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iranda News M Journal Of the Miranda Naturalists’ Trust February 2013 Issue 87 Welcome home A Shore Plover, extinct on mainland NZ for 140 years, has taken up residence at Miranda What other rare species live on the coast? Find out at the thousand-species bioblitz Why our chenier plain attracts global interest From the editor Creating a better place for NZ’s wildlife The focus of this issue is on habitat and, in particular, on how to make the Miranda coastal strip a better place not just for our waders but also for the likes of Bittern and Banded Rail, native lizards and Cartoon / Héloïse Gauvin invertebrates, plants and fungi. It has all been sparked off by an offer for the trust to take over full The United Nations of birding management of the Findlay Reserve How did a young French woman who holds a Scottish degree where the hides are. That has opened up the possi- and speaks English with an Irish accent end up introducing birds bility of developing a land man- from Alaska to visitors to Miranda? Héloïse Gauvin explains agement plan which might cover When you look for work and are up not just the reserve but also the for a bit of travelling the Google search adjoining blocks owned by the bar quickly becomes one of your best Dalton family and the Department friends. This is how one evening in of Conservation. Already there are Galway, on the West coast of Ireland, visions of creating more ponds, a French graduate in Ecotourism perhaps with islands for Banded from Edinburgh’s Napier University, Rail, encouraging the growth of in Scotland, found out about the saltmarsh and replacing grasses and Miranda Shorebird Centre and became fennel with native vegetation. very excited about the possibility of And that, in turn, has led to working there. the idea of a bioblitz, an intensive Three months after applying for biological survey of the area, to find the long-term volunteer position, out exactly what species are living I was on a plane to New Zealand, there right now. As Peter Maddison, and a few days later I was standing who came up with the idea, says: the in the south hide on Miranda shore more we know about what’s there at high tide in perfect evening light the better we’ll be at managing it. with Keith Woodley pointing out birders, sharing the telescope and using A bioblitz sounds like great fun, the features of a juvenile Bar-tailed a field guide and the little knowledge a chance to participate in catch- Godwit foraging only a few meters I’ve gained in the past few weeks to ing moths, sieving mud, netting away. This would be my office from make identifications . as well as waterways, searching vegetation November to February.Since then I’ve sharing a lot of jokes and life stories. and taking whatever you find to a been at the hide every day around high I’ve also been assisting Kristelle panel of experts to find out what tide, learning something new every Wi in her great work dealing with it is. All with the knowledge that time I’ve looked through the scope, school groups and predators (slightly in the process you’re helping make keeping records of species present, different methods apply) which have Miranda an even more special place their behaviour and distribution. both considerable importance for the for people to visit and for wildlife I’ve also been welcoming human future of the birds of Miranda. to live. Don’t miss out. visitors from all around the world, In the time I have left I hope to see Jim Eagles both curious travellers and keen you at the hides. Front cover: Shore Plover at Miranda. Photo / Ian Southey Back cover: Sharp-tailed and Curlew Sandpipers. Photos / Jim Eagles, Heloise Gauvin 2 MNT News | Issue 87 Black-billed gull chicks on the shellbank A dozen Black-billed Gull chicks have been fledged on the shellbank this summer, the first for a few years, which is encouraging news for what Keith Woodley describes in Sharing the Margins as “one of the most endangered gull species in the world”. Black-bills, whose stronghold is the southern South Island, were reported in Miranda in 1968 and initially had little problem raising chicks. They arrived in the course of a dramatic expansion north, prompted by the transformation of forests into pastoral farmland, a habitat which suited their lifestyle. Unfortunately their decline, due to a combination of more intensive farming, rampant weed growth, extraction of water and gravel from Black-billed gull chicks Photo / Schmechf’s Photostream rivers, predation and pressure from humans has been equally dramatic. concludes, “Strange as it may seem, targeting this species, mean it is in OSNZ surveys at the major the current trajectory within the greater danger of extinction than the breeding colonies on the Waiau, population, and the lack of management kakapo.” Aparima, Mataura and Oreti rivers have recorded an 83 per cent decline Now in residence at Miranda in gull numbers between the 1970s and Joining the throngs of Bar-tailed the 1990s. As a result the gull’s status Godwit and Red Knot at Miranda with the International Conservation this summer are a good sprinkling Union has gone from “Least Concern” of other tundra-breeding birds like Arctic Migrants in 1994 to “Vulnerable” in 2000 and Pacific Golden Plover, Turnstones Bar-tailed Godwit 4500 “Endangered” in 2005. and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers. Black-tailed Godwit 1 Adding to the black-bills’ woes is The Marsh Sandpiper and Red Knot 1100 the fact that as mere gulls they are not two Curlew Sandpipers seen for Whimbrel 1 generally highly valued. There have much of last year still linger, while Turnstone 19 been regular reports of mass killings a Greater Sand Plover, relatively Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 1 1 of the gulls as a result of vehicles being rare at Miranda, turned up in late Marsh Sandpiper 1 driven through colonies, shooting December. sprees and vandalism. Another end of year arrival Pacific Golden Plover 42 Just before Christmas 51 chicks at caused much puzzlement before Curlew Sandpiper 2 the big Ashley River nesting site were being confirmed as a very scrawny Greater Sand Plover 1 stoned to death. The month before a Asiatic Black-tailed Godwit. four wheel drive was driven through The other notable sighting New Zealand Species the Ashburton River site squashing was a male NZ Shore Plover that eggs and nests. NZ Shore Plover 1 turned up before Christmas. Its Wrybill 1800 Even at Miranda they don’t always colour bands revealed it to be a NZ Dotterel get the sympathy they deserve. Just last young bird released on Motutapu. month a pair of eager photographers Out on the shell bank a small Banded Dotterel 16 ignored the signs and the outrage of the Black-billed Gull colony set up SI Pied Oystercatcher 1900 birds and walked down the shellbank shop with some White-fronted Variable Oystercatcher through the middle of the nests. Terns, Variable Oystercatchers and White-fronted Tern The success of the small colony NZ Dotterels, and produced a few Caspian Tern this year has presumably been assisted chicks. One of the oystercatcher Black-billed Gull by the success of the programme to pairs was also seen in mid-January Pied Stilt control four-legged predators. But caring for two chicks. Royal Spoonbill 7 other dangers remain. Keith saw one of The proud parents had to Banded Rail this season’s chicks taken by a harrier contend with an increasing press Bittern hawk and suspects others may have of birds jostling together for space gone the same way. on a shell bank much diminished His chapter on Black-Billed Gulls by king tides. MNT News | Issue 87 3 BUILDING A VISION (clockwise from top): Keith Woodley shows MNT council members and expert advisers around the Findlay Reserve; checking out what lives in the ponds; a flower of the pretty little Sea Primrose (Samolus repens) is discovered in the salt meadow; Google Earth view of the Miranda coastline including the Department of Conservation land at Taramaire, the Dalton block, the MNT property on the landward side of the road and the Findlay Reserve. 4 MNT News | Issue 87 Exciting chance to rehabilitate the Miranda coastal strip MNT has been given an opportunity to take over the full management of the Findlay Reserve and develop a conservation plan for the whole coastal strip. Jim Eagles reports on developments The coastal strip at Miranda which world (see article page 8) includes the Shorebird Centre’s hides *The salt marsh at the reserve is could be transformed over the next said to be the best in the Waikato. few years to provide a better roost for *The Findlay Reserve with its ponds the waders and encourage other native and shellbanks is the most important species including birds, plants, fish, roost for migratory shorebirds on the lizards and invertebrates to flourish. Firth of Thames. The catalyst for this development *The coastal strip is home not only is an offer from the Lane family for to waders but many other important the Miranda Naturalists’ Trust to species including lizards, land birds, take over the grazing lease of the 25ha plants and invertebrates. Findlay Reserve, where the hides are, *Simply removing the cattle will from midway through this year. probably only lead to an explosion of That has opened up the possibility exotic plants. of the reserve – and possibly the *Planting trees, which is often adjoining blocks owned by the the focal point of habitat restoration Dalton family and the Department projects, might in this case only serve of Conservation – being managed to to interrupt flight paths and sightlines maximise the conservation potential.

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