Last-minute preparations are well under way for the arrival of Little Spotted Kiwi. Those coming from Tiri have all been located, measured and fitted with radio trackers so they can be easily found on the day of transfer. The same thing is happening on Kapiti, while at Shakespear there is a bit of frantic work finishing fences and kiwi boxes for the transfer and putting up signs. Below is the latest clip from iseevideo, this time showing the catching under way at Tiri:
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…
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…
Our fundraising for this project went better than expected – many those to those who contributed. We purchased three solar-powered speaker systems and installed them at the end of April this year along the eastern cliff tops of Shakespear Open Sanctuary to attract seabirds. Each system has two directional speakers which broadcast the target species calls out…
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. …
Now that whiteheads have been successfully re-introduced to Shakespear the next step is to bring back the North Island robin (toutouwai). These are very sociable little fellows, often to be seen foraging just a few meters away. They are also known to sing loud and long so we expect they will be a popular attraction….
UPDATE August 2016: Thanks to a generous donation from One Spark One Wish, we now have the funding we need for this project. SOSSI is currently seeking donations towards purchasing three call-playback systems as part of the seabird restoration project at Shakespear Open Sanctuary. The plan involves installing three speaker systems spread along the…
