Miranda News issues per year.! A $5 discount on overnight

accommodation! Invitations to Trust Events! The right to attend the Annual

General Meeting! The right to vote for council members

Help support the Trust’s efforts to educate andpromote conservation awareness.

BequestsRemember the Miranda Naturalists’ Trust inyour Will and ensure that our vital work ineducation and protection of the migratoryshorebirds can continue. For fur therinformation and a copy of our legacy letter

contact the Shorebird Centre.

AccommodationThe Centre at Miranda has three bunkrooms forhire plus two self-contained flats: (new rateseffective May 1st 2003)

Per bed / night member $12.50Per bed / night non-member $17.50Hire of flat member $40.00Hire of flat non-member $50.00

For further information contact Keith at theShorebird Centre, RD3 Pokenophone /fax (09) 232 2781

From the BlackboardFebruary 3rd 2005

Arctic MigrantsBar-tailed Godwit 3000+Red Knot 4000+Turnstone 20Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 6Pectoral Sandpiper 1Marsh Sandpiper 1Terek Sandpiper 1Little Tern 4

New Zealand SpeciesPied Oystercatcher lots!Wrybill 1000+NZ Dotterel 6+Banded DotterelVariable OystercatcherBanded RailBlack-billed GullRed-billed GullWhite-fronted TernCaspian TernPied Stilt

The Miranda GardenIf you want an excuse to stay atMiranda for a couple of week nightsfree of charge, come and help asmall team of gardeners maintainthe gardens. It is satisfying andworthwhile work in the outdoors.We make the time enjoyableespecially when we down tools athigh tide and go and watch the birdson the shell banks. If interestedphone Alison on 09 524 0291.

Want to be involved?This is your magazine!

If you have a story, poem,photo, or piece of re-search you would like toinclude in the MNT newsplease contact the editor,Gillian Vaughan,on 09 294 7610 orgillianv@actrix.co.nz

Friends of MirandaA volunteer group which helps lookafter the Shorebird Centre duringbusy periods or in Keith’s absence.While so far somewhat informal,plans are being made to try and ar-range for a more regular volunteerprogramme. If you’d like to be in-volved (or a co-ordinator!) or if you’dlike to spend up to a few weeks atthe Centre helping out contact Keithat the Centre.

Firth of Thames Census Run by OSNZ andheld twice a year the Census days are a good chance toget involved with ongoing field work and research.

The Wader ID Weekend a fully cateredweekend course going over some of the basics ofwatching waders. A good chance to pick up new skillsand meet some of the people involved in research! Con-tact the Centre for availability and costs.

Issue 56 20PUBLISHED BY MIRANDA NATURALISTS’ TRUST, R.D.3, POKENO, NEW ZEALAND

This photo of a Weka was taken by Nova Coory at Kawakawa Bay, at the northern end of the Firth ofThames. Weka have not been recorded in the area for many years, so when reports of Weka calling beganaround Christmas 2003 it came somewhat of a surprise. However at least one pair of Weka have beenbeing seen since September 2004, eating worms turned up by a tractor doing landscaping, and looking forfood on local’s decks. There could be to be up to four pairs in the area. One Weka was handed into BirdRescue in late November from Kawakawa Bay where it had been found with an injured leg. Where didthe Weka come from after their long absence? As yet this is unknown, but if any further information isavailable it will be in a future issue of the News.