We now have 20 Little Spotted Kiwi back at Shakespear, 10 from Tiritiri Matangi and 10 from Kapiti. Here is a video about the powhiri for them, and their subsequent release. They are still being monitored daily and appear to be settling as expected.
We now have North Island Robins at Shakespear Open Sanctuary. Many happy volunteers and Sossi members watched 20 robins released on Friday 8th April. This represented the end of the first stage of the translocation of North Island Robins to Shakespear Open Sanctuary. These robins were translocated from Mangatutu in the central North Island. This …
The banded rail was once widespread in NZ but is now rarely seen, partly because they are very reclusive and well-camouflaged and partly because their habitats are threatened. But they’ve become quite widespread in the Open Sanctuary and can be spotted in the Okoromai wetland area if you’re prepared to be there at at dawn. …
Forty tīeke from TiriTiri Matangi were released into bush on the NZ Defence Force land on Saturday 26th of May, and a further 10 were moved from Tāwharanui on 14th and 15th of June. Strong winds on the day meant that the 3km transfer was made by helicopter rather than ferry. The catching team used…
The destructive and aggressive red-vented bulbul has now been seen in several parts of Auckland, including our Whangaparaoa Peninsula. Evidently they like nice gardens and compost heaps, especially one with food scraps. If you see one please record the time and place, take a photo if you can and call Biosecurity on 0800 80 99…
While dotterel are known to breed at Shakespear, prior to this year none have managed to raise their chicks to fledglings. This year four pairs have had chicks, three of them surrounded by crowds of holiday-makers on Te Haruhi beach, with about two fledgings per pair. This is well ahead of the average of half…
There are some gregarious new residents at Shakespear Regional Park! While other birds have repopulated the area naturally since pests were removed, recent events saw the first release of native birds behind the predator-proof fence. In July 2015, after many months of behind-the scenes work, a group of bird translocation experts and experienced volunteers caught…
