Wellington City biodiversity

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Graeme T
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Re: Wellington City biodiversity

Postby Graeme T » Thu Oct 10, 2019 1:21 pm

Hugh Robertson mentioned he was looking at the images and noticed the Fluttering shearwater has a metal band on the left leg. We were wondering if this is one of the birds that are now breeding on Somes Island. There are also banded birds on the Mana Island Fl Shw colony.
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ledzep
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Re: Wellington City biodiversity

Postby ledzep » Mon Oct 14, 2019 1:22 pm

I've heard a number of Eastern Rosellas calling during the weekend from several locations around the Ngaio and Crofton Downs area. The "cooee" call repeated many times quite urgently (only a second or two between calls). Must be breeding season.
andyf
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Re: Wellington City biodiversity

Postby andyf » Mon Dec 02, 2019 10:07 pm

Two things of note recently.

Firstly, I've seen and heard kaka several times recently. We live in Khandallah, just above the junction of SH1 and SH2. It's great to have them around.

Secondly I saw a tui with lots of white - a white tail, white flecks on the body - on Tinakori Road, while sat in traffic today. It was feeding on pohutukawa flowers.

Andy
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CMKMStephens
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Re: Wellington City biodiversity

Postby CMKMStephens » Sat Jan 25, 2020 11:08 pm

I finally both saw, and photographed Long-tailed Cuckoo/koekoeā, up above Stokes Valley. It turns out that right now, there are heaps either side of the ridgeline between trigs B0N9 and B0NW.

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Colin Miskelly
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Re: Wellington City biodiversity

Postby Colin Miskelly » Sun Mar 29, 2020 4:19 pm

COVID-19 lockdown is providing an opportunity to walk the local part of the Wellington green-belt (centred on Prince of Wales Park) more regularly. Today's highlights included at least 18 kaka (including birds feeding on eucalyptus sap at two different sites), and four kereru flying together. Kereru sightings are becoming regular over this side of the city (2-3 km east of Zealandia), but this is the first time that we have seen more than two at a time (and even a singleton is still considered a highlight). Tui and kaka are among the most abundant species in the Wellington town belt (they were the top two species today). It will be interesting to track kereru increases - they are definitely on the way up.

Nga mihi
Colin & Kate
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Michael Szabo
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Morepork

Postby Michael Szabo » Tue Mar 31, 2020 4:45 pm

A friend reports hearing a Morepork last night towards the top of Majoribanks Street coming from the adjacent part of the Town Belt.
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Colin Miskelly
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Re: Wellington City biodiversity

Postby Colin Miskelly » Sun Apr 12, 2020 2:12 pm

COVID-19 restrictions have required the entire nation to have an Easter staycation. We are fortunate that several of the Wellington town belt reserves are accessible on foot from our property. Highlights over the last 3 days have included:

10 April Prince of Wales Park, 2 red-crowned parakeets; Central Park, 1 bellbird; Kelburn tennis club, 2 very confiding kaka (kaka and tui don't rate a mention in this part of Wellington as they are ubiquitous, but these two insisted in posing for Kate's cellphone); Wellington Botanic gardens, 1 falcon & 1 bellbird heard

11 April 2 falcons calling and chasing each other over Massey Wellington campus (nothing else of note on Mt Victoria)

12 April Polhill Gully (this is next to Zealandia): 4 saddlebacks, 1 North Island robin & 2 kereru (close views of all 3 species, including 3 of the saddlebacks)

Full species lists loaded to NZ Bird Atlas/eBird

Nga mihi
Colin & Kate
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Peter Hodge
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Re: Wellington City biodiversity

Postby Peter Hodge » Tue Apr 14, 2020 11:12 am

While I was waiting in line at the New World Miramar carpark on Saturday morning, a Falcon flew low overhead. There were also weekend sightings of Red-crowned Parakeets and Kaka on the Miramar Peninsula (posted on the Predator Free Miramar FB page).
Alan Tennyson
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Re: Wellington City biodiversity

Postby Alan Tennyson » Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:40 pm

This month I've already had 4 falcon sightings and seen 4 kererū in Berhampore/Island Bay (2 on power lines on The Parade near the sea yesterday), so finally kererū are regularly making it this far south in the city.
Alan
Colin Miskelly
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Re: Wellington City biodiversity

Postby Colin Miskelly » Sat Apr 18, 2020 1:21 pm

After 4 weeks of daily 'lockdown' walks in the Wellington town belt, I had my first whitehead encounter today - a flock of at least ten on the Lone Pine spur (off Highbury Fling track), Polhill Reserve. This is only 150 metres as the pōpokatea flies from the Zealandia fence.

There were also 3 saddlebacks and a couple of robins along Highbury Fling track, plus single saddlebacks heard on Clinical track and Polhill Ridge track (the latter about 600 m from the fence).


Colin

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