Bulletin 138
ISSN 1175-706X
August 2024
Dawn Chorus
50 years since kākāriki released on Tiritiri
Notice of upcoming AGM Photography competition winners
It's winter, but the work continues!
As we head into winter with fewer visitors coming to the Island, there are opportunities for working groups to do track maintenance and biodiversity teams to perform bird counts and other activities. Winter is a great time to be on the Island, and the birds are relishing the early flowering of the wattle and other plants and berries, making it a time to feast!
Many thanks to the working group over King’s Birthday weekend and those who completed some tasks over Matariki. There is a noticeable improvement to the tracks after all your work. Well done, teams.
Being over halfway through the year, it is time to consider the election of a new committee. Details of those standing for the committee are shown on pages 16 - 17. We need you at the AGM to vote for a new committee. Remember, you can exercise a proxy vote if you cannot attend. This is your opportunity to support those prepared to serve your organisation in this way.
Your committee’s work since our last Dawn Chorus has been based around some of the agreements that enable us to operate on the Island, investigating with DOC the upgrade of the Kawerau Track and other projects, working with DOC on upgrading the health and safety aspects of operating on the Island, reviewing the operating procedures for guides, and monitoring the varied work of our many subcommittees that enable the Island to welcome members and visitors to this nature-filled paradise.
Ian Alexander
King's Birthday Working Weekend
The working weekend was blessed with beautiful, sunny weather.
To begin, we observed a minute of silence in memory of Matt Williams, who participated in Easter's working weekend. His recent passing deeply saddened us. We cherished his sense of humour and strong work ethic.
Our leader, Rob, efficiently organised the tasks, including replacing the shortcut bridge, repairing the boardwalk on the Kawerau Track, and clearing the trails.
We completed our allotted tasks before the end of the weekend with everyone's combined effort. On Saturday, we worked on smaller projects, and on Sunday, we worked on larger ones early before the visitors arrived. On Monday, we cleaned and finished the small projects. A few of us enjoyed a soothing yoga practice as a great way to stretch and decompress after each physical day. As evenings fell, we shared delightful potluck dinners and desserts, followed by friendly board games.
One highlight for me was replacing some of the boards on the boardwalk. Knowing that you would enjoy the fruit of your labour later was satisfying. Another highlight was the shared meals and stories at the end of each day.
It was a successful and rewarding weekend. Even though I was exhausted, it was a good, joyful weariness.
Stacey Balich
Front cover: Mātātā by Lucy Dean. First place, under 16-year-old section, Tiritiri Matangi photography competition.
Chair Chat
More members of the team (L-R): Karin, Val, Rachel, and Tim
Some of the working weekend team (L-R): Sam, Rachel, Ashleigh, Milly, Robert, Bethny, Paul, Shamyi, Stacey, Harry, and Peter
Photo: Stacey Balich
Photo: Val Lee
Guest Guide
This issue's guest guide, Jane Thompson, retired from retail pharmacy earlier this year. Born in Auckland, her family moved to Rotorua when she was eight. Personal loss brought Jane to the Island, but Tiritiri helped her heal. She started guiding in 2003 and served on SoTM's committee from 2018 to 2023. The editors of Dawn Chorus asked Jane to share a little about herself and her experiences as a guide on the Island.
What are your other hobbies or pastimes?
I do a lot of knitting and a bit of sewing, and I love raranga (flax weaving). I enjoy cooking, but not putting dinner on the table each night. We live on a bush block, so I find propagating interesting and fun. I look forward to learning golf and completing training to take my son’s therapy dog, Theo, into hospitals and rest homes.
What attracted you to guiding?
The chance to start something new. I had recently lost my 6-year-old daughter Ella to a brain tumour and needed to involve myself in something to help my healing. Barbara (Walter) was amazing, and with all the wonderful people I met, the masses of information I had to learn, and Tiritiri Matangi's healing environment, I could face the world again.
What has been your favourite experience with guiding?
A student from one of the Growing Minds schools had been interested and asked multiple questions. We had extra time, so I got the students to run up Coronary Hill and stop at the top. As she took off, she said, ‘This is so cool.’ Her teacher looked at me and said, ‘You wouldn’t believe it, but she is usually one of our more challenging students.’
What is your favourite story you would like to share about Tiritiri Matangi?
While eating your lunch, you can be serenaded by and view many of our most endangered birds, often many at once, like kōkako in the fig tree, takahē bathing outside the shop, and toutouwai chasing off the sparrows.
What is your favourite bird on the Island, and why?
I think the tīeke is my favourite. I just love that they are monogamous, keep in contact with their partner throughout the day, and are always so busy. When in their family group, the calls are so different, with whistles, purrs, and chirps. One schoolgirl told me that she thought they sounded like kittens.
Accolade for the Island
The people have spoken!
What is your favourite plant or tree, and why?
I don’t have a favourite, although I enjoy finding sun orchids when they are out. Although they are not a plant, I love lichens; they are so interesting and have such wonderful patterns and colours.
What is the quirkiest experience you’ve had on the Island?
While staying over on a no-ferry day, I came across the army on a training exercise.
What is your greatest environmental concern?
There are so many big concerns, but when I asked high school students how the environment on the Island differed from around their home and school, I was surprised by their answer: ‘No rubbish’. Litter in New Zealand, I believe, has become a major issue. The motorway berms are covered, fast food containers are thrown out of car windows, and dumping occurs rurally. Rubbish washing into drains and out to sea, as we all know, affects our marine environment and sea birds. This is such a small way we can start to encourage everyone to start to make a difference, and it is easy to explain to children.
Is there anything else you would like to share about guiding?
The best we can do is hope to impart some of our passion to others so they can see how lucky we are to live where we do and why our input is so important. After guiding a couple from a war-torn part of the world, they commented on how they laughed at what we thought was ‘front page news’ when they worried about going out to buy bread.
Each year, Tripadvisor recognises travellers' favourite things to do worldwide based on reviews and ratings collected over 12 months. SoTM is excited to announce that Tiritiri Matangi Island is a Travellers' Choice winner for 2024.
The Island is rated in the top ten percent of attractions worldwide and is number one out of 201 things to do in Auckland.
SoTM thanks everyone who has visited the Island and left a review.
Photo: Martin Sanders
Fifty years since the translocation of kākāriki / red-crowned parakeet
To celebrate this milestone, we asked Dick Veitch, who was involved in the translocation, to share his memories of that time.
Visitors to this island haven have now seen kākāriki as they surely were over mainland New Zealand before the arrival of humans and their accompanying pests.
On Te Hauturu-o-Toi / Little Barrier Island, kākāriki survived with cats and kiore as predators. On the Hen and Chicken Islands, they survived with only kiore as a predator. On Macauley Island, they survived with goats and kiore and no trees, but on nearby forested Raoul Island, they were eradicated by a combination of goats, cats, and two rat species. When the goats were eradicated, kākāriki were again present in the forest, but we doubt that they were breeding. When the cats and rats were also removed, kākāriki were again abundant birds in the forest.
Like so many of our birds, kākāriki have two basic needs to overcome when faced with predation and competition: food and nesting. One of their preferred feeding habits is to scavenge for fallen seeds among the leaf litter. In this, they compete with kiore, who also scavenge for seeds. Groundfeeding also makes them susceptible to predation by cats. It seems they can survive both of these threats if there are no goats present to remove the forest understory and most of the leaf litter, thus making it easy for cats to hunt. It also seems that kākāriki can defend their nests against kiore, but not against larger rats.
That readily explains the absence of kākāriki from many islands, but not Tiritiri Matangi, which had only kiore and always had some forest. We presume kākāriki were present but have no proof of this as Tiritiri Matangi, like Cuvier and a few other islands, was not often visited by ornithologists.
By the late 1960s, staff in the Wildlife Service, later to become part of the Department of Conservation, were attempting to actively improve our offshore islands by removing goats, sheep and cats and returning missing bird species. Kākāriki were proposed for re-introduction to Tiritiri Matangi and Cuvier, but there was controversy over the source of birds to release. Some aviculturists, who had stocks of captive kākāriki, wanted their birds to be used. Others in the decision chain stalled, on the grounds that such aviary-bred birds were cross-breeding between red and yellow-crowned species. It was then determined that the kākāriki taken from Hen Island to Mount Bruce Native Bird Reserve was a pure strain and thus suitable for the purpose. In January 1974, a consignment of approximately 30 kākāriki was sent from Mt. Bruce to Auckland, for liberation on Cuvier Island. Chris Smuts-Kennedy, Wildlife Service, duly took them off by road to Whitianga but, when he got there, the boat was not in the harbour and the sea was too rough for others to venture out. The birds were taken to an aviary in Auckland for a few days of rest before being taken by Wally Sander, Chief Ranger, Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park, and Chris to Tiritiri Matangi and released.
As we had hoped, they established themselves on the Island. There was just one problem. A member of the public made an accusation, to the Wildlife Service at least, that the lighthouse keeper on Tiritiri Matangi was catching kākāriki and selling them. We could not establish any truth in this accusation and concluded it may have come from a miffed aviculturist.
Tree planting began on Tiritiri Matangi in 1984, and Mike Graham, with members of the Ornithological Society, started bird counts in 1987. By that time, the kākāriki population was well established and probably growing, as the island environment changed with time and the planting programme.
From 1990 to 1992, kākāriki comprised 4.9% of the birds counted on the ‘forest transects'. Kiore were removed from the Island in 1993. From 1996 to 1998, kākāriki comprised 7.3% of the birds counted on the same transects. This was a 177% increase in the number of kākāriki counted, but it appeared to be less of an increase than the general bird population on the Island. There was a noticeable abundance of korimako/bellbirds and tīeke/saddlebacks at the same time. For all these species, the big benefit was the removal of a food competitor.
I hope that kākāriki and all other birdlife on Tiritiri Matangi continue to be a joy for all to behold for a very long time to come.
Dick Veitch New Zealand ecologist and ornithologist
Photo: Hilda Mikaelsson
Two kākāriki perched on harakeke/flax stalks
John Craig reflects on his involement
The release of kākāriki onto Tiritiri Matangi in 1974 by Dick Veitch was the start of a significant process. The release was published in the Herald and was the reason why I visited the Island and then made it my research base.
Five of those original birds survived, and we supplemented them with two more releases.
Mark Dawe was the graduate student who studied them for his MSc thesis. The third release unfortunately occurred immediately before a major storm that killed a number of birds. We put up nest boxes, but there were so many natural nesting holes on the Island that few were used. All details are in Mark’s thesis. 1
The then Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park Board asked us to investigate a report that the then lighthouse keeper was capturing the kākāriki for sale. We found a bird in a cage at the lighthouse and, after much debate, I did report this. Unsurprisingly, our relationship with that lighthouse keeper was difficult from then on. The subsequent arrival of Ray Walter as the new keeper was such a relief. He was helpful, supportive, honest, and on the side of the plants and animals. As they say, the rest is history.
John Craig
The kākāriki monitoring programme and what we have learned so far
The kākāriki, or ‘little parrot’, was the first species to be translocated to the Island after it was declared a recreation reserve in 1970. Since that time, with their beautiful emeraldgreen plumage, readily recognisable chattering voice, and tolerance of relatively close approach, they have been a constant delight for visitors.
Kākāriki were once probably common throughout New Zealand but, like so many other species, were almost exterminated from the mainland and now only survive on pest-free islands and at other protected sites. They are strong fliers and are willing to fly over open seas. The NZ Birds Online website reports there was an amazing population of 17,000 to 20,000 on 306-hectare Macauley Island in the Kermadecs in September 1988—far denser than our population.
The key issues for kākāriki are the availability of food and safe nest sites. They are cavity nesters using holes in trees or on the ground, and this makes their nests vulnerable to rats and stoats. Kākāriki are omnivores, eating seeds, flowers, fruits, and some invertebrates. On the Island, they are often observed feeding on the tracks, presumably on fallen seed or fruit and trackside vegetation. Flax flowers seem to be a favourite, and, in years of limited flowering, they seem to strip every flowering stem available. Lacking the typical long, slender bill of nectar feeders, they simply take and eat the whole flower. When they do this, there will be no seed produced later in the year, removing what may be an important food source for themselves and other species.
The charts for population estimates (Figures 1 and 2) show that numbers can change dramatically from year to year, for example, almost doubling from 2018 to
2019, then falling back again by 2020. We know that, when conditions are favourable, they can raise large numbers of chicks. They can lay four to ten eggs but will only raise them all to fledging chicks in exceptional years (see Table 1 for results from our nest box study). Over the ten years to 2022/23, the average hatching success was 56.7%, and of those that hatched, the average fledging success was 51.3%. There was one exceptional year, 2018/19, when hatching success was 86.5% and fledging success was 93.4%, and this corresponds to the peak population estimate made in March 2019. We don’t yet know the environmental factors impacting breeding and survival each year.
The parrot family is impacted by beak and feather disease, a viral infection that can cause feather discoloration, weakness, and loss, deformities in beak growth, and suppression of the immune system. This disease has been detected in introduced parrots and kākāriki, including those on Tiritiri Matangi. There is concern that it may spread to other New Zealand native parrots where the severity of impacts is unknown. The Department of Conservation reports that testing on kākā, kea, and kākāpō in many locations has not detected any infections. Researchers from Auckland Zoo discovered the disease in chicks in our nest boxes in some, but not all, years. It was not always fatal.
Table 1 - Records of breeding success in kākāriki nestboxes
Photo: Jonathan Mower
A kākāriki feeding on muehlenbeckia flowers
In some years, we observe birds with moderate to severe feather loss or with yellow feathers instead of the usual green. Bethany Jackson was studying disease in our birds and discovered they are also affected by an uncommon feather mite that burrows into the skin under the feather follicle, resulting in the feather falling out. It appears that birds can grow replacement feathers, but they may be yellow rather than green.
Because of the risks of spreading disease to other parrot species, the Department of Conservation has banned the translocation of parrots from sites with known beak and feather disease to areas where disease status is unknown or is known to be absent.
Translocation and population growth
Our founder kākāriki were transferred from Mount Bruce to the Island over three years: 1974, '75, and ’76. Our records show that 35 birds were moved in 1974, and John Craig reports that only five of those survived. The next additions were 22 and 27 birds.
In 1987, members of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand began the first systematic attempt to monitor the Island’s bird populations by transect and spot counting in April and November each year. Figure 1 (copied from Graham et al., 2013)2 shows a population index for kākāriki for the years up to 2010. The authors point out that the translocations happened before the tree planting and the eradication of kiore. The roughly S-shaped curve through the data points, which was observed for other species as well, suggests a period of slow initial growth, followed by faster growth, and then a flattening period where it is assumed the birds have reached the current carrying capacity of the Island. They found that the population increased to a peak within six years of the kiore eradication. Although kiore were recorded predating tīeke nests, there was no evidence of predation on nesting kākāriki. They point out that kiore and kākāriki have overlapping diets, and, until kiore were removed, competition for food may have limited increases in population after the translocations.
Kākāriki facts
• An endemic species with conservation status At Risk: Relict
• Females begin incubation part way through laying the clutch, so chicks hatch at different times. A nest may have a mix of young chicks and some ready to fledge
• Males are about 10% larger than females and have longer and broader bills
• They are zygodactyl, meaning they have two forward-pointing toes and two backward-pointing toes, giving them both a strong grip and the ability to hold and manipulate food items
• When they were more common, they were a serious crop pest
• In early European days around the Wellington area, they were shot in their hundreds, and the feathers were used to stuff pillows
As shown in Figure 2, the kākāriki population estimated from transect counts through the bush areas of the Island has been in steady decline since the peak of 2019, with the most recent estimate being 266 (95% confidence limits 173 to 360). These figures may not represent the whole Island population, as some birds are found in other habitats, such as the flax areas at the north end. We need to continue careful monitoring of the population and, if possible, discover any management actions that might reverse the decline.
John Stewart
References:
1. Dawe, M. (1979). Behaviour and ecology of the red-crowned parakeet (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae) in relation to management. Master of Science in Zoology, University of Auckland, Auckland.
2. Graham M., Veitch D., Aguilar G., Galbraith M. 2013 Monitoring terrestrial bird populations on Tiritiri Matangi Island, Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand 1987-2010 in New Zealand Journal of Ecology, Special Issue: Tiritiri Matangi – 25 years of ecological restoration. V37, No 3. 359 – 369.
Figure 1 - Kākāriki population index from transect counts (copied from Graham et al., 2013)
Figure 2 - Kākāriki population from recent transect count surveys
Photo: John Sibley
A bird showing feather loss and some yellow replacements
Takahē: a changing of the guard
This year has seen five of the takahē on the Island moved to new homes, and two takahē introduced from Burwood Takahē Centre (Burwood) and the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary. This is to support the Takahē Recovery Programme. This programme involves the Department of Conservation takahē team, Ngāi Tahu and tangata whenua, Fulton Hogan, and communities across New Zealand working together to ensure takahē's survival.
Departures
Of the takahē that have departed the Island, Tussie and Edge have been moved to Wairakei. Both birds have reached retirement age.
Poutiriao has been relocated to a sanctuary site as a future breeder.
Waipuna and Ray have been relocated to Burwood for use at recovery sites.
Arrivals
The two arrivals are Atawhenua (F, GM-GB) and Wakapatu (M, WB-OM).
Atawhenua hatched at Te Anau Bird Sanctuary on October 25, 2022. She was fostered as an egg (from Burwood) by Tara and Mōhio, who raised her to independence. (Mōhio was produced and raised on Tiritiri by Cheesecake and Te Mingi.) She has been paired with Turutu (M, OY-RM) at the northern end of the Island.
Wakapatu hatched on November 5, 2023, at Burwood. His parents are Tumanako and Webber. He has been paired with Anatori (F, GM-OY) at the southern (lighthouse) end of the Island.
How are decisions about moving takahē made?
Philip Marsh is Project Lead, Takahē Sanctuary Sites, for the Department of Conservation. Philip explains why the changes occurred:
All the decisions we make about which takahē go where are done through our takahē studbook.
Each season, we identify the most valuable takahē produced as future breeders for Burwood and sanctuary sites nationally (~6-10 individuals annually), and the remaining takahē are targeted for recovery sites. Decisions are made based on the mean kinship value, which identifies genetically valuable takahē (low mean kinship) versus those with common genetics (high mean kinship).
The mean kinship value measures how related an individual is to all other takahē within the programme. Takahē that are from more common lines have a higher mean kinship value.
Within the sanctuary sites programme, we are attempting to amplify the genetic lines that are less common.
Once these have been identified, we determine who they make the best genetic pairing with. We want to have the genes of the takahē founders more evenly represented in the overall takahē population.
The genetic lines of Atawhenua and Wakapatu are lines that we are keen to amplify on sanctuary sites. Atawhenua was the genetically highest-ranked takahē produced during the 2022-2023 breeding season.
Pre-departure checks
All takahē undertake pre-departure disease screening checks; this tests faecal egg burdens and microbiology (salmonella and yersinia).
Additionally, they are given a predeparture health check and weighed. They receive two vaccinations to prevent erysipelas, a bacterial infection that can kill takahē following transfer. Transmitters are attached if deemed necessary for management at their new location.
Travel takahē-style
Takahē are often transferred around the country via Air New Zealand cargo. They travel in individual transfer boxes and are well looked after along the way.
Compiled by Kathryn Jones, with contributions from Talia Hochwimmer, Margie Luby, and Philip Marsh
Wakapatu, Anatori's new partner
Atawhenua, Turutu's new partner
Photos: Neil Davies
Kōwhai: a spring spectacle on Tiritiri Matangi
Nothing marks the arrival of spring more vividly in New Zealand’s natural landscape than our unofficial national flower, the kōwhai. With their bright yellow flowers, the trees on Tiritiri Matangi are no exception. However, this wasn’t always the case.
Coastal kōwhai (Sophora chathamica) were introduced to Tiritiri Matangi during the 1984–1994 planting programme, using seed sourced from Taranga / Hen Island, Rangitoto Island and Whangaparāoa Peninsula. Before this, kōwhai seed had been observed in the Island’s flotsam lines, but none had managed to self-establish.
Family ties
Kōwhai are legumes and belong to the Sophora genus within the Fabaceae family (legume or pea family), one of the largest plant families in the world. Peas, beans, gorse, broom, wattle and peanuts are cousins, to name a few. The botanical name ‘Sophora ’ derives from an Arabic word meaning 'leguminous tree'.
There are about 45 members of the genus scattered throughout temperate maritime regions of Asia, Australia, the Pacific, and the Americas. Eight are endemic to New Zealand where all are collectively known as kōwhai, the Māori word for yellow.
Six are tree species and two are small bushes. Most have niche habitats, but the small-leaved kōwhai (Sophora microphylla), distinguished by its tangled juvenile stage, and the largeleaved kōwhai (Sophora tetraptera), are perhaps the most common and widely planted of the tree species.
Two exotic species, Chilean pelu (Sophora cassioides) and Lord Howe kōwhai (Sophora howinsula) are also well established in New Zealand. There is concern hybridisation could pollute kōwhai’s endemic gene pools and incorrect identification of nursery stock could see these exotic species mistakenly planted. The species on Tiritiri Matangi, sophora chathamica, naturally grows in coastal forests, often on cliffs and estuarine fringes, north of Thames and Kawhia. It is very common around Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf where it can form into an upright spreading tree 15-20m tall.
Pockets are also found at known historic Māori settlements and pā sites near Wellington, north-west Nelson, and on the Chatham Islands. These populations are thought to have been transported there by Waikato and Taranaki iwi during southern migrations.
The legume family
Legumes are an important plant group that have the unique ability to take nitrogen from the air and convert it into a usable form for themselves via a symbiotic relationship with a species of soil bacteria called rhizobia.
These organisms recognise and invade the root hairs of their host plants, resulting in the production of root nodules where a complex biosynthetic exchange occurs – usable nitrogen for the plants, and carbohydrates for the bacteria (via photosynthesis).
When legumes shed leaves (some are deciduous), or parts of the plant decay, nitrogen is returned to the soil, aiding soil fertility and the health of neighbouring plants. For this reason, successful ecosystem restoration usually relies on the inclusion of legumes within its mix.
Legumes are also often used in agriculture as a ‘rotation crop’ where they are ploughed back into the soil to replenish fertility between main crop production. Alfalfa and lupins are prime examples.
Unlike their edible relatives, most parts of a kōwhai plant are poisonous, including the seed.
A hanging cluster of kōwhai flowers
New and prior-year seed pods
Photo: Anne Thornton
Kōwhai flowers and seeds
Kōwhai produce large, hanging clusters of golden-yellow flowers throughout New Zealand between July and November, providing a welcome feast for the nation’s nectar-feeding birds, particularly tūī, korimako/bellbirds and kākā. In turn, along with insects, they aid in the process of pollination.
As with all legumes, kōwhai produce ‘fruit’ in the form of a pod that encases a row of seeds. Kōwhai pods initially look like fine green filaments drooping from the site of the spent flowers. Then they mature into brown 50-180ml long pods, holding up to 12 small, yellow, oblong seeds in individual cells.
Kōwhai seed has an incredibly hard outer coating. It largely relies on tumbling through water and over rocks to scarify or crack the surface to assist germination. The abrasive nature and movement within soil also facilitates this process. If propagating, a small shallow nick with a knife, or a scrape with sandpaper, is necessary before sowing seed.
Seed can also float long distances and remain viable for many years. Due to this, research continues into the origins of some Sophora species around the South Pacific. At present, it’s thought by some botanists that ocean currents have taken seeds away from New Zealand, rather than delivered them here.
The Island’s spectacle
Kōwhai flowering usually begins in late August to early September on Tiritiri Matangi. The specimens at the intersection of Ridge Road and the Wattle Track usually put on a good show and are easy to view.
While you’re there, see if you can see the kererū / New Zealand pigeon who frequent these trees for their protein-rich leaf shoots.
Tūī, korimako/bellbirds, hihi/stitchbirds, and tīeke/saddlebacks will likely be there too.
Enjoy the spectacle.
Natalie Spyksma
Leguminous kōwhai foliage
Yellow kōwhai seed being scarified in the soil
Kōwhai in full bloom on Tiritiri Matangi
A kererū feeding on kōwhai foliage
A tūī, its face dusted with pollen, drinks nectar from a kōwhai flower
Photo: Tony Petricevich
Photos: Natalie Spyksma (left) and Miriam Godfrey (right)
Photos: Natalie Spyksma
Photography competition 2024 results
It was another difficult year for the judge, with many beautiful submissions. The results, with the judge's comments on the winning entries in italics, are listed below. Congratulations to all.
Fauna
First: Aaron Skelton, Tūī feeding on harakeke
This is such a classic tūī image. I kept coming back to it, no matter how many times I looked at the images. I love the background, which is lovely and soft, yet it is easy to see there are large flax bushes about. The pollen on the tūī’s head tells of a lot of time spent with the flax flowers. Looking at the tūī itself, the feather details and colours are beautiful. The composition is also appealing, with the diagonal line of the flax flower stalk and the tūī leaning off to the other side, almost making a cross. Congratulations on a stunning image.
Second: Geoff Beals, Kōkako feeding on māhoe
Third: Dannie Cullen, Pīwakawaka
Highly Commended: Noel Herman, Wētāpunga
People
First: Martin Sanders, Exploring
This is a standout image for me. It has great composition and is beautifully framed by the trees and bush. The track sign visible to the right gives a clear
indication of it being a special place, and the family is wandering off to explore the Island. I like how the light illuminates the track where the people are walking and the leading line of the path through the bush. Great story, great image. Congratulations.
Second: Janet Ng, Happy kids at the end of the walk
Third: Kay Milton, Feather sampling Highly Commended: Jane Breen, Looking at ruru
Highly commended: Klara Rider, Wētā house
Landscape/Seascape
First: Tim Ashby-Peckham, Lighthouse and Milky Way core
I love this image! I like how the trees are silhouetted at the bottom of the image, but with the lighthouse standing tall, it is very easy to identify where this is. The night sky is just awesome, and it is a view that many people would never get a chance to see.
Second: Pam Stephen, Sunrise from the lighthouse
Third: Neil Davies, Ferry departing Island
Flora
First: Carol Bates, Bisexual flower of mānuka
This image draws me straight to the centre of each flower, with its amazing detail. I have mānuka in my garden, and I have never seen that detail in the tiny flowers. I like how the dark background removes any distractions from the flower, which is the focal point of the image. I love it; congratulations!
Second: Noel Herman, Pōhutukawa, Pōhutukawa Cove
Third: Martin Sanders, Puawānanga Under 16-years-old
First: Lucy Dean, Mātātā (front cover)
This is just stunning. The details in the eye and feathers are amazing. The stick that the bird is standing on couldn’t have been better. The bird is nicely separated from the background, which is nicely softened, allowing the fernbird to be the primary focus of the image. Congratulations on a great image.
Second: Sophie Jager, Tūī feeder
Third: Kate Butler, Morepork chicks, and mum
TIM ASHBY-PECKHAM, Lighthouse and Milky Way core
GEOFF BEALS, Kōkako feeding on māhoe
CAROL BATES, Bisexual flower of mānuka
JANET NG, Happy kids at the end of the walk
MARTIN SANDERS, Exploring
AARON SKELTON, Tūī feeding on harakeke
Raising funds for SoTM's work on Tiritiri Matangi
Following Juliet Hawkeswood's stepping down as fundraiser last year, SoTM is happy to announce that we have appointed two contract fundraisers to take over the important task of finding funding for our projects on Tiritiri Matangi.
SoTM relies on external funding for the majority of the project work we undertake. From infrastructure to biodiversity, education, and communications, successful fund-raising impacts the projects we can progress. Louise Delamare and Dr. Rashi Parker are working closely with our subcommittees to identify and apply for grants to keep the Supporters' work moving.
Louise Delamare
After seeing how much her children loved being immersed in nature during a trip to Tiritiri, Louise jumped at the chance to become involved.
An environmental lawyer and consultant, she is currently undertaking a master’s degree in environmental planning. She loves the outdoors and sees the benefits of a conservation sanctuary close to Auckland.
Dr. Rashi Parker
Rashi is excited to have joined the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi fundraising team. She loves the Island's magic and the thrill of catching a glimpse of taonga kōkako during the dawn chorus. Rashi brings experience from academic and charitable fundraising to her mahi with SoTM.
PAM STEPHEN, Sunrise from the lighthouse
NOEL HERMAN, Pōhutukawa, Pōhutukawa Cove
MARTIN SANDERS, Puawānanga
History in a stamp
Anne Rimmer, the author of Tiritiri Matangi – A Model of Conservation, loves adding to her knowledge of the Island’s history. A New Zealand stamp recently sent her on a quest to discover more. In this article, Anne tells the story of the intriguing puzzle posed by a photo on a stamp.
It’s probably been a long time since you stuck a stamp on an envelope and posted it, yet philately, the study and collecting of postage stamps, is apparently having a comeback. Ray Walter had a stamp collection, and it was Ray’s daughterin-law, Amber Murray, who came across this intriguing stamp, which is listed on several stamp websites. It is part of a set issued to commemorate the 2022 centenary of the Correspondence School / Te Kura.
Since its inception in 1922, the Correspondence School has educated those lighthouse children who had no access to a local school. The lessons arrived and were returned by mail, which came on the lighthouse supply boat. Lynda Walter and her younger brothers, when living on Mokohinau and Tiritiri, were some of the last lighthouse children to benefit from this excellent education (See Tiritiri Matangi – A Model of Conservation, p.44.)
On the stamp photo, the children posing with a teacher on Tiritiri are the older children of Frank and Rae Roe: Andrew, Janet and Jonathan. They’ve been tidied up for the occasion: their hair is combed, Janet wears a necklace, and the boys even wear shoes. A second photo, donated to the Tiritiri archives by their father, shows the family in a more relaxed mode. Frank Roe, a Master Mariner and WWII veteran, was the principal keeper on Tiritiri from 1970 to 1974. He died in 2012.
But I knew I'd seen this stamp photo before, though it took me some time to find it. Firstly, there is a slightly different version on the website of Te Kura: https://www.tekura. school.nz/te-kura-centenary/ and that same photograph was also part of a display supplied by Jim Foye of Maritime New Zealand for the Tiritiri lighthouse’s open day in 2014. These important photos are now available online: https://www. maritimenz.govt.nz/media/niipz2vf/tiritiri-matangi-photogallery.pdf
Finally, I found former keepers Kerry and Dawn Bramley via Facebook and was delighted when Dawn could identify the children on the stamp and remember this teacher coming out to the Island in 1973. Kerry Bramley was the assistant lighthouse keeper on Tiritiri from 1972 to 1973 under Frank Roe. The couple had two small children at the time.
Kerry’s name was missing from our list of Tiritiri lighthouse keepers, but will now be added.
Roe family picnic c. 1973
Jim Foye's photo display on the side of the lighthouse during the 2014 open day
Photo: Anne Rimmer
Photo: Frank Roe, Tiritiri archives
Zostera muelleri / Seagrass: meadows beneath the waves
The natural world is full of surprises, and perhaps one of the biggest is that some species of flowering plants (angiosperms) can live permanently submerged beneath salty seas. In this, and issues of Dawn Chorus to follow, John Sibley explains some of the problems they face, and the benefits they bring to Tiritiri Matangi's ecology.
Approximately 60 species of Zostera are found around the world’s oceans. They belong to four families, all within one order of flowering plants – the Alismatales. This order of 4,500 species includes many freshwater aquatic plants and unexpected members like the arum lilies.
New Zealand’s only seagrass species, Zostera muelleri, is confined to shallow, sandy, and sheltered coastal waters off Aotearoa and parts of southern Australia. It is a small, grasslike plant with rarely seen inconspicuous flowers. Although most New Zealand seagrass beds are intertidal, on Tiritiri it grows mainly in the sublittoral zone below all but the lowest spring tides. It is presently found on the relatively sheltered western side of the Island, in an area roughly bounded by the wharf in the south and Hobbs Beach in the north. It extends out almost as far as the outer reef of rocks offshore.
Most studies up until 2010 reported that Zostera seagrass beds around the country were in decline, probably due to human activity.
Zostera muelleri - the food of the piper garfish swimming above
Aerial photographs taken in 2008 showed Zostera to be absent from the Island, but shortly after this it appeared growing in a small patch of muddy sand near the bottom of the Cable Road.
From 2011 onwards, the area of Zostera muelleri increased dramatically, with small beds of the plant popping up all over Hobbs Beach and as far south as the wharf. This rapid increase in growth is probably due to rising winter sea temperatures together with ever-increasing amounts of nitrate and phosphate nutrients released into the Hauraki Gulf from Auckland’s sewage treatment plants. The Zostera beds off Okoromai Bay on the Whangaparāoa Peninsula and all around the Gulf also seem to be undergoing rapid growth. Using historic Google Earth photographs dating back to 2011, the map (left) was drawn, showing small seagrass beds in 2011 (in green) expanding to their present-day extent (yellow). All areas were inspected closely while snorkelling to identify the species growing there. The severe storms of the summer of 2023 eroded them somewhat, but they appear to be recovering well. The next revision to the growth map will be done in 2025.
The root system of Zostera is tough and resistant to damage by wave action. If you thought kikuyu grass was tough to uproot, try Zostera! Sub-surface runners (rhizomes) extend the growing tips forward as they invade more territory.
The oxygenating ability of Zostera and its extensive root system radically transforms the surrounding marine sediment environment, benefiting the sea life there and contributing greatly to the extraordinary biodiversity of seagrass beds. Around a quarter of the 115 species in the Zostera beds are found on or in the sand.
The flowers of Zostera are reduced, inconspicuous, and easily missed. The story of how they function and are pollinated underwater is fascinating. It will be explored in a future issue.
Seed production is often episodic or rare in Aotearoa, and vegetative reproduction by rhizomes predominates. Over the past three years, I have never observed flowers on the Zostera muelleri plants off Tiritiri Matangi.
Far from being an invasive pest, thriving seagrass beds enhance the overall biodiversity of the marine environment. It has been shown that seagrass ecosystems and tropical rainforests support a similar amount of biodiversity.
The 115 different species of plants, invertebrates, and fish that have been identified so far as thriving in or around the Island’s Zostera beds are sure to be a gross underestimate. At low spring tides, oystercatchers can often be seen feeding on the rich bounty of worms and other invertebrates found there. More bird species are sure to follow as the seagrass meadows expand further.
The ability of seagrass to capture and bury atmospheric ‘blue’ carbon is unparalleled. Around 80-90% of the Zostera plants’ biomass is found below the sand as rhizomes, roots, and dead leaves. As sediment builds up, this carbon-rich material becomes deeply buried and ‘locked away’, effectively taking it out of the carbon cycle and acting as an important ‘carbon sink’.
Even though Zostera is an extremely tough plant, humans can damage it, especially when people tramp through the meadows to launch boats. Boat anchors and their chains can tear holes in the Zostera ‘turf’, allowing wave action to undercut it and cause serious ‘blowouts’. A slime mould called Labyrinthula attacks Zostera plants and weakens them, rendering them less able to withstand damage.
It is intriguing to think that the very same environmental changes that have allowed the exotic Caulerpa weed to devastate some areas of the Hauraki Gulf have possibly aided the recovery of our native seagrass, with all its environmental benefits.
New satellite images this year have revealed that our seagrass beds are still expanding and currently covering more than 1,000 m2 in the Hobbs Beach area alone.
Space limitations in this issue have meant that I have only been able to briefly touch on some of the fascinating aspects of the biology of Zostera muelleri.
I am looking forward to exploring further aspects soon.
Boats being pulled across the seagrass beds in ankle-deep water
The creeping rhizome and anchoring root system of Zostera
A Zostera flower © Susannah Anderson – used with permission
SoTM Annual General Meeting
Monday 16 September 2024
7.30pm at the offices of MinterEllisonRuddWatts – Level 22, PWC Tower, 15 Customs Street West, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010
A quorum of 30 voting members is required, so we encourage members to attend the meeting. However, for those unable to attend, but who wish to observe the meeting, a Zoom Link will be available on the website from 9 September 2024.
AGENDA
1. Apologies
2. Minutes of the 2023 AGM (posted on the website)
3. Matters arising from the 2023 AGM
4. Chairperson’s annual report (Ian Alexander)
5. Treasurer’s report and financial statements (Peter LeeGrey)
6. The setting of annual subscriptions for 2024/2025
Motion:
7. Motion for proposed changes to the Society’s Rules
8. Determination of the number of ordinary committee members to be elected
9. Election of officers
10. Election of committee
11. Notices
12. General notified business
That rule two (The objects of the Society) sub-paragraphs (a) to (c) are revoked and replaced by the following:
a) To conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the open sanctuary at Tiritiri Matangi and surrounding waters
b) To conduct and support research at, or for the potential benefit of, Tiritiri Matangi open sanctuary and surrounding waters
c) To provide financial, material and physical support for the work at Tiritiri Matangi open sanctuary and surrounding waters
Guest Speaker: Following the AGM, Stephanie de Groot, Partner, MinterEllisonRuddWatts (MERW), our major sponsor, will talk about MERW's environmental vision and their developing relationship with SoTM.
Refreshments will be served at the end of the meeting.
A Member may exercise a proxy vote through another Member, or the Chairperson, and, in either case, such proxies in writing must be in the hands of the Secretary not less than 24 hours before the time of commencement of the meeting.
A Member may notify the Secretary of matters they wish to be raised in general business. Such notification must be provided in writing no less than five days before the time of commencement of the meeting.
For Zoom details visit: https://www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/news/agm/
Access to MERW offices:
The entrance to the building is on the corner of Customs Street West and Lower Albert Street. The Downtown car park is the closest car park to the office. https://at.govt.nz/driving-parking/parking-in-auckland/downtown-car-park/
Alternatively, there are several public transport options:
– Waitemata/Britomart station is located directly across from the office.
– The Northern Express bus terminates on lower Albert Street, directly beside the office.
– The ferry terminal is a two-minute walk from the office.
Nominations for SoTM's committee:
Officers:
Chairperson – Ian Alexander
I was elected as chairperson at the 2023 AGM and have led the organisation over the past year. I have enjoyed the challenge of being involved in all facets of the governance of this wonderful island conservation project. My SoTM involvement over the last 26 years has included being a regular weekly guide for 14 years, volunteering for various biodiversity projects, and being an advocate for the Island through community presentations. I have experience in the governance of many community organisations at the local, regional, and national levels, as well as senior management at the CEO level in local authorities and public companies. I am willing to provide the governance leadership this role requires for a further term.
Secretary – Valerie (Val) Lee
I have just completed my first year as Secretary of SoTM and would be very happy to continue in this role for the coming year if re-elected.
The role and challenges for the committee are constantly evolving, and I am very keen to continue to be involved in that work and to give as much as I can back to our beautiful island. I became a member in the early 1990s, with our first visit being as part of a tree-planting team. I was hooked from that point and have continued to be actively involved ever since, including participating in working weekends and as a member of the kōkako monitoring team.
Treasurer – Peter Lee-Grey
As Treasurer, I have been able to bring my financial management skills to the fore. I’m a regular guide and working weekender. I’ve been involved with the Supporters for over 30 years, including two terms as Chairperson, and my passion for this remarkable project remains undimmed. As well as the financial side, I’m committed to sustainability, and want to work towards us becoming more sustainable.
Committee Members:
Hester Cooper
It feels like we have come out from under a cloud as we put the pandemic behind us and the Island slowly recovers from the 2023 weather events. I love my work with biodiversity volunteers and look forward to including new members in projects we plan for the Island.
The value of the long-term monitoring projects we do cannot be overstated. Most academic projects are short-term. Our projects stretch back over decades, allowing us and others working in conservation to understand how the Island and its inhabitants change over time.
With changes to the laws that govern our society, more challenges remain for the committee, but there are also exciting opportunities. If SoTM is to grow and prosper, we need to accept change and look for new ways we can support the work on Tiritiri Matangi. I look forward to helping the society in new and exciting ways.
Rachel Goddard
I first came to Tiritiri Matangi with my two young children and husband Greg in 2008 and fell in love with the Island and the ethos behind the Supporters’ activities.
I have been volunteering on Tiritiri Matangi for nine years, managing the health and safety records since 2019 and IT since 2023, as well as taking part in biodiversity surveys.
I have been on the committee since 2021. I am excited about the future of the Island as a scientific and nature reserve and would like to continue to play an active role by contributing as a committee member.
Carl Hayson
As immediate past Chairperson, I feel I still have valuable knowledge to share with the committee and look forward to driving infrastructure and historic projects that will enhance the important work the Supporters are undertaking on the Motu.
Janet Petricevich
A day trip with family first introduced me to the Island and its magic drew Tony and me back with our cameras. Soon after, we joined SoTM, started guiding and participating in working weekends. Eventually, we became involved in biodiversity work. We take part in the annual kiwi and rifleman surveys, and I am a member of the kōkako monitoring team. I am a standing member of the committee and have been co-editor of Dawn Chorus for the last year. In my professional life, I am a finance business partner for an international wine company. I wish to continue employing my professional skills to give back to this magical place by serving on SoTM's committee.
The committee would like to acknowledge and thank Michael Watson for his time on the committee.
Tiritiri Matangi Kids,
by Stacey
Over a hundred years ago, takahē were thought to be extinct, but hunters and workers on the Milford Road reported seeing them after this time. In 1948, Dr. Geoffrey Orbell found populations in the South Island's Murchison Mountains. There are currently four takahē on Tiritiri Matangi and around 500 nationwide. Enjoy the takahē facts and match the bands with their takahē on the Island.
In 1991, two male takahē called Mr. Blue and Stormy were moved from Maud Island to Tiritiri Matangi. After Ray and Barbara Walter, the first Island Rangers, noticed their nest-building efforts, an egg was brought, also from Maud Island. Mr. Blue and Stormy successfully hatched and raised a chick, Matangi.
We have different traits (genes) that make us special, like curly hair. Animals and plants have traits too. Tiritiri Matangi is part of the programme that moves takahē between sites to ensure that the takahē traits are different. Each takahē has special traits, like some might be really good at finding food, while others might be extra good at taking care of their babies. When they have babies together, those babies can inherit the best traits from both parents. This helps the whole takahē family stay healthy and strong.
Takahē pairs will stay together throughout the year, although they do not always pair for life. Takahē are more protective over their area in the breeding season, which is from October to January. A female takahē can lay one to three eggs a year. After the eggs are laid the parents will sit on the eggs to keep them warm for 30 days. The warmth helps the egg to develop inside.
Takahē chicks have a tough time when they're first born due to other animals wanting to hunt them for food, or they might get sick. Because of these challenges, not all chicks make it through their first few months, and because of this the chicks are not counted in the national population until they are one year old. The chicks stay with their parents for one to two years to help look after and support the next season's chick.
Takahē weigh up to 3.8kgs. They can live for 16-18 years in the wild and 20-22 years in a sanctuary. In the South Island, takahē eat starchy leaf bases of tussock, which is low in nutrients so they need to eat continously. Takahē poo up to nine metres a day. On the Island, the takahē diet is supplemented with specially developed pellets.
Why do we band manu/birds?
It can be tricky to identify manu of the same species. For example, if you were sitting at the sugar feeder on the Island and you saw five hihi visit on Monday, five on Tuesday, and another 10 on Wednesday, how many different hihi visited the sugar feeder in those three days? It could be anywhere between one and 20. Bands allow researchers to identify the manu and observe their behaviour, breeding activities, and movements. Bands are permanent, so they are only used when necessary. Each manu has its own unique four-colour band combination, including a numbered metal band.
Current takahē bands
Here is the list of the current takahē and their bands. To read the bands, start with the left leg first, top down.
Northern end of the Island: Lighthouse pair:
Atawhenua (F) GM - GB
Wakapatu (M) WB-OM
Turutu (M) OY-RM Anatori (F) GM-OY
(G = green, O = orange, Y = yellow, R = red, W = white, B= blue, M = metal)
Photos: Jonathan Mower
Answers: Takahē 1, Atawhenua. Takahē 2, Wakapatu. Takahē 3,Anatori. Takahē 4, Turutu.
Using the table of takahē bands to the left, match the takahē with their names.
Takahē 1 Takah
Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi
The Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi (SoTM) is a volunteer Incorporated Society that works closely with the Department of Conservation to make the most of the wonderful conservation-restoration project that is Tiritiri Matangi. Every year volunteers put thousands of hours into the project and raise funds through donations, guiding and our island-based gift shop.
If you'd like to share in this exciting project, membership is just $30 for a single adult or family; $35 if you are overseas; and $15 for children or students. Dawn Chorus, our magazine, is sent out to members every quarter. See www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz or contact PO Box 90-814 Victoria St West, Auckland.
SoTM Contacts:
Chairperson: Ian Alexander chairperson@tiritirimatangi.org.nz
Secretary: Val Lee secretary@tiritirimatangi.org.nz
Treasurer: Peter Lee-Grey treasurer@tiritirimatangi.org.nz
Committee: Hester Cooper, Rachel Goddard, Carl Hayson, Janet Petricevich, Michael Watson
Operations Manager: Debbie Marshall opsmanager@tiritirimatangi.org.nz
Guiding and Volunteer Manager: Gail Reichert guidemanager@tiritirimatangi.org.nz, 09 476 0010
Retail Manager: Ashlea Lawson retail@tiritirimatangi.org.nz
Membership: Rose Coveny membership@tiritirimatangi.org.nz
Educator: Sara Dean
Assistant Educator: Liz Maire educator@tiritirimatangi.org.nz
Fundraisers: Rashi Parker and Louise Delamare fundraiser@tiritirimatangi.org.nz
Social Media: Stacey Balich socialmedia@tiritirimatangi.org.nz
Dawn Chorus co-editors: Janet Petricevich and Stacey Balich editor@tiritirimatangi.org.nz
Island Rangers: Talia Hochwimmer and Keith Townsend tiritirimatangi@doc.govt.nz, 027 536 1067
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Annual General Meeting
7:30pm Monday 16th September
Refer page 16 for details
Working Weekend
Labour Weekend - 26th October
All enquiries to the Guiding and Volunteer Manager. Please see the website for more details.
Supporters' Weekends:
7th September and 5th October
These weekends are led by guides who show off the Island's special places. All enquiries to the Guiding and Volunteer Manager.
Tiritiri Matangi Talks
Monday 2nd December
7:30pm at Unitec, Building 115, Mount Albert
Dawn Chorus Walk Saturday 28th September
Please visit the Explore website for ferry tickets.
Photography Walks
Dates to be confirmed, please check the website for updates
Visiting Tiritiri Matangi Island for education or recreation
Day trips:
Weather permitting, Explore runs a return ferry service from Wednesday to Sunday from Auckland Viaduct and the Gulf Harbour Marina. Bookings are essential.
Phone 0800 397 567 or visit the Explore website: www.exploregroup.co.nz/
Overnight visits:
Camping is not permitted and there is limited bunkhouse accommodation. Bookings are essential. For further information: www.doc.govt.nz/tiritiribunkhouse
School Education Programme
We offer a full-day learning experience in a pest-free environment for years 1 to 13. Tamariki and rangatahi can get up close to endangered taonga species where they learn about community conservation and how people can work together to provide protected habitat. This then inspires students to take action in their own neighbourhoods.
Our educators offer a range of education experiences on the Island, which are closely tied to the NZ curriculum. At the senior biology level, there is support material available for a number of NCEA achievement standards. Tertiary students have the opportunity to learn about the history of the Island and tools of conservation as well as to familiarise themselves with population genetics, evolution and speciation.
Subsidies are available for schools with an EQI 430 or more via our Growing Minds programme. Information on the education programme is at: https://www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/education-programmes/ Bookings are essential.
Now Available!
2025 Tiritiri Matangi Calendar: $20
Even if you can’t visit in person, you can still encounter the special species of the sanctuary through the beautiful photographs in our calendar, wherever you are!
A meaningful addition to your home or office or a great gift for someone else - we can even post it for you!
By purchasing our calendar, you directly support the conservation and education programmes on Tiritiri Matangi Island.
Purchase your calendar today.
Available in the shop on the Island, but if you aren’t planning a visit, you can order online or get in touch via phone or email. Our retail team is always happy to help.
www.tiritirimatangiisland.org.nz/shop retail@tiritirimatangi.org.nz 09 476 0010
Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi wishes to acknowledge the generous support of its sponsors
Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi welcomes all types of donations, including bequests, which are used to further our work on the Island. If you are considering making a bequest and would like to find out more, please contact secretary@tiritirimatangi.org.nz