BirdingNZ.net

Hi all

About 3 years ago I suggested in a Te Papa blog that the best way to see a crabeater seal in New Zealand was to sit by the mouth of the Hutt River and wait 25 years. It didn't take that long, as New Zealand's 11th crabeater seal made its way north from Otago and Canterbury, like a moth to a flame:

https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2019/07/24/ ... he-sequel/

Unfortunately the animal expired during an attempt to release it back on the coast on Monday morning, which was the first I heard about it.

Regards
Colin

And it looks like there's now another one, just reported on iNaturalist, though it was actually seen on April 6th. Not quite the Hutt River, but surely Petone Beach is close enough.
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/111900249

Kia ora David

This animal was first seen at Sandfly Bay, Otago Peninsula, on 30 March. I sent a tongue-in-cheek email to my former DOC colleagues in Wellington to expect it up the Hutt River or on Petone Beach that coming weekend (2-3 April). It turned up 3 days after that (identifiable by the same scars on its head). They are now giving me a hard time for getting my timing wrong

Ngā mihi
Colin