Dawn Chorus Bulletin 134 August 2023

The last one from Carl

So much has been happening in the last three months, it’s hard to know where to begin. At the March Social a tremendous informative talk was given by Malcolm de Raat and Roger Wallace on the reptile status and the tuatara survey and this talk was enjoyed by all.

A new retail manager has been employed, Ashlea Lawson. One of Ashlea’s first tasks, after familiarising herself with the volunteer staff and shop products, is to implement a computerised point of sale system, Lightspeed, which will give us better control of the stock, costs, and an improved online shop capability. This is an exciting project and, lucky for us, Ashlea has worked with this system before. Thanks also to Chris Thompson for her input into this.

The old internet connection to the shop failed again for the last time and, after limping along with a mobile phone hotspot, Rachel Goddard and Rob Gouldstone have connected us to the Starlink Satellite system. This will give us better connectivity and reliability well into the future.

It will have been observed that the groundworks have been done for the Signal Mast installation, with the four stays and concrete plinth now in place. The mast itself is nearly ready at the factory and should be on site in three weeks.

Filling the volunteer guiding manager position has been harder than we imagined, and the role is still vacant. In the interim, Debbie Marshall has been doing extra hours to cover this, along with volunteers who are training to fill in as required. So far this is working well. As mentioned in this bulletin, Barbara Hughes is retiring as Educator and her role will be filled soon. Thanks to Liz Maire and Robyn Davies for helping us through the transition. Our editor role is also still vacant but many thanks to Janet and Stacey for undertaking this edition.

This is my final Chairchat and I wish to thank the committee, volunteers, staff and members who have given me tremendous assistance over the last four years in this role. I couldn’t have done this without you.

Meet Tiritiri’s new Retail Manager – Ashlea Lawson

A big welcome to Ashlea, who has started working with our team as Retail Manager.

She has extensive background in retail and will be an asset to our growing team. She will be in the shop one day a week.

Ashlea has already been hard at work upgrading the shop point of sale system. The new system will provide many advantages, one of which is being able to operate offline, for when the Island connection to the internet glitches. It also tracks inventory, which will facilitate an improved online shop, the second project Ashlea is working on.

Ashlea says “Check out our updated online shop over the coming months. We will have all your Island favourites available for you to peruse and purchase

from wherever you are in Aotearoa or the world. In the lead up to Christmas we will be well stocked with goodies, so put us on your shopping lists. With all proceeds from shop sales going towards SoTM's work, you are also giving a gift to the Island and its wildlife”.

Tiritiri welcomes new DOC Ranger – Keith Townsend

Since the departure of Emma Dunning in February, Tiritiri has been staffed by one permanent ranger and a series of relief rangers. Some of the relief rangers have been familiar faces to Tiritiri regulars and the Island’s newest permanent ranger will be a familiar face to many, too. Keith Townsend joins the Tiritiri DOC team on August 16th, but he is certainly no stranger to the Island. Keith has been acting as a relief ranger on the Island over the last year, so he’ll be able to ‘hit the ground running’ when he returns from an overseas trip to take up his new role.

New DOC Ranger Keith Townsend is already a familiar face on Tiritiri Cover photo: Tony Petricevich

Corporate partner for Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi

We are excited to welcome a corporate partnership between the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi (SoTM) and the leading law firm, MinterEllisonRuddWatts (MERW). The Supporters have long considered how to develop a partnership with a corporate body, and this is the first opportunity we have ever had to undertake this. SoTM is privileged to be added to a community investment programme run by MERW, a programme which may include legal advice, volunteering and possibly access to other avenues for funding or developing major projects which are currently not open to us. A comment in the media release by MERW points to the level of commitment MERW has for Tiritiri “The work and ethos of the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi aligns closely with our firm’s values and our broader sustainability strategy.”

Our fundraiser initially approached their Operations Director and gave a presentation that initiated further discussions and presentations. A day out on the Island in May with several key personnel from MERW was very successful, not least because it was a rare fine sunny day. A community agreement has now been signed between the two organisations and MERW has joined SoTM as a corporate member. Volunteer days for staff

King’s Birthday Working Weekend

On Saturday 3rd June a keen team of sixteen volunteers boarded the Explore ferry to make their way across the sea to Tiritiri Matangi. After settling into the bunkhouse, some bird watching, lunch and a health and safety briefing from DOC Ranger Talia, the volunteers were assigned to working groups. Armed with shovels, shears, secateurs, hedge trimmers and wheelbarrows, they tackled the long overdue maintenance on the upper Wattle Track.

are being planned and the first day incorporating volunteers occurred on 5th July with a beach cleanup.

We look forward to working with and encouraging the volunteers and the rest of the team from MERW.

Carl Hayson – Chairperson SoTM

MERW staff (from left) Greg Star, Rachel Saunders, Jordan Cole, Stephanie De Groot, and Christine Brotherton in the Visitor Center courtyard with SoTM’s Peter Lee, Debbie Marshall, and Carl Hayson.

SoTM volunteers left to right: Christopher, Heather, Katie and Ash

SoTM volunteers left to right: Bethny, Christopher, Shamyi, Heather, Scott and Katie

SoTM volunteers left to right: Michael, Heather and Mike

Photo credit: Talia Hochwimmer and Karin Gouldstone

Photo credit: John Sibley

Educator steps down

On 21st July, Tiritiri Matangi lead educator Barbara (Barb) Hughes hung up her hat, put down her finger puppets and, after ten years of educating young (and not so young) minds on the Island, stepped down from the role.

“Watching Barbara with the students who visited Tiritiri was like watching an intricate flower open. She was able to gauge the students’ level of interest and needs and in just the right way take them on a journey of discovery with her.

When the ferry left at 3:30 and the Island was quiet, a quick (and sometimes not so quick) leap off the wharf and a bush walk would put the world back in perspective and she was ready for the next challenge of learning journeys. Always fun and up for a challenge, it was a real privilege to work with her on the Island.”

Mary-Ann Rowland

“Barb has made a huge input to the education programme over the years – and therefore left a legacy with so many students benefiting from their

Tiritiri Matangi experience. Through her influence there are many young kaitiaki out there caring for the world around them. Along the way Barb has guided the programme over many hurdles and helped to keep things going. I will really miss her dedication and wonderful passion for the environment. But I’m sure she’ll be back to enjoy the volunteer experience!” Liz Maire, Educator

“More than ten years ago I began volunteering on Tiritiri Matangi and, on my first day training to be a guide, I met Barbara. She had just started in her role as Educator and was brimming with enthusiasm for what she was doing, where she was and her mission. It didn't matter their age, the students could be young primary or about to graduate high school, Barbara had the knack required to engage them all! After guiding, I'd stay with the school groups, up at the Visitor Centre, and watch her in action; I began to believe she had the best job I'd ever seen! She gave the warmest welcomes and, as a teacher, had a natural way of

speaking to young people. Her genuine approach, passion, knowledge and kindness made everyone smile. She would constantly be working on her Te Reo Māori pronunciation, keeping up to date with the latest research, sharing this with not just the kids but the guides and everyone who was curious. I'm now the Environmental Educator at Manurewa Intermediate and run the largest club in the school with more than 60 students, which I've dubbed the Nature Club. Being a teacher isn't always as fun as she made it look, but now I am in the profession I have a new-found respect for Barbara. Being a teacher is challenging, let alone the fact that Barabara's classroom has been an island. I took the Nature Club to Tiritiri Matangi on the 28th of June this year and I asked Barbara to talk to the kids. Watching her then you wouldn't have known more than a decade had gone by. Her enthusiasm, commitment to her mission and her knack were unwavering. Thank you Barbara, you have made an impact on our place

Liz and Barbara enjoying time on the Island

and our people and have inspired our tamariki to make their own impact. Ngā mihi nui.”

Michael Watson

“With the impending retirement of Barbara Hughes, I wish to say on behalf of myself and the Committee a big thank you for all the excellent effort Barbara has made over the last 10 years in the role as Educator. She has worked very hard and diligently over this time to deliver a professional teaching service to thousands of students and, as a result, the education programme is now very well respected and well established. Barbara has also worked with the school volunteer guides and contributed to the Education Advisory Group. We wish Barbara a very happy well-earned retirement from her role on Tiritiri and we hope to see her again on the Island in the future.”

Carl Hayson – Chairperson SoTM

“In July we said haere rā to Barbara Hughes, our senior educator, after a sterling decade at the helm. Barb has designed and overseen our

internationally acclaimed educational programme utilising the stunning natural assets of Tiritiri Matangi, its research programmes and her long experience as a secondary school science teacher, to develop a world-leading programme for schools visiting the sanctuary.

Combined with her dedication to natural conservation and her enthusiasm for cultural conservation and kaupapa māori, we now have a bicultural programme in keeping with current curriculum requirements. Waiata and karakia are now common events when schools arrive and leave the motu, and guides are being schooled in the pronunciation of te reo māori and encouraged to use Maori names for manu and ngahere.

The Growing Minds programme, where SoTM subsidises the ferry costs for low decile schools who would otherwise not be able to afford the costs of a visit, has continued under Barb’s watch, and is a blueprint for other sanctuaries to follow. Her increasing workload over time has seen Liz Maire come on board

as a contract educator to help with primary schools, and Robyn Davies to take over much of the time-consuming administration, allowing Barb to develop new and important units for senior secondary school pupils. This all leaves us in very good heart regarding the future of our educational aspirations.

We have been fortunate indeed to have Barb to head our educational programme and create the taonga it has become. Her mahi, enthusiasm and passion have been infectious and have undoubtedly inspired many pupils to look at careers in conservation and natural history. We wish her all the very best for the future and hope to see her back on the motu one day as a volunteer.

Barbara doing what she does best

Thanks Barb. Mā te wā.” Barry Fraser

Tiritiri Matangi guest volunteers:

This edition’s guest volunteers are the wonderful Yvonne Vaneveld and Mike Siddens.

Yvonne and Mike have been involved with the Island since the late 1980s, when Ray and Barbara Walter were rangers. They both guided, helped on working weekends, and monitored the tracking tunnels. Mike looked after the tīeke nest-boxes, moving and modifying them to Barbara’s instructions. They cleared non-public tracks and acted as relief Tiritiri suporters on site when Ray and Barbara needed time off. Yvonne now volunteers as acting guiding manager on Sundays. Mike keeps himself busy with ‘odd jobs’ and mans the Watchtower for visitors. Co-editor Janet asked them to tell us about themselves and their experiences as volunteers.

Where did you both grow up?

Yvonne: I was born in NZ, but our family emigrated to Canada, where I did most of my schooling. At 18, I came back to NZ, a country I had no memory of, to check out my birthplace, and I stayed.

Mike: I was born in the UK, and my family immigrated here when I was 11. I “died and went to heaven” when we fetched up in Titirangi. This is where I fell in love with the NZ natural world so close to the bush and sea.

Please will you share with our readers how you met each other?

Yvonne: I was living on the Coromandel in the early 1980s, in a community that, among other things, toured music and theatre shows. While on tour I met Mike, who was building a boat behind the Colville General Store. The store had been a failing business but was rescued by alternative lifestylers who turned it into a cooperative. Mike had a job driving the old Bedford truck to Paeroa and Auckland to buy stock. Extra staff were needed during the summer, and Mike put my name forward. We got together after realising we had lots of shared interests.

What were the circumstances that prompted you to become involved with Tiritiri Matangi?

Yvonne and Mike: In 1986 we moved to Auckland, when Mike’s previous boss begged him to come back to Nissan. Having arrived in Auckland, Yvonne was diagnosed with a large brain tumour. Numerous intense lengthy operations ensued, and as part of our recovery we looked for quiet green places to go. Our first trips to Tiritiri Matangi were on the “Te Aroha”. We did some tree planting days, and our first translocation visit was the 1989 whitehead release. Until 1997 our trips were slotted in between full-time work and Yvonne’s tertiary

study, but in 1998 we joined the first intake of guides and organised our work lives to have one four-day sleepover on Tiritiri Matangi every month. We kept this up until about 2008 and those 10 years are full of amazing memories.

What did you enjoy most about being a guide?

Yvonne: Every time was totally different, because the group was new, but I especially enjoyed guiding children.

Mike: Meeting interesting people and showing them a successful restoration project.

What was your favourite experience guiding?

Yvonne: Seeing the light come on for people, that all of this is doable and something you can take back to where you live and get involved locally in conservation projects.

Mike: The gratitude people have for being shown round and told the Tiritiri Matangi story.

Do you have a favourite story that you would like to share about Tiritiri Matangi?

Yvonne: About how all the threads seemed to come together at just the right time: the end of the farming lease, the Hauraki Gulf and islands getting renewed focus, John Craig and Neil

Mitchell visiting with their students, the end of manned lighthouse days, the right people (Ray and Barbara Walter) perfectly placed to take on the Tiritiri Matangi restoration, and it being envisaged as a project for everybody, not just the academics.

Mike: The story about how Daphne the female paradise duck arrived on Tiritiri Matangi. We were lucky enough to be the welcoming committee as she flew in on that fateful day back in 2003.

Please tell us about the quirkiest experience you’ve had on the Island.

Yvonne: Greg the takahē just before he died, sleeping in the bunkhouse entrance way between the two doors. It was the middle of winter, maybe he was cold. As I stepped over him in the middle of the night on the way to the loo, he just lifted his head from where it had been tucked in under his feathers, eyed me once then went back to sleep.

Is there anything else you would like to share about guiding?

Yvonne: Even now in the shop, people spontaneously say to me how much they enjoyed their guided tour.

Mike: In a way we all guide no matter if it’s in a group or not. Once on the Island with our badges on, we are always available to help people and answer questions.

Curiouser and curiouser –the continued saga of tīeke box 7B

Kay Milton shares an update.

In Dawn Chorus 124 (February 2021), we reported a case of two female tīeke using, and apparently competing for, the same nest box.

Both birds laid eggs in the box and both incubated, sometimes together. But eggs kept disappearing from the box, and we assumed that the females were removing each other’s eggs. When the nest inevitably failed, they repeated this pattern in a neighbouring box.

In the following issue, Sarah Gibbs, senior ecological specialist with Auckland Council, suggested that this could be a same-sex pairing, an occurrence known from other species (including, for instance, kōkako on Tiritiri). She observed that same-sex pairings usually occur in populations that either are severely depleted and/ or have marked sex imbalances, and that this female-female pair of tīeke on Tiritiri doesn’t fit this pattern, because the population on the Island appears to be doing well. Indeed, it might be an indication that, ‘same-sex pairings may occur at all population densities – albeit more rarely than male-female pairings’.

While the suggestion that this is a samesex pairing is reasonable, it is hard to reconcile it with the disappearance of the eggs. Why would two females who have formed a pair dispose of each other’s eggs (if that is what happens)? Wouldn’t they cooperate rather than compete with each other?

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we were unable to monitor the birds’ activities in spring 2021, but in October 2022 the story took a new turn. The pattern of events was similar to that observed two years earlier. On 6 October there were two eggs. By 13 October there were four, two pale and two normal. Juan Cornejo, from Auckland Zoo, candled the four eggs and discovered that three of them, two pale ones and one normal one, were fertile. Two fertile eggs were taken to the Zoo for hatching and rearing, leaving one pale (fertile) egg and one normal (infertile) one in the nest. By 27 October the pale egg had disappeared, and by 2 November none were left.

Whatever the relationships driving these unusual events, one or more males must be involved. There are several possibilities:

• Two male-female pairs trying to use the same box: This is perhaps the least likely, since two males probably would not tolerate each other’s presence, but it could account for the egg removal, with both pairs trying to claim the box for themselves.

• Two females sharing one male partner: This may be the most likely, if only because we know it has occurred before on Tiritiri. On the previous occasion a chick hatched, indicating that incubation, at least, was successful.

• A female-female pair with both birds mating with one or more males: This possibility is perhaps the most intriguing. It implies that the relationship is sufficiently amicable for the two females to stay together, but once eggs are laid a competitive streak takes over.

After the failed nesting attempt in October 2022, both females laid again in the same box. By 13 November, there were five eggs, two pale and three normal, but when the box was checked again on 15 December, only two remained, and the nest had been abandoned.

This time, in an attempt to learn more, a trail camera was trained on the box, triggered by movement to take a series of short videos during daylight hours. It did not pick up any eggs being removed, but it captured a number of apparently aggressive encounters outside the box, in which one bird chased another away. Since the birds are not banded, we cannot tell whether it was always the same bird doing the chasing. Nor can we tell whether these encounters were between the two females, or whether one or more males was involved.

So, while the saga has moved on, the mystery has, if anything, deepened. There was no sign of eggs being removed in daylight, so it could be happening after dark, when tīeke are assumed to be roosting quietly. We hope that next season will provide further opportunities to study this unusual case.

This video still shows one bird on top of the box and looking in. A second or two later another bird flew out.

To view the tīeke video scan the QR code.

Two birds perform a 'bow-fan-warble display' near the box. It looks rather dainty but seems to be used in territorial disputes.

Toropapa/karapapa – the master of mimic

If it wasn’t for the sign sitting in front of the toropapa/karapapa shrub (Alseuosmia macrophylla) on Tiritiri Matangi’s Wattle Track, Natalie Spyksma wonders whether it would catch the eye of passing humans for most of the year.

It sits tucked away unobtrusively on a shady bend by the boardwalk, where its linear-oblong leaves, up to 150mm long, blend happily into its surroundings. However, come spring, those curious enough to investigate a sweet fragrance filling the air near the specimen would discover the source to be toropapa’s crimson and yellow trumpet-flowers, 25-40mm long, hanging in bunches of up to four. Aptly, both the common name ‘bush daphne’, and the scientific name, Alseuosmia, meaning ‘perfumed grove’, allude to its fragrance, while macrophylla refers to large leaves. But beyond stumbling across its sweet fragrance – or coming across a wellplaced sign – the plant can be hard to identify, and not for the reasons one might expect.

Perfecting the art of disguise

Toropapa are a genus of small endemic shrubs with a multi-branched sprawling habit, 1-3m high, found naturally in forest undergrowth from North Cape to the upper South Island. They were first scientifically identified in 1862 by Allan Cunningham in Northland.

Toropapa show huge variation in leaf length and shape on each plant, but their individuality doesn’t stop there: they also have the extraordinary ability to mimic the appearance of other plants, often their neighbours. Some extreme examples of ‘looka-likes’ include maire, porokaiwhiri (pigeonwood), ramarama and horopito. In many cases, you could be forgiven

for not knowing you’re even looking at a toropapa. To add to confusion, the plant’s trumpet-shaped flowers can vary from shades of crimson, red, cream, and yellow, appearing either in a solid colour or striped in darker and lighter streaks. If you do think you’ve come across a disguised toropapa, the sweet fragrance and small red berries that follow pollination are clues to its identity. Nobody knows exactly why or how it developed its shape-shifting ways. Unfortunately for the toropapa, its foliage is very palatable to possums, goats, deer and, in earlier times, most likely moa. The most plausible theory is that mimicry is a trait developed as a protection mechanism because the plants it is known to mimic are those that are unpalatable to browsing animals. This is a phenomenon usually reserved for the animal kingdom and a field of botany still very much under research. Because of the mimicry, uncertainty remains around the exact number of species – in 2019 there were five, with three of these in Northland. Research continues.

Pollination and propagation

According to the Cameron and Davies Tiritiri Matangi plant list published in 2013, the toropapa shrub on the Wattle Track is the only surviving plant propagated from a batch of seed gathered from Hauturu, (Little Barrier Island), during the 1984-1994 planting programme.

Beside seed, toropapa can be

propagated from hard wood cuttings and, in situ, their sprawling habit offers good opportunity for them to take root and sprout from layered branches. A cool, shaded spot, that remains moist but not boggy, suits them well. Unfortunately, toropapa are prone to collapse during dry spells.

Nectar-feeding birds such as tūī, hihi and korimako are toropapa’s natural pollinators, so ample opportunity should exist on Tiritiri Matangi for this to occur. However, on the mainland this is not the same story. Over the years, tūī have learnt to be wary of lurking predators, particularly when visiting plants – like toropapa – with low-flung branches. With hihi missing from the mainland ecosystem and korimako found predominantly south of the Waikato, one of toropapa’s main nectarfeeding visitors is the self-introduced tauhou (silvereye). Unfortunately, their beaks are short, so they tend to break through the side of the flower and rob the nectar without pollinating the flower. Consequently, I wonder if layering has become one of toropapa’s more reliable forms of reproduction, particularly in the north. Mingling under the sprawl of the Wattle Track specimen, a few new plants appear to be growing quite happily at the time of writing in July 2023.

It will be interesting to see whether toropapa establishes itself further afield on the Island and, if so, will it adopt mimicry in the absence of browsing animals?

Photo credit: Martin Sanders

The Pōhutukawa Project – 10 years on and going strong

The Pōhutukawa Project was designed by SoTM members and data continues to be collected by members. Hester Cooper and Mel Galbraith share how the Citizen Science in action on the Island, first discussed around 2010, is still going strong today.

Pōhutukawa were planted on the Island as both a nursery crop and a canopy tree. Advice suggested that the “strike rate” for the small trees would be around 30%. Instead, approximately 90% of the trees grew in some parts, the lowest survival rate being around 60-70%. This resulted in too many of these trees for a diversified forest environment.

These areas of monoculture forest are relatively poor in both insect and bird life. Permission was gained to cut down some of these trees to see how natural regeneration would diversify the forest. Seven sites around the Island were chosen for the research and in each there were three treatments:

• Control – no cutting

• Thinning – taking out every 3rd tree

• Coupé – cutting light wells approximately 10 metres across Small vegetation plots (2m x 1m) were set up in each site – six plots to each treatment. These were surveyed annually in all sites for 10 years. At this

point it was evident that any further change was relatively slow, so those surveys are now on a five-year cycle. We found that the coupé treatment works best when an area is relatively sheltered but is not effective in exposed sites. With natural regeneration, seedlings reflect the tree species in the immediate vicinity of the cut areas. Mānuka and kānuka, which are often early colonisers in other restoration projects, were rarely found. From our findings we would advise planting a mixture of trees in the light wells for greater diversity.

Annually, we are doing bird counts at all seven sites and now have 10 years of data which show that, overall, there is gradual increase in numbers and diversity in the sites. The coupé areas where the light wells were opened have more birds, probably due to increased plant diversity. Very exposed sites such as the northern slopes show less activity (and less regeneration). The greatest increase in bird diversity is in a site where vegetation regrowth is the

greatest – dense, diverse plant cover. It is a sheltered site above Northeast Bay. Here the slope faces east, protected from southerlies by the Island’s contours.

Coupé sites, however, were not as favourable to invertebrates, at least in the initial years following the cutting. The light wells also let in heat, with some research showing temperatures of 38°C. This proved a challenging environment for many invertebrate taxa adapted to cool damp conditions. More favourable conditions have returned as the vegetation has colonised the gaps, but again it has been a slow change. Would we cut more pōhutukawa? Yes, but any sites would be selected with care. One challenge in cutting down more pōhutukawa is how we deal with cut logs and branches. Trees cut in 2010 have still not broken down and are an issue for those working off-track. Mulching is not advised because it changes the litter conditions significantly. To date, the problem remains largely unsolved.

Obituary Wynne Spring-Rice (1932-2023)

Wynne Spring-Rice, who died recently, will be remembered by long-standing supporters for her staunch defence of archaeological sites during tree planting and other work. In 1981, as a graduate archaeology student at

Auckland University, she recorded 26 historical Māori sites, including dwelling terraces, middens and kūmara pits. On one occasion, excavation of a toilet had to be halted when a midden was revealed.

We

Adapted from Tiritiri Matangi A Model of Conservation.

Anne Rimmer 2009

acknowledge her valuable contribution to the preservation of the Island’s taonga.

Pōhutukawa monoculture forest

Shona sampling plot

Coupé site

The kōkako crèche delights people around the Visitor Centre.

Kōkako

As far as we can tell, during the 2022-23 season we had a maximum of 54 adult kōkako on the Island, 25 males and 29 females. With the addition of this season’s eight fledglings, this gives us, at the beginning of April 2023, a likely total of 62 (26 males, 35 females and one of unknown sex).

Most of the fledglings are being seen on a regular basis around the Visitor Centre. They are lucky that the two resident pairs, Rimu and Honey and Honesty and Joy, seem to tolerate their presence. If the youngsters continue to stay in this area they will probably be given their marching orders when spring arrives and the resident pairs get ready to nest again.

In addition, Te Hia, who spent the season on her own, has been seen with Aweawe. Aweawe is last season’s unbanded fledgling who was recently caught and banded in the same area along towards Coronary Hill.

Takahē - Northern Sanctuary Tour

In June Phil Marsh, the Project Lead - Takahē Sanctuary Sites, and Jazz Beckett, the Takahē Recovery Programme Community Ranger, undertook a whistle-stop tour of northern Takahē Sanctuary Sites from Tāwharanui to Wairakei near Taupo.

Phil and Jazz visited Tiritiri Matangi on 21 June to check takahē habitat areas and to give a presentation to guides covering the status of the recovery programme. Presentations were also given at Auckland Zoo and in Warkworth.

The following is some interesting information from the presentation. The South Island takahē is a different species (though related) to the extinct North Island takahē (mōho). Takahē were considered extinct by 1900 until ‘rediscovered’ by Dr Geoffrey Orbell in the Murchison Mountains in 1948. This year marks the 75th anniversary of that rediscovery. The Burwood Takahē Centre was established as a breeding site in 1985. Eggs and chicks

were removed from the Murchison Mountains to establish breeding populations elsewhere and offshore Islands such as Tiritiri were populated for species insurance purposes. Despite 25 years of intensive effort, the species remained vulnerable to extinction and in 2010 a new expansive model for Burwood saw breeding pairs increase from six to 23 breeding pairs. This, along with intensive management in maintaining genetic health by amplifying the rarest bloodlines and by doubling the number and capacity of Sanctuary Sites, has meant the population is nearing 500 and takahē are now considered secure from extinction.

However, challenges remain with no self-sustaining wild populations, advances in pest control management needed, and new sites with more suitable combinations of ecological dynamics needing to be established. • Compiled by Kathryn Jones, with contributions from Morag Fordham and Margie Luby.

Juvenile kōkako have pink or lilac wattles.

Fledglings of the 2023 kōkako creche spending time together. Phil Marsh from DOC presenting to guides in the Visitor Centre.

Photo: Darren Markin

Photo: Darren Markin

Photo: Jazz Beckett

Bird transect counts

John Stewart presents the bird transect survey results from the last nine years. Each year members of the team walk fixed routes through the bush counting all the birds they can detect within 10 metres on each side. We use the average of the counts to calculate the number of birds per hectare and multiply that figure by the area of bush on the Island to make an estimate of the total population.

Table 1 shows the annual population estimates for the 10 species found in sufficient numbers for the survey to be reasonably accurate. Even then, for toutouwai (robins), kōkako and hihi, we know that the estimates are too high. The tendency of toutouwai and hihi to fly towards an observer, and the tendency of kōkako to favour areas through which the transects pass, tend to raise the number of records.

Pōpokotea /Whitehead

Figure 1 shows the trends in the estimated pōpokotea population. The estimate declined from 2,644 to 1,794 between 2015 and 2017. Since then, there has been little further change.

Korimako /Bellbird

Korimako had a dramatic increase in population estimates between 2015 and 2017 (119%) but they do seem to experience relatively large fluctuations in population from year to year.

Tīeke /Saddleback

The tīeke estimated population had declined from 1,337 in 2015 to 664 in 2021, a reduction of 50%. It is hopeful to now see a partial recovery to 886.

Blackbird

Finally, the one non-native species on this list shows a dramatic increase since last year of over 200%. This year’s estimate is also 129% above the mean over the previous eight years. It is not obvious why blackbirds have done so well. Like tūī and kererū, they are more than capable of flying between the Island and the mainland, but are not known to do so, and would have less incentive to do so for dietary purposes. It will be interesting to watch what happens in future years.

Table 1 – Estimated populations for each year since 2015

Figure 3 – Annual population estimate for korimako with 95% confidence limits

Figure 1 – Annual population estimates for pōpokotea /whitehead with 95% confidence limits

Figure 2 – Annual population estimate for tīeke with 95% confidence limits

Pōpokotea

Photo: Lucas Mugnier

2023 Competition Produces Stunning Photos

Judge Craig McKenzie, a respected PSNZ nature photographer from Dunedin, said of the competition "I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of wildlife found on the Island as well as the many activities undertaken. Only the lucky few get to take a winning photograph. I am sure everyone else's win was making great memories."

PAMELA STEPHEN Lighthouse to Coromandel

MARTIN SANDERS Cabbage tree flowers

MARTIN SANDERS Banding rifleman

JANET PETRICEVICH Luca on rope

PAMELA STEPHEN Moko skink

MICH MARTIN Red crowned kākāriki

AARON SKELTON Flying takahē

RESULTS

Fauna

1st - Aaron Skelton – Flying takahē

2nd - Mich Martin - Red crowned kākāriki

3rd - Pamela Stephen - Moko skink

Commended - D’Artagnan Sprengel – Kōkako in nīkau (not shown)

Flora

1st - Linda WilliamsonOrchid

2nd - Pamela Stephen – Ferns

3rd - Martin SandersCabbage tree flowers

Commended - Jonathan Mower – Kaihua (not shown)

Landscape/ Seascape

First - Pamela StephenDecember Storms

Second - Pamela StephenLighthouse to Coromandel

Third - Linda Williamson –Sunset (not shown)

People

First - Martin SandersBanding rifleman

Second - Janet PetricevichLuca on rope

Third - Aaron Skelton - Seafog photographers

Under 16

First - Darcy Howard - Shell in my hand

Second - Miller Calder - Tūī (not shown)

Third - Miller Calder – Takahē (not shown)

AARON SKELTON Seafog photographers

DARCY HOWARD Shell in my hand

LINDA WILLIAMSON Orchid

PAMELA STEPHEN Ferns

PAMELA STEPHEN December storms

King family descendants visit Tiritiri

On the 18th June the King family visited Tiritiri Matangi Island. They are relatives of Alf King, who was a signalman on the island from 1947 to 1949. It was a very wet day, but the King family valued their time on the Island and shared some of their family photos from their grandfather/great-grandfather's time on the Island. When posted on Tiritiri, the King family lived in the bottom house, which is now the bunkhouse.

For more information on the lighthouse keepers of Tiritiri Matangi, refer to Tiritiri Matangi A Model of Conservation. Anne Rimmer 2009. This book can be purchased from the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi website.

Meet Sara Dean, Tiritiri’s new Lead Educator

As an educator with a passion for working with children and a deep love for conservation, I am excited to be joining the Tiritiri Matangi community as Lead Educator. I am a conservation optimist and strongly believe children are the key to positive changes in the future. By creating opportunities for experiential learning and creating stimulating and interactive environments, I hope to inspire students to explore and appreciate the wonders

of nature, to understand the unique nature of our taonga species and to take positive action in the future.

I have always had a profound connection with nature; however, it was my very first visit to Tiritiri Matangi that ignited my passion for Aotearoa New Zealand’s native and endemic birds and opened my eyes to what is possible when communities come together with a common goal. I aspire for every student who visits

Tiritiri

to experience this same sense of wonder.

In addition to my classroom teaching experience and as an educator for Rotoroa Island, I have gained practical experience and firsthand knowledge through my volunteer work at Auckland Zoo, in local community conservation groups, and my involvement in school programmes facilitating bird counts.

When I am not working, I enjoy going on birding

adventures, spending time with my animals, bird photography and pottery.

Matangi

Go to the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi blog, which can be found on the website, to read an article written by Dora King about her time on the Island.

Alf King inside the signal tower, 1946.

Group c 1930 (King)

Rear: Penny Wiggle, Bronwyn Graham, Bob Glen, Mitchell Johnston, Brandon Johnston

Front: Dianne Glen, Bev Johnston, Kendall Johnston, Jenni Wiggle

Rear: Mitchell Johnston, Brandon Johnston, Bronwyn Graham, Penny Wiggle, Bev Johnston

Front: Jenni Wiggle, Kendall Johnston, Bob Glen, Dianne Glen

Photo credit: Geoff Beals

Photo credit: Geoff Beals

Photo credit: Dora Walthew, nee King.

SoTM Annual General Meeting

Monday 18th September 2023

7.30pm at Fickling Convention Centre, 546 Mt Albert Road, Three Kings

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 10th September 2023.

Agenda

1. Apologies

2. Minutes of 2022 AGM (posted on the website)

3. Matters arising from the 2022 AGM minutes

4. Chairperson’s annual report (Carl Hayson)

5. Treasurer’s report and financial statements (Peter Lee)

6. Setting of Annual Subscriptions for 2023/2024

Motion

that the Annual Subscriptions be set as follows:

Student fees with a NZ postal address - $15; (currently $13)

7. Election of officers

8. Election of committee

9. Election of Life Member

10. Notices

11. General Business

Individual, family or organisation with a NZ postal address - $30, with family and organisation having one vote; (currently $25)

Student, individual, family or organisation with an overseas address - $35, with family and organisation having one vote; (currently $30)

Corporate $750 with only one vote.

A Member may exercise a proxy vote through another Member, or through 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.

Refreshments will be served at the end of the meeting.

Guest Speakers: Morag Fordham and Kay Milton ‘Overview of the Kōkako Programme’

Committee

Chairperson – Ian Alexander

A member of SoTM for 25 years, regular weekly guide for 13 years, involved with various biodiversity projects, and presenter to many Auckland service clubs and community organisations on Tiritiri Matangi conservation efforts. My career has been at senior management level in Local Government and Public Companies, holding many roles from Company Secretary to CEO. Experienced in management, governance, finance, marketing, HR, property and relationships. I have a doctorate in Business Management, am a Winston Churchill Fellow, and a member of the Institute of Directors. Outside of my career, my involvement has been in community organisations, including periods in excess of 35 years in both Scouting NZ and NZ School Trustees Association. I have held office bearer positions in these and many other groups at local, regional and national level including as treasurer, auditor and president. I am willing to provide the governance leadership this role requires and to contribute to the continuing successful conservation efforts on Tiritiri Matangi Island.

Secretary – Valerie (Val) Lee

I have been involved with SoTM since the early 1990s – Peter and I were invited to join friends on a tree planting day, and we loved it. Our next step was to sign up for one of the working weekends, and we became hooked. I have been an active member since then, participating in many working weekends, working in the Tiritiri shop, assisting with other events, and I have been a member of the kōkako monitoring team for some years now too.

I am currently a SoTM Committee member and am happy to stand for re-election. I have recently retired from full-time work as a veterinary nurse, and, in anticipation of having some extra time available, I have indicated that I would be happy to take on the role of Secretary, now that Gloria is stepping down. Gloria has done a fabulous job in this role and will be a very hard act to follow but I believe I am up to the task.

Treasurer – Peter Lee

As Treasurer, I have been able to bring my financial management skills to the fore, something that’s been particularly important as we navigate the continuing impact of Covid-19 on the Island’s finances. A regular guide and working weekender, I’ve been involved with the Supporters for nearly 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.

Hester Cooper

There are many challenges for the Society as we move past the tough years of the pandemic. Weather events have affected both the Island itself and ferry access for volunteers. It is my pleasure to work with volunteers in the area of biodiversity, including them in both new and ongoing projects. These projects help us understand what is happening on the Island in terms of its biodiversity, and identify ways in which we can enhance the Island ecosystems. Where weather has permitted, we have continued remediation work in several areas of bush to improve water retention. The aim is twofold, to improve the freshwater habitat and to increase the water available to birds and other species.

Challenges remain for the Main Committee, and it is important that we all look at ways to futureproof the Society and its support for the Island. There are always new opportunities for members, and I look forward to continuing to assist the Society.

Rachel Goddard

I am an avid supporter of the work that SoTM does and I am involved on and off the Island. I have been on the Main Committee since 2021 and my responsibilities include health and safety and IT management. But my most enjoyable moments are being on the Island, birdwatching, volunteering for surveys and monitoring work. I am inspired by the work that supporters do and want to contribute to the success of the vision of SoTM. I love engaging my family with Tiritiri and seeing the next generation appreciate the value of conservation and preserving our precious taonga.

Carl Hayson

As the former Chairperson, I wish to stay on to assist the incoming Chairperson, using the knowledge I have gained over the last four years. I feel I still have much to contribute as a committee member on general matters and the infrastructure projects. I look forward to continuing to be of service to the Society.

Janet Petricevich

Photography led my husband Tony and me to Tiritiri, but its magic drew us in. We joined SoTM and started guiding and participating in working weekends. Eventually, we became involved in biodiversity work. It is an aspect of Tiritiri that I love. We participate in the annual kiwi and rifleman surveys, and I am a member of the kōkako monitoring team. In my professional life, I work in the commercial finance team for an international wine manufacturer. The skills that I have learnt during my career serve me well as a current committee member.

Ray Walter

I have been on the Committee since the inception of SoTM and I hope to continue in that role. I am still passionate about this wonderful Island, and I wish to carry on my work on its behalf. I have been a member of the Infrastructure Committee for many years. I am deeply involved in the on-going effort to maintain and improve the track network and in the campaign to develop facilities which will allow us to tell the historical and nautical history of Tiritiri Matangi, in particular putting the wonderful Cuvier light on show to the public – and I do not want to stop now.

Michael Watson

The Island has been a source of joy and inspiration throughout my life. Since my first landing with my grandparents as a child, the magic we discovered there has remained firmly etched in my memory. I returned as a volunteer guide eight years ago, feeling inspired by the thousands of volunteers before me and finding my own life direction as a result. I received my Bachelors in Applied Science majoring in Biodiversity Management from UNITEC and worked as an ecologist for a couple of years. I then engaged with further studies, completing my Masters in Education at AUT. I’m currently an intermediate teacher, where I support school communities to reach their own environmental goals. I’m standing for the Main Committee again and would be honoured to continue supporting all of you as we move forward with our mission.

The Main Committee would like to acknowledge and thank Gloria who has stepped down as Secretary after eight years. We would like to thank Carl, who is stepping down as Chair. Carl has played an important part in reducing the workload of the incoming Chair, by strengthening the governance and management with the recruitment of the Operations Manager last year. We would also like to acknowledge and thank Barry Fraser, Jane Thompson and Stacey Balich for their time on the Main Committee.

Tiritiri Matangi Kids, by

Stacey

Race a friend to the finish and explore some of the ecosystem connections on Tiritiri Matangi Island on your way

Since the eradication of rats, gecko footprints have been found in tracking tunnels Move forward one square

Trees are growing from the planting weekends. Move forward two squares.

The fruit is ripe on the nīkau Move forward one square

Petrels are digging burrows for nesting Move forward three squares.

It has been a hot summer which has dried up the dams. Move back one square.

A rat has been found on the island. Move back five squares.

A takahē chick has hatched. Move forward one square.

Invasive weeds keep being found

Move back two squares.

The rats have been eradicated. Move forward two squares.

Tuatara are sharing the seabird burrows. Move forward two squares.

Rubbish has been washed up on the beach. Move back two squares.

Photos:Neil Davies, Kathryn Jones, David Jenkins, John Sibley, Geoff Beals, Stacey Balich and Canva.

My inspiration for this board game has came from David Towns' book Ahuahu where he shares how connected the ecosystems are.

Youwill needa counter eachanda dice.

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 conservationrestoration 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 $25 for a single adult, family or corporation; $30 if you are overseas; and $13 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 Committee

Chairperson: Carl Hayson chairperson@tiritirimatangi.org.nz, 027 3397105

Secre tary: Gloria Nash secretary@tiritirimatangi org nz

Treasurer: Peter Lee treasurer@tiritirimatangi org nz

Committee: Stacey Balich, Hester Cooper, Barry Fraser, Rachel Goddard, Val Lee, Jane Thompson, Ray Walter, Michael Watson, Janet Petricevich

Operations manager: Debbie Marshall opsmanager@tiritirimatangi.org.nz

Acting guiding manager: Debbie Marshall booktoguide@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

Fundraiser: Juliet Hawkeswood fundraiser@tiritirimatangi org nz

Social Media: Stacey Balich socialmedia@tiritirimatangi.org.nz

Acting Dawn Chorus co-editors: Janet Petricevich an d Stacey Balich editor@tiritirimatangi org nz

Island rangers: Talia Hochwimmer and Keith Townsend tiritirimatangi@doc govt nz, 09 476 0920

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. Call 09 916 2241 after 7 am on the day of your trip to confirm the vessel is running.

Overnight visits: Camping is not permitted and there is limited bunkhouse accommodation at $20 a night for members ($40 for non-members). Bookings are essential. For further information: www.doc.govt.nz/tiritiribunkhouse or ph: 09 379 6476.

Supporters' discount: Volunteers doing official SoTM work get free accommodation but this must be booked through the Guiding and Shop Manager at guiding@tiritirimatangi.org.nz or 09 476 0010.

SoTM members visiting privately can get a 50% discount but must first book and pay online. Then email aucklandvc@doc.govt.nz giving the booking number and SoTM membership number (which is found on the address label of Dawn Chorus or on the email for your digital copy). DOC will refund the discount to your credit card.

School and tertiary institution visits: The Tiritiri education programme covers from pre-school (3-4 year-olds), to Year 13 (1718-year-olds), along with tertiary students. The focus in primary and secondary areas is on delivering the required Nature of Science and Living World objectives from the NZ Science Curriculum. At the senior biology level, there are a number of NCEA Achievement Standards where support material and presentations are available. For senior students, the Sustainability (EFS) Achievement Standards are available on the NZQA website. There is huge potential in that these standards relate directly to Tiritiri in various subject areas: science, economics, tourism, geography, religious education, marketing, health and physical education. The Island also provides a superb environment for creative writing, photography and art workshops.

Tertiary students have the opportunity to learn about the history of Tiritiri and tools of conservation as well as to familiarise themselves with population genetics, evolution and speciation.

Groups wishing to visit can scan our QR code or visit www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/ education-programmes/ or email schoolbooking@tiritirimatangi.org.nz. Bookings are essential.

The perfect gift: our Tiritiri Matangi calendar is now on sale

ONLY

$20

Capture your memories of Tiritiri with this beautiful calendar featuring the Island’s spectacular fauna and flora.

Christmas presents solved –and support for a wonderful cause, all in one.

To place orders, go to our Online Shop at www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz or e-mail shop@tiritirimatangi.org.nz

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