While Waiheke is home to a number of well known and visible taonga species, there are a few that fly under the radar and prefer to ‘blend in’. Geckos and skinks, or mokomoko in te reo Māori, can be found all over Waiheke. It is important to note that our mokomoko are protected, this means that you cannot touch, collect or disturb any of our native lizards.
Read MoreThe New Zealand Garden Bird Survey is the longest-running annual survey of biodiversity in the country. Not only does it encourage an appreciation of the diversity of beautiful birdlife on our doorstep, but it allows for members of the community, from tots to tīpuna, to actively contribute to vital conservation research. The data collected from Waiheke over the last 10 years tells a very interesting story.
Read MoreWe are shrouded by the night sky, a blanket of stars and satellites. The air is crisp and thick with salt, loose pebbles crunching underfoot as we make our way around the coastline. Over the sound of our slipping feet, I hear a rustle from the bushes beside me, the pampas grass seems alive and wiggling.
Read MoreA huff of olive green streaks past me, bouncing back and forth between the mahoe. He is electric with energy as his plumage stands on end, the males surrounding all decorated with the same round and ruffled shape.
Read MoreIt’s dark out. As it is with the beginning of most of my adventures. I ventured down the trail towards a group of nikau by the edge of the wetland where earlier in the day I had spied the enormous web. Most enormous webs, it seems, are also home to enormous spiders.
Read MoreWith the days at their shortest and the weather at its strongest, you may be wondering what can be done to support birds during this turbulent time. Well, it's not just ducks that love the rainy days of winter, trees and plants love it too. This is the best time of year to design your garden around what kind of visitors you want to encourage to your backyard.
Read MorePāteke, or brown teal, are the rarest species of mainland duck in Aotearoa. Their population is mainly on Aotea, Hauturu, Northland, and the Coromandel, though I had the pleasure of spotting some here on Waiheke recently.
Read MoreThe harvest moon is upon us here in the southern hemisphere and all around is an abundance of food ripening on vines, trees and flower heads. After building nests and rearing young, most adult backyard birds spend autumn eating, loading up before the winter. But for the young birds who are in adolescence now, they have one key thing on the agenda…speed.
Read MoreThere is nothing as unmistakable as the low whooping of outstretched kererū wings, or the crunch of foliage under two crimson feet wrapped in billowing pantaloons. Courtship in the bird world is unlike any other, with dramatic dances, colourful shrines and impressive calls. Male manu pull out all the stops to catch the eye of a potential partner. The same goes for kererū.
Read MoreHave you ever wondered what the difference is between shorebirds and seabirds? Well, first of all, seabirds are pelagic and spend most of their life at sea. Shorebirds on the other hand are largely migratory.
Read MoreAotearoa is home to a number of spectacular birds; a great number of them being a special group called the ‘waders’. These are birds with long, thin legs that inhabit our estuaries, wetlands, and marshes.
Read MoreWhile we are all familiar with the elegant white-faced heron that is often seen gracing our coastlines and waterways, its cousin the mātukutuku (reef heron) is a much more elusive sight!
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