Pelicans in Taranaki

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Raptor
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Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:11 am

Re: Pelicans in Taranaki

Postby Raptor » Sat Dec 14, 2013 5:39 am

Paul Gibson
Posts: 263
Joined: Tue Jul 30, 2013 9:49 am
Location: Whanganui

Re: Pelicans in Taranaki

Postby Paul Gibson » Sat Dec 14, 2013 8:31 am

Hi Raptor, Thanks, yes someone has just emailed me the article and picture. The paper got the number of birds in Northland wrong, sure I said 16-18 birds, not 13 like they printed. Thanks also for early posting yesterday morning. Paul
Paul Gibson
Posts: 263
Joined: Tue Jul 30, 2013 9:49 am
Location: Whanganui

Re: Pelicans in Taranaki

Postby Paul Gibson » Tue Dec 17, 2013 7:27 pm

Four pelicans seen in the Whanganui River Estuary at 6 pm this evening. A client who lives opposite the river phoned me to say they were sitting on a sand bank just downstream from the SH3 road bridge. By the time we got there they had flown downstream, and unfortunately we were unable to locate them again. It is now "Pelicans in Whanganui".
Clinton9
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Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2010 10:22 pm

Re: Pelicans in Taranaki

Postby Clinton9 » Tue Dec 17, 2013 8:09 pm

Look like we have all eighteen 2-4-year-old nonbreeding immature pelicans that don't breed in NZ until December 2015 or 2016.
Paul Gibson
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Joined: Tue Jul 30, 2013 9:49 am
Location: Whanganui

Re: Pelicans in Taranaki

Postby Paul Gibson » Thu Dec 19, 2013 9:21 am

We have been unable to locate again the pelicans around Wanganui despite many out searching local estuaries and lakes yesterday. But one interesting fact that has emerged is that DoC now report that pelicans were seen at Urenui in North Taranaki, prior to their arrival in Patea, in South Taranaki. Does this suggest they are some of the Northland birds moving south?
Anne Rimmer
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Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 1:33 pm

Re: Pelicans in Taranaki

Postby Anne Rimmer » Thu Dec 19, 2013 9:55 am

I'm copying this note from the 'Kaipara pelicans' topic to back up Paul's thoughts:

Re: Kaipara pelicans
Postby flossiepip » Sat Dec 14, 2013 6:41 pm
"I know all the reports are on the Taranaki pelicans at the moment so I thought it may be worth reporting one pelican on the river above Ruawai at Tokatoka 7.30am. The first that I have seen for a week or two."
Pat Miller
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Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 9:36 am

Re: Pelicans in Taranaki

Postby Pat Miller » Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:03 am

There was a report on the birdingNZ. yahoo website of 8 birds at South Kaipara Head on 9 December circling on thermals and heading South (and alluded to on page 1 of the Taranaki thread on this website by David Lawrie. The birds at Patea according to the report here turned up on the evening of 12 December. So Urenui fits in well with these all being 8 birds from Northland on their way south. Flossiepip,s recent sighting and my sighting of 14 a couple or 3 weeks ago means that there could still be 6 in Northland (10 if the whole 18 from the Tapora April sightings are still around). Man they're mobile little critters! I wonder if the Taranaki/Whanganui adventurers will return to their Kaipara base this time.
Pat
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zarkov
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Location: Torbay.

Re: Pelicans in Taranaki

Postby zarkov » Thu Dec 19, 2013 2:24 pm

They're probably looking for more salubrious surroundings.

I was through TokaToka last week, and I'm bound to say, it didn't seem like a pelican paradise to me.


Somewhere in Golden Bay would be much nicer.
Anne Rimmer
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Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 1:33 pm

Re: Pelicans in Taranaki

Postby Anne Rimmer » Fri Dec 20, 2013 11:04 am

I wish we could ask private pilots and boaties to look for these huge birds over the summer. Can someone 'official' please put out a press release? Provide a photo, and a contact email or mobile number.
Clinton9
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Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2010 10:22 pm

Re: Pelicans in Taranaki

Postby Clinton9 » Fri Dec 20, 2013 1:20 pm

Please do keep distance from these pelicans, they become stressed / nervous seeing people close up.
Give them their chance to tour NZ....remember they are young birds, at 2-3 year old.

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