January work trip

After the recent inclement weather track clearing was a necessary task on the first trip of 2026 and the Widdowson family set to clearing foliage blocking the North Loop Track. Moth plant weeders also encountered windfall karo trees on the access track which were too big to scramble through. Undeterred, Bruce and Liz found another way in and dealt with several hundred moth plant seedlings at the known site. Although it is satisfying to know infestations are decreasing, we also know these sites need checked regularly!

Sea bird monitoring goes on all through breeding season until birds have fledged. On this visit we found 21 Pycroft’s petrel chicks and one unbanded adult alone in box 17. The chicks are still quite small, they will fledge some time in April. We’ve been following the progress of four fluttering shearwater chicks. One had already departed before we arrived but the other three well-grown chicks were banded.

Kororā/little penguins normally lay their eggs in August, but this season all the early nests failed. Some of the pairs re-laid around November and now have growing chicks. Sadly, we found dead chicks in two of the boxes but there are still at least three boxes with live chicks.

There were no dotterels to be found on the beach at Home Bay and we believe no chicks were raised to fledge this season.

The weekend monitoring team, led by Su Sinclair had a couple of interesting sightings. They recorded a ruddy turnstone at Home Bay and a kākāriki/red-crowned parakeet on the kiwi track. It’s been many years (10+ maybe) since we recorded kākāriki on the Island.

John Stewart with a fluttering shearwater chick he is about to band. One of four shearwater chicks grown to flegling stage in artificial burrows.

Karin Gouldstone with a little penguin chick.