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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.

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Dotterel Calls


Territorial call (were-wit) of an NZ Dotterel. Note the distinctive groan from the upper throat. You can see it happen at 5 seconds but is hard to hear.

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Browns Island Mussel Reefs

Or what is left of them! Even the oysters are swamped by mud from the Tamaki estuary. Wikipedia needs updating:

“The flatter areas to the west have very large part submerged mussel beds which extent out 100 m (328 ft) from the shore preventing easy landing”.

Now the exposed rocks are surrounded by thick mud.

Some green mussels in the large clumps. They were not often dominant.
Some green mussels in the large clumps. They were not often dominant.
Most of the solo green lipped mussels were around 9-10cm.
Most of the solo green lipped mussels were around 9-10cm.
At least 50% of the mussels were blue, of the mussel groups at least 80% of those individuals were blue.
At least 50% of the mussels were blue, of the mussel groups at least 80% of those individuals were blue.
The water was very dirty. It had not rained for at least a day or two.
The water was very dirty. It had not rained for at least a day or two.
This mussel and ambitious eleven armed starfish look like they are suffocating.
This mussel and ambitious eleven armed starfish look like they are suffocating.
Most mussels were above the low tide line. I know this a feature of blue mussels but why were the green mussel following suit? I made the same observation on the Mission Bay reefs.
Most mussels were above the low tide line. I know this a feature of blue mussels but why were the green mussel following suit? I made the same observation on the Mission Bay reefs.
Another example
Another example
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Mission Bay Mussel Reefs

I was very pleased to see so many green lipped mussels here. I thought it might be interesting to survey them as there size and abundance are good indicators for how a restored reef might manage this close to Auckland City.

Mission Bay Mussel Reefs


REEF 1 (huge composite photo)
Reef 1


REEF 2 (huge composite photo)
Reef 2

They look healthy to me.
They look healthy to me.
Northern end of Reef 2
Northern end of Reef 2

I saw the odd blue mussel, cats eye, kina, eleven arm, cushion star, asian tunicate and fanworm but green lipped mussels were by far the dominant species. There were only a few spots where oysters and barnacles were coming out on top.

Some of the seabed around the edges of the reef was littered with shells.
Some of the seabed around the edges of the reef was littered with shells.
But the shells quickly give way to sandy sediment.
But the shells quickly give way to sandy sediment.
This was typical
This was typical
These holes look to me like snapper are active in the area.
These holes look to me like snapper are active in the area.
These white fronted terns looked happy but the black backed seagull and variable oyster catchers were happier eating the mussels.
These white fronted terns looked happy but the black backed seagull and variable oyster catchers were happier eating the mussels.

Size
Most mussels were 7-8cm long. But there were a few around the 10cm mark. I think I was looking at two generations?

UPDATE: November 2016
The green lipped mussels have been heavily harvested. There are maybe 20-30 adults left across both reefs. Some juveniles amongst the remaining blue mussels. Rock oysters and blue mussels now the dominant species.

I was pleased to find the occasional juvenile green lipped mussel amongst the blue mussels.
I was pleased to find the occasional juvenile green lipped mussel amongst the blue mussels.
Rock oysters very dense in some places
Rock oysters very dense in some places
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Tamaki River East Roost

Source: Environmental Condition and Values of Mangere Inlet, Whau Estuary and Tamaki Estuary (2008)

Coastal Protection Area 1 (45a & 45b)Coastal Protection Area 1. Pakuranga Creek and Roost: One of the roosting sites used by some of the hundreds of wading birds that feed within the Tamaki Estuary. The whole of the Tamaki Estuary is a regionally important wildlife habitat and has been selected by the Department of Conservation as an Area of Significant Conservation Value (ASCV).

Coastal Protection Area 1 (49) Coastal Protection Area 1. Tamaki River East Roost. One of the roosting sites used by some of the hundreds of wading birds that feed within the Tamaki Estuary.

No birds roost here now. Are they still CPA’s? How has the habitat changed:

  • Mangroves
  • Coastal planting
  • More houses
  • More pets
Historical Pakuranga Roosting Spot
Nothing here now