North Island Brown Kiwi"On 14 Sept my husband & I heard 2 male & 1 female kiwi on my brother's farm at the end of Hepburn Rd. Those birds have been in that area for at least 2yrs & are for sure birds that have walked out of the local kiwi care areas" - Wendy Hare
Observations in our community
Fernbird and Banded Rail"Birds of special interest known to be breeding in Cook Stream Reserve are North Island Fernbird (listed as At risk, Declining) and Banded Rail (Declining). Fernbirds are an endemic species to NZ (ie found nowhere else in the world), the Banded Rail is an endemic subspecies. Both species are quite skulky but can be seen with patience and some local knowledge. I have also seen Australasian Bittern (Declining sharply throughout its range) here but I suspect it was just passing through, perhaps from Purangi" -Wendy Hare"
Dab Chicks"Only one pair on Cooks Lakes and they failed to produce any young recently. Normally only found central North Island and extinct in South Island. I have traps nearby their last nest area" Tracey Thornton
Kaka“Early morning, before dawn, and at dusk, I hear the kaka cry, and love to look up to watch them. I like their aerodynamics. If I was to be a bird, this would be my pick. Also loving the tui - I have planted about 500 flax at my place on the hill, it’s great to see them swoop in when the flowers are out" Rose Morcom
Penguin (Kororā)"We got notified by a Ferry landing resident that she had heard the raucous yet musical noise of penguins! Penguins have a tendency to enjoy the same prime coastal real estate as humans, but it means they are susceptible to habitat loss and destruction from predators. During nesting season, the birds become very boisterous, generally settling only metres from their own birthplace, nesting in the rock crevices. We laid out strikers, refreshed our traps and added a brand new @goodnaturenz A24 trap. These will target rats, stoats, ferrets and possums." -Laura Barton
Our Contributors
We are grateful to:
Peter Drury, Freelance Photographer and Videographer at Visualist. Peter spends a fair amount of time with his lens capturing his wildlife observations in and around Cooks Beach
Tracey Thornton, a well travelled professional photographer as well as actively assisting in predator control in Cooks beach