Author: Shaun

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Rare Birds Nesting

Rare Birds Nesting

I think I will get good results from this sign but I now want to change it. ‘Threatened with extinction’ and ‘conservation dependant’ is better (and more accurate) than endangered or rare. Also the council recently added ‘please don’t let your dog chase me away’ which I like. Full size here .

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Spur Winged Plover Eggs

Spur Winged Plover nest found 13 August
Spur Winged Plover nest found 13 August
Spur Winged Plover nest 20 August. No pipping so assumed lost one to a predator, hedgehog?
Spur Winged Plover nest 20 August. No pipping so assumed lost one to a predator, hedgehog?
Eggs lightly covered in canola oil
Eggs lightly covered in canola oil
Eggs 2hrs later, Spur Winged Plover resumed sitting. Some oil lost but am not sure how much (or for how long) is required to kill it.
Eggs 2hrs later, Spur Winged Plover resumed sitting. Some oil lost but am not sure how much (or for how long) is required to kill it.

Because I know I have a predator I will not know if this technique works unless I still have eggs on the 17th of September.

From a different nest. If the SWP can loose eggs then so can the Dotterel.
From a different nest. If the SWP can loose eggs then so can the Dotterel.

Dropped some of to the Museum.

Collected from Point England -36.8796816, 174.8723308 On the 24th August 2014 Three eggs from two Spur Wing Plover nests which each had 4 eggs Collected from Alexandra Park -36.8908216, 174.779165 On the 24th August 2014 Three eggs from two Spur Wing Plover nests one had 3 eggs the other had 4 eggs Eggs collected from both sites to protect neighbouring (nesting) NZ Dotterel.
Collected from Point England -36.8796816, 174.8723308 On the 24th August 2014
Three eggs from two Spur Wing Plover nests which each had 4 eggs
Collected from Alexandra Park -36.8908216, 174.779165 On the 24th August 2014
Three eggs from two Spur Wing Plover nests one had 3 eggs the other had 4 eggs
Eggs collected from both sites to protect neighbouring (nesting) NZ Dotterel.

Still 3 eggs, 6 September
Still 3 eggs, 6 September
10 September: Hatched! 2 Chicks 30M away. Bugga.
10 September: Hatched! 2 Chicks 30M away. Bugga.
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Biodiversity

Auckland has so much Biodiversity and is a really exciting place to do environmental work.

Insect species per region (NZ Wildlife Trewick & Morgan-Richards 2014)
Insect species per region (NZ Wildlife Trewick & Morgan-Richards 2014)

Great example of what you can bump into.

NZ Dotterel Nest, Alexandra Park 9 August 2014.
NZ Dotterel Nest, Alexandra Park 9 August 2014.

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Spur Winged Plover Chicks

Spur Winded Plover Chick

I found seven chicks on the 22nd of July at Point England. We should reclassify them as an invasive species, the Dotterel don't have a hope competing with these birds.
I found four chicks on the 22nd of July at Point England. We should reclassify them as an invasive species, the Dotterel don’t have a hope competing with these birds.
Apparently farmers say they attack stock. This one was too worried about me to bother with the cow right nest to its nest.
Apparently farmers say they attack stock. This one was too worried about me to bother with the cow right nest to its nest.
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Pohutukawa

Cloning Pohutukawa makes sense if you’re breeding them for a specific purpose. In my case erosion control. I just want Pohutukawa that are great at holding onto cliffs.

Pots

This cloned Pohutukawa worked. The one in the black pot had no rooting hormone and failed. This was my second try, the trick is to snip between the hard & soft wood.
This cloned Pohutukawa worked. The one in the black pot had no rooting hormone and failed. This was my second try, the trick is to snip between the hard & soft wood.

It’s growing slowly tho. While my seedlings are doing great.

About 400 trees, many of them ready for planting.
About 400 trees, many of them ready for planting.

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Paint in Omaru Creek again…

2:30 Saturday 14 June 2014. This time the creek has gone green.
2:30 Saturday 14 June 2014. This time the creek has gone green.
I looked upstream and I could not find the source. Tho I do wonder if the recent metalling of Elstree ave has something to do with it.
I looked upstream and I could not find the source. Tho I do wonder if the recent metalling of Elstree ave has something to do with it.
It did not go so far downstream this time. But I did not check it later.
It did not go so far downstream this time. But I did not check it later.
Clean green :S
Clean green :S
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Chick Shelters

After presenting at a great event to discuss the future of Non-Beach Breeding Dotterel I left with some great advice. I plan to make Chick Shelters, when the parent alerts the chick I need to have one of these (every 10 meters or so) that the chick can run to.

Shelter Tests
Shelter Tests

I need to make it even shorter and longer, just to be sure. Interestingly I tried adding my decoy chick and it just worried the Pukeko who turned their heads sideways to stare at it in the shelter.

This is looking about right. Need to test again when the black back gulls are hungry.
This is looking about right. Need to test again when the black back gulls are hungry.
Camouflaged to minimise human tampering.
Camouflaged to minimise human tampering.
Maximum height seems to be about 180. Maybe I should reduce it (as a buffer).
Maximum height seems to be about 180. Maybe I should reduce it (as a buffer).
The cows are very interested in it, but not moving it.
The cows are very interested in it, but not moving it.
Added triangles, thinner plywood.
Added triangles, thinner plywood.
Little triangle at the top and 150 max height. Length still looking very important. 800.
Little triangle at the top and 150 max height. Length still looking very important. 800.
Triangle reinforcements needed, the cows busted this one.
Triangle reinforcements needed, the cows busted this one.
Chick Shelter Design
Final chick shelter design
Mass Production
Mass Production
Great effort by Chris from Watercare
Great effort by Chris from Watercare
Chris's shelters 140mm high (to the apex).
Chris’s shelters 140mm high (to the apex).

Everything is in place, now we just need some chicks. I need to do observational work to test a few things:

1. Do adults avoid the shelters?
2. Do the chicks use the shelters?
3. Are the shelters effective at protecting chicks from predators? If not lets lower them and check point 2.
4. Other benefits/ problems?

RESULTS

Adult Dotterel not worried about feeding near the shelters
Adult Dotterel not worried about feeding near the shelters
Welcome Swallows enjoying this one (tipped over)
Welcome Swallows enjoying this one (tipped over)
I keep loosing chicks and eggs, the parents of the only chick I have at the moment keep taking the chick out onto the field or the road so I have mown an area I think would be safer.
I keep loosing chicks and eggs, the parents of the only chick I have at the moment keep taking the chick out onto the field or the road so I have mown an area I think would be safer.
Hobbitown
Hobbitown
Also lined the road
Also lined the road

1. Do adults avoid the shelters? No.
2. Do the chicks use the shelters? No, small chicks hide in the grass which is quite long in spring. None of the small chicks lived long enough to be bigger chicks that might have made a longer dash to a chick shelter. The mown area created did not attract any Dotterel (Just Pied stilts, Herons and Spur Winged Plover).
3. Are the shelters effective at protecting chicks from predators? Untested, maybe try them at a mown or beach site.
4. Other benefits/ problems:

  • They help with orienteering in the field and you can also perch on them.
  • Cows broke about 20% of them, flipping was also an issue, I would consider using tent pegs to prevent cow flipping.
2 chicks in the shade of this chick shelter in Tawharanui
2 chicks in the shade of this chick shelter in Tawharanui
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Paint in Omaru creek

1:15 today, I was horrified to discover Omaru creek had gone white. I called the Pollution prevention hotline case #14/1714.

At the Taniwha st intersection
At the Taniwha St intersection.
The roof of the Tamaki Recreation Centre that was blasted.
The roof of the Tamaki Recreation Centre that was blasted.
Access water blasting cleaning down their vehicles which were parked next to the roof and got covered in toxic gunk which they washed into the stream with the rest of the paint. You can be assured tho... on their website http://www.access.kiwi.nz/about-us/ Sustainability is one of their values. "Creating a Sustainable Business Sustainability = Vision + Passion + Growth + Balance + Profitability" Awesome work guys!
Access water blasting cleaning down their vehicles which were parked next to the roof and got covered in toxic gunk which they washed into the stream with the rest of the paint. You can be assured tho… on their website http://www.access.kiwi.nz/about-us/ Sustainability is one of their values. “Creating a Sustainable Business. Sustainability = Vision + Passion + Growth + Balance + Profitability”
Awesome work guys!
Lichen on the wheels of their vehicles.
Lichen on the wheels of their vehicles.
Lichen and paint in the creek.
Lichen and paint in the creek.
Downstream where the wave of paint is about to hit.
Downstream where the wave of paint is about to hit.
Closeup of the freshly painted periphyton.
Closeup of the freshly painted periphyton.

If this is a regular thing (blasters are supposed to divert the downpipes) then I bet 90% + of the zinc contamination in the Tamaki Estuary comes from water blasting roofs, not regular wear from rainfall.

UPDATE: 4:30 PM

Pollution prevention made it out and then went to talk to the TRC (Tamaki Recreation Centre). Apparently they need to make sure their contractors are not cutting corners and doing horrible stuff like this. I believe the TRC is a council facility partnership.

Though it's diluted I would not want to be a fish trying to breathe in there.
Though it’s diluted I would not want to be a fish trying to breathe in there.
Great for duck tracking, not so great for the ducks.
Great for duck tracking, not so great for the ducks.
Pollution is often quite beautiful close up.
Pollution is often quite beautiful close up.
Little evidence at the mouth of the river... Whew.
Little evidence at the mouth of the river… Whew.
As the sun goes down you can still see it creeping out.
As the sun goes down you can still see it creeping out.

UPDATE: 2 Days later and I can’t see any obvious ecological damage. I imagine it would be more obvious in a less polluted stream. Like a lot of contamination events the effects will be largely long-term.

I would not want to eat these oysters that I know at least one local old Maori guy eats!
I would not want to eat these oysters that I know at least one local old Maori guy eats!

UPDATE: 30 July. A super nice guy from the TRC got in touch, they were very concerned about the event and have put in place processes to make sure it does not happen again.

Access also gave me a call, they told me this was a one off accident. The council confirmed this and accordingly let them off with a small fine of around $400). I think the maximum fine is only $1,000, if Mr Burns was running one of these companies he would definitely risk it (given the difficulty in detection). Access invited me down to give a 15min talk to the team about the Auckland environment, which I did. They also walked me through some of their process which are designed to keep the contaminants out of the stormwater system. Most interesting to me was listening to the guys talk about their day while I waited for the meeting to start, they have to use really toxic chemicals to clean buildings. I put hundreds of hours into helping the environment every year, but these guys can probably make a bigger difference in just a few hours by doing the right thing.