1Nov 28, 2013
Crawling out of my tent at dusk, I noticed the erratic flight of a long-tailed bat high above the kahikatea trees surrounding the Pelorus Bridge Campground. That sighting led not only to five years of surveys for these elusive creatures across the top of the South Island, but also the instigation of a pest control […]
2Nov 7, 2013
If the directions had just said “Turn off State Highway 4 and drive to the very end of Oio Road” I would have got there much sooner. Our small convoy of cars lost touch with other, one went up and down State Highway 4 looking for Oio Rd, another was going up and down Oio […]
3Nov 5, 2013
Our sooty shearwaters, or titi make one of the longest migrations on the planet and I was enlisted to stand on a windy cliff-top, arms outstretched in a hope of netting them (and their data loggers) so we have a fuller understanding of their flight path. Eighteen months ago, DOC scientist, Graeme Taylor, had put […]
4Sep 30, 2013
Our native parakeet karariki won the Bird of the Year in 2010, and we think this little beauty has the charisma and style to take the crown again this year. This wee gem packs a lot of punch with their bright green plumage and upbeat attitude, just like their political namesake, the party Green. Kakariki […]
5Sep 30, 2013
For many years I lived at Portobello, on the Otago Peninsula, near Dunedin. At the weekend I’d often head out on my bike to Taiaroa Head, at the tip of the peninsula. What drew me there were the albatrosses – the only mainland colony of albatrosses anywhere in the world. As I approached I’d start […]
6Sep 18, 2013
In my previous blogs I told you about my cat catching a waxeye (and the distress it caused me) and then the cat bib I bought her as a response. It’s now time for Cat Tales Part 3, since quite a lot has happened since then. For the record, the cat bib appears to be […]
7Aug 23, 2013
Snapper are one of New Zealand’s most popular fishes, and are highly sought after – both recreationally and commercially. They are found around the shallow waters of the North Island, making them an ideal fishing target. The Kaipara Harbour, north of Auckland, is one of the largest harbours in the world. It is a large […]
8Aug 15, 2013
From today, keen New Zealanders from around the country will creep out of their homes in the freezing dark morning and take to the rivers armed with waders, swandris and optimistic hearts. This canny lot set up their possies and then wait for luck to strike. To other whitebaiters in the area they give nothing […]
9Aug 5, 2013
In part 1, I had just ordered a cat bib online after our cat Ruzz caught a waxeye. It’s now a few weeks later and I thought it was time for an update. The bib arrived a week after the order via catbib.co.au (which was hassle-free) and Ruzz seems to find it no problem at […]