Info on Puhinui?

[Nathan El]

Hi, I was going to ask this in the thread I made on Tapora, since it's also on the subject of a wader site with restricted access, but I feel it makes more sense to start a new thread since it concerns a different site.

So can anyone provide intel on Puhinui at Manukau? This is apparently the best place in Manukau harbour and potentially has the highest number of waders of any site in NZ - yet oddly there is absolutely nothing set up to allow for people to come watch them, which is all the odder considering it's right in Auckland city! Instead you're supposed to drive all the way to Miranda.

So far I've been there once, last summer, and scoped from the edge of the plateau at Puhinui craters and from the other side at Clendon Park. At the former at mid-tide the birds were rather far, and backlit since it was the afternoon - but obviously loads of godwit, sio and knot on the exposed mud. At Clendon at higher tide had a rather large group of roosting godwit and sio, a bit closer but still rather far, and most birds were out of view.

Would be nice to walk down to the shore at Puhinui, but signs (official-looking ones here) indicate that this is forbidden. I appreciate that they are trying to protect the waders, but then why do they tolerate visitors at Miranda? I imagine they fear if the site was opened many non-birder people would come just for the water access, and they can't be bothered building a boardwalk/hide contraption so that only people with an interest in wildlife would come.

I am definitely tempted to go back and walk down to the shore at Puhinui - it's a somewhat rough but manageable scramble down the plateau, and then a walk southeast along the shore. One would preferably go in the morning (so the sun is behind) at rising mid-tide, so one can still walk southeast along the shore from Puhinui up to the roosting site and wait for the birds to get concentrated as the tide rises. One could also kayak from Clendon Park, also in morning and rising tide ideally.

So yeah - Has anyone done any of this? Do you think this can be done without excessively bothering the birds? Without getting into trouble?

Oh and is this the right section to ask this, or should this go in general birding discussion?

[Ian McLean]

Kia ora Nathan

Thanks for your excellent questions regarding Puhinui.

It is certainly a site that is relatively seldom visited. I have only been there once myself & there are likely locals from South Auckland who may visit there more often. It is relatively undeveloped & the southern peninsula has very limited legitimate access.

The site, has some major sensitivities & for that reason the council & various authorities are likely keen to restrict public access to much of it. I can imagine that they would be very happy for people not to know about it.

The sensitivities include:-

A Regional Women's Prison that borders the reserve.
A Juvenile Detention Centre that borders the reserve.
A Fuel Pipeline that goes thru the reserve & to the airport from the nearby Wiri Oil Storage facility. (In some places the pipeline is practically on the surface !)
It would be an excellent spot for people to fly drones in the flight path of planes arriving/departing the airport & an equally good place for pointing lasers at planes !

The saltmarsh & shell islands at the southern tip of the peninsula are best for birding. Fernbirds have been recorded there as have flocks of 200+ bar-tailed godwit. There are impressive stands of cabbage trees.

As you have suggested access by kayak from Clendon Park would be a great option.

Cheers
Ian McLean

[Nathan El]

Hi Ian, thanks for the reply. The deficient access makes more sense considering the sensitivities you mention. However Puhinui craters does have public access despite being at the very same site and subject to the same issues, so obviously those issues aren't severe enough to completely bar public access - although it is true that there isn't a good view of the airport from the crater site or probably the adjacent motorcross park either. I would really like to see a public-oriented nature reserve at Puhinui, could help raise interest in nature and conservation, in particular among poorer urban dwellers who probably aren't going to go to Tiritiri or the like.

Definitely intend to go back. The whole 2km long strip of natural coastal scrub, also apparently among the best anywhere, certainly looks good for fernbird, maybe crakes too? I'll report back after I go :)

[Nathan El]

Also considering it's among the largest wader roosts of the country, the fact that it's so little visited could mean lots of rarities are going unnoticed on a regular basis - providing all the more motivation to go!

[andrewcrossland]

Can you take a kayak along the coastline as the tide is rising and park it on the beach just below the high water line and presumably below the legal property boundary? Or sit in the kayak over high tide and park it as soon as the tide starts to drop and the first mudflat (ie; seabed) is exposed?

[Nathan El]

That could be a decent idea Andrew, although I'm not sure that would actually help, since the water of Manukau harbour belongs to the state just like the land of Puhinui (presumably) - but the prohibition of access likely indeed only applies to the land. Luckily in any case there seems to be nobody there most of the time, and I doubt there are officials on boats scanning the shore for trespassers, so in practice I think it's unlikely to get into trouble.

[Ian Southey]

Nathan

I have not been to Puhinui for a while so my information may be a little dated but your biggest problem is the airport. If you get too close on land or water you will get a visit from security. Stay south of those signs and you're fine.

For access to the wader roost - as you walk down from the carpark you will see a row of big pines along the shore on the right. Aim for where that stops and make your way down the bank to the shore line and walk south as best you can - it never used to be difficult. I have also bashed through the scrub - do-able but not pleasant although it may be tall enough to get underneath now. The roost is at the point on shellbanks and bare mud. Its a decent little roost but goes under on the bigger tides. Sometimes Black(ish) Stilts turn up there. It can be scoped from the end of Burundi Ave in Manurewa.

The scrub is mostly planted manuka and was not much good for birds but the seaward side is one of the larger areas of natural saltmarsh rush and scrub left around the harbour and is much better. It holds one of three tiny fernbird populations left in South Auckland west of Miranda. Don't forget the pond by the carpark - Brown Teal and Scaup have bred there in the recent past, locally special, if not nationally. One of the better spots for a fossick around Auckland. In spite of all the crazy activities people there, there is a bit of space for birds around the edges.

As for the future of the place? It may become a second port for Auckland.

If you are new to the area and resident you would probably benefit from an association with Birds NZ. For the moment I'm the regional rep for South Auckland and Ian McLean for Auckland. If you have a particular interest in waders most of the best roosts (the exception is Ambury) are on private land and we have relationships with the owners. Wader census is a really good opportunity to work out the lay of the land and we'll be counting the Manukau soon but covid will mean we do it as individuals rather than groups this time.

Ian

[Nathan El]

Thanks for the info Ian, good to know others have done this. And I'll check out Birds NZ.