Dawn Chorus - Tiritiri Matangi Island chorus/DC102.pdf · 4 Dawn Chorus 102 August 2015 5...

Bulletin 102ISSN 1171-8595

August 2015

The coming of the hihiCelebrating 20 years since hihi arrived on the Island

Incoming chairman ready for 'pressing challenges'

Meet the new TiriKid

Dawn Chorus

www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz 32 Dawn Chorus 102 August 2015

Cover: It's not easy to get a photo of male and female hihi together.

Photo / Simon Fordham

Tiritiri Snippets

Bird beanie bonanzaFrom the chair

A hugelyimpressiveorganisation

When Kay Milton offered to knit a couple of beanies for Tiritiri’s Kokako Celebration Week three years ago she had no idea she was launching a product that would grow so popular that she would be unable to meet the demand.

These days her handmade and person-ally designed beanies, which sell for $40, are one of the Tiritiri Shop’s most popular items and she has had to recruit a few helpers to produce all the beanies the customers want.

Before moving to New Zealand Kay was Professor of Social Anthropology at Queen’s University in Belfast. But she was also an en-thusiastic knitter.

‘I’ve been knitting and designing knit-wear as a hobby for most of my life,’ she says, ‘especially using multiple colours and images of birds. It started 30 years ago when a friend who ran a gift shop at a wildfowl centre in the UK complained that she could only find knitwear featuring fluffy yellow ducklings, not ‘real’ ducks. So I started producing pat-terns that represented different species.’

That’s why, when Kokako Week came along, Kay decided to have a go at a kokako design, producing three sweaters and some smaller items, including beanies. Then came Saddleback Celebration Week, a new design and more beanies.

‘Since then I’ve produced 11 more de-signs – 10 birds and a wetapunga – and

have knitted 100 beanies, most of which have been sold through the

Tiritiri Shop. Although I’ve used the bird de-

signs on other items – bags, purses, cards, sweat-ers – beanies are by far the most convenient to produce and seem to be the most popular.'

The aim, she says, is not to produce some-

thing that looks like a real bird but to capture the character of each species. ‘Knitting is a very limiting medium when producing designs small enough to fit on

a beanie. There are some species – hihi, tui, rifleman – which just wouldn’t work be-cause their plumage is too complex or their features too delicate.’

Until recently Kay knitted on her own, but the beanies were becoming so popular that she couldn’t keep up, so she asked for help and Terri Beals came on board. ‘Terri is far more prolific than I am; she manages to produce more in a week than I do in a month. With two other knitters also of-fering to join the team, it should be much easier in future to keep up a steady supply.’

The most difficult aspect of that has been producing instructions for others to follow. ‘Now that I’ve written it all down, and have other knitters testing the instructions, I’m thinking about producing a pattern book.’

Kay says when she started volunteering for Tiritiri six years ago ‘it was because I love birds, working on islands and being in the bush, and because the Supporters are such a welcoming community. I would never have dreamt, at that stage, that it could lead to a whole new career in knitwear!’

New TiriKidOur new TiriKids artist starts with this is-sue and it’s Canadian exchange student Mi-chelle Gordon (you can see her first contri-bution on page 14).

She takes over from Josie Galbraith who is having a break, in order to write up her PhD thesis, after being involved with TiriKids for 12 years.

KNITTY GRITTY: Kay Milton with some of her bird beanies

Part of my role as chairperson has been to lead our liaison with the Department of Conservation. It has been a difficult few years for DOC staff with major re-organ-isation and many personnel changes. The transition from the old to the new struc-ture has meant that established relation-ships and practices have been lost. We are fortunate in having people like Ray and Barbara Walter, Mel Galbraith and Carl Hayson who first established many of our working relationships and know how and why they originated. Their knowledge is very helpful when it comes to renegotia-tions with DOC. It may be that further changes are underway as DOC struggles to fulfil its demanding role. One potential outcome is that the Supporters may need to take on a greater share of the responsi-bility for managing and funding what hap-pens on the Island. The consequences of the changes are not yet fully apparent and we must stay alert and adapt if necessary.

This will be my last ‘From the chair’ because at this year’s AGM I will step down after three years as your chairper-son. During that time I’ve experienced a whole range of highs and lows, successes and disappointments. I now know a great deal more about the Supporters and how everything works and I’ve been hugely im-pressed with the level of involvement and dedication of our staff and volunteers. The Tiritiri project is an amazing success and that’s due to the efforts that all of you have put in and continue to put in. And I’m convinced that what makes us so effective is that we contribute because we value and love the Island and what has been achieved there over the past 30-odd years.

When I first became chairperson, I was already well aware of the value of our Sup-porters, as I had been a volunteer for sev-eral years, and one of my primary goals was to protect and enhance the ‘family spirit’ which pervades SoTM. I believe that we have adopted a good working compromise between being ‘membership driven’ and ‘management driven’ and this remains a key strength. I hope that your new com-mittee can continue in this vein.

Once I step down, I will have a lot more time to spend on the Island working with the birds and maybe getting back to guid-ing. I look forward to seeing you there.

John Stewart


Michelle (at left) discovered Tiritiri Matangi when she arrived in Auck-land for a student exchange visit and quickly fell in love with the Island.

‘I’ve had wonder-ful times there these last few months,’ she says, ‘frequently volunteering on Tiritiri as a guide.’

As soon as the appeal for someone to take over TiriKids appeared, she responded saying, ‘I’m up for the job . . . I’m experi-enced in illustration, and being a guide I’ve learned a lot about the Island’s ecology and the special creatures that live here.’

Of course there is the issue that Mi-chelle’s time in Auckland came to an end last month and she has now returned to Canada to finish her degree in restoration ecology. But she reckons producing TiriKids page four times a year is doable and a good way to ‘continue to contribute and stay connected to Tiritiri and the SoTM community.’

Water trough bypassA new section of track has been built behind the seat at Hogarth’s Folly, on the Wattle Track, to allow visitors watching the wildlife at the water trough to do so without their viewing being disrupted by passersby.

Lighthouse museumProgress continues to be made on the pro-ject to develop a lighthouse museum on the Island.

Member Anne Forrel has done a huge amount of work finalising the concept and building a scale model (below) of the tower planned to be added to the back of the old workshop. This will house the original Cuvi-er Island light which will be 6.4m tall when fully assembled.

Infrastructure Subcommittee chair Carl Hayson says architect John Gardiner has now been contracted to complete the draw-ings and engineering details that will be needed. The project is being led by Brian Chandler, who has been in contact with Auckland Council to discuss the plan.

New wheelsWe are about to obtain a new Yamaha Vi-king four-wheel drive, six-seater vehicle sim-ilar to the existing Mule. It will replace the old quad bike and will be safer and provide increased passenger capacity.

Foghorn laryngitis?The historic diaphonic foghorn is out of operation due to the failure of the Holman compressor which provides its wind power. Carl Hayson has discovered two poten-tial replacements available from a foghorn building partly destroyed in the Christch-urch earthquake. We will need to engage a helicopter to rescue them from a dangerous cliff-edge site. But hopefully our foghorn's voice will be restored before too long.

MUSEUM: The model shows what the planned lighthouse museum would look like with the tower at the back housing the Fresnel Lens from Cuvier Island. Photo / Brian Chandler

NEW SIGN: This is a section of a new sign, designed by Geoff Beals and erected at a corner of the lighthouse compound, telling visitors the names of all the landmarks out there; (at right) 98-year-old Neil Harton who suggested the sign and paid for it.

Next time you’re hanging around the light-house and you wonder what that dark shape on the horizon might be, the answer will be close at hand.

Thanks to 98-year-old Neil Harton, who visited the Island recently and enjoyed the view, a sign has been erected at the southeast corner of the lighthouse compound naming all those islands, peninsulas, rocks, moun-tains and other landmarks.

Neil’s connection with Tiritiri is mainly

What are those islands out in the Hauraki Gulf?an indirect one, the result of having spent much of his life messing around in boats, in-cluding quite a bit of fishing off the Island. But he also spent five years in the Navy dur-ing the Second World War which ‘made me very conscious of the need for navigational aids’. All combined to make him very appre-ciative of the fact that the Tiritiri light ‘has given guidance for shipping and recreational boaters for many years'.

Neil came to the Island with his US-

based daughter and son-in-law who were paying a visit and wanted to enjoy the birds and the walks. ‘As I stood by the lighthouse looking around the Gulf I was sure that visi-tors would appreciate help identifying the islands and other landmarks.’

As a result he approached shop manager Mary-Ann Rowland offering to pay for a sign. Geoff Beals created the image and Ma-ria Galbraith liaised with Paradigm to have it made . . . and now it’s there.


Celebrating 20 years of hihi on TiritiriNext month it will be 20 years since a successful translocation of hihi – the stitchbird – saw them return to Tiritiri Matangi. John Ewen, who as a student monitored the first birds after they were released, and these days co-chairs the Hihi Recovery Group from his base at the Institute of Zoology in London, looks back on a highly successful project . . . assisted by Harry, a young hihi, who is proud to be the 13th generation of his whanau on the Island.

MOVING SCENES (from left): Glenfield College students make the first hihi boxes under the supervision of a curious takahe; the powhiri for the hihi when they arrived from Hauturu. Photos / Neil Davies, Zane Burdett

Hi, my name is Harry and I am the youngest hihi on Tiritiri Matangi. My Tiri whanau is 20 years old

this September! Can you believe it? I want to pay respect to my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents who made the trip here from their home on Hauturu (13 generations if I have counted right). Although I am proud to be from the youngest Tiritiri generation I am also happy to know that some of my cousins have been living to ripe old ages, the oldest so far being 11 years, so their connections to our founders are much closer. Let’s hope I live to such an age. Maybe I will even be a pioneer myself, getting to establish a new home somewhere else in New Zealand. Anyway, I hear it was a difficult start all those years ago. Forty hihi came on the helicopter that day and found themselves in a strange new land. Within a month very few of us had survived. Only four females and 12 males were left. Can you imagine what happened when it came time to breed? Luckily for me, they did breed, the population started to grow… and here I am.

I tell you what, when those first hihi arrived I was pretty worried too. My name is John Ewen and I am one of the old-

est of the researchers that work with the hihi on Tiritiri. I was a fresh-faced MSc student

monitoring the hihi once they were released on the Island.

The release was exciting and had gone really well, largely thanks to Mel Galbraith and a team of students from Glenfield Col-lege who planned and led the translocation.

I well remember that September day back in 1995. I was with John Craig and a bunch of supporters and visitors down in Wattle Valley excitedly preparing to let our group of birds go. The hihi were all very happy to get out of their transport boxes and into the forest. But I then had to return to Massey University and exams.

I got back to the Island a month later to start my project. I was meant to be looking at how distance to a feeding station would affect how many babies a female hihi could raise. BUT there were no females! Well, a lot fewer than the 20 that had been let go.

What to do? First and foremost was any-thing to help these birds get a foothold in their new home. We had four females. Luck-ily each settled on a territory and I spent my days watching and recording what was happening. I set up temporary feeding sta-tions nearby so that they had ample food, and nervously hoped. Breeding! It was full on. We had learnt previously about the crazy sex lives of hihi and this was certainly con-firmed, in fact made more intense, because there were so many more males than females.

Studying hihi mating behaviour was also made easier on Tiritiri because the forest is relatively low and open. We found out that hihi hold the world record in promiscuous behaviour in birds! Anyway, six babies were produced that first breeding season, and four

of these turned out to be precious females.The hihi population on Tiritiri has had

two more helicopters full of birds from Hauturu since 1995. The next year we went back to Hauturu to do a top-up transloca-tion and brought over 13 more birds.

After this point the population started to take off. It grew to about 70 adult females and around 160 adult birds in total. We have attempted to keep it at about this size and do so through harvesting mostly juvenile birds to establish new populations elsewhere.

In a further translocation, in 2010, we brought over 20 birds to see how easily we could integrate genetic diversity from Haut-uru’s large remnant population into Tiri.

Tiritiri has also become the main source of exports of hihi to start up new popula-tions. The first was to Zealandia-Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellington in 2005. That makes it 10 years since hihi were first brought back to the mainland of New Zea-land, up close and personal to people in a major city, and they came from Tiritiri. I think that is special.

Since 2005 Tiritiri has also provided hihi to Ark in the Park, Maungatautari, Kapiti and most recently to Bushy Park. As long as the Tiritiri population continues to do well the birds will continue to be harvested and spread to the best possible sites across north-ern New Zealand… and maybe further south? With climate change, who knows?

Our Tiritiri hihi have shown amazing resilience and, despite failing to establish in Ark in the Park, they have established, or are showing promising signs of establishment, in all other sites.


But is Tiritiri full? How many hihi could we have on the Island? These are tricky ques-tions. We have not seen evidence for the population regulating itself, ie there is little evidence for density dependence.

We have strong and positive population growth. This is, of course, probably artifi-cial. The birds are intensively managed: we feed them; we give them nest boxes; we look after their babies by constantly looking out for and treating infestations of nest mites. As long as we keep responding to the increas-ing demand of these chores the population could keep growing.

Or could it . . ? We have had some bumps along the way. In 2006 an outbreak of salmonellosis was estimated to have killed 25% of the adult population. There is con-cern that these types of disease outbreaks might be facilitated by an artificially high density of birds combined with them con-gregating at feeding stations. Whilst we have little direct evidence for this, the Hihi Spe-cialist Group and the Tiritiri managers have agreed to manage the population at about the 70 adult female level. This is to try and avoid increases in disease outbreak frequency and because the management level required is possible under current resourcing.

Hihi certainly don’t lack charisma. Over the years they have been near constantly studied and I am sure this is at least partly because of their character. From their sex lives to the meaning of their colourful plum-age, from their diet to their parenting skills and most importantly how we best manage this population and species. Every individual is known from birth and tracked until death or translocation elsewhere.

This has resulted in six students com-pleting MSc studies on Tiritiri hihi, five doing PhDs and two more currently under way. An amazing 52 peer reviewed scientific publications are out there based on this one population! Students and researchers come from many countries including New Zea-

land, United States, Britain, Ireland, Swe-den, France and the Netherlands.

What are some of the strangest things these researchers and others have seen?

•Watching a fertile female for eight hours a day and seeing her constantly chased by the entire population of males (12). The females tried hiding in their boxes or in the feed-ing cages and, failing that, then crawling along the ground under ferns trying to escape the over-amorous attention of the males.

•The gynandromorph hihi that lived on Tiritiri. This is a bird that has female plumage on one side and male plumage on the other – crazy and rare!

•Watching males sneaking into nest box-es to locate females. On one occasion one, then two, then three males entered a box. The last got stuck heading in with its tail and bum poking out. The territorial male then returned and wasn’t happy. We rescued all three birds trapped in the box but you think they learnt their lesson? We doubt it!

•When filming in nest boxes we found a male hihi roosting in a box around the time

the female was meant to start laying eggs. But he wasn’t the territorial male – he had snuck in!

•When attempting to collect sperm sam-ples to study inbreeding we tried a freeze-dried female hihi. For some males it worked disturbingly well and we have video footage

to prove it. Even when ‘Fluzzy Suzzy’ was look-ing a bit rough around the edges she could still attract the attention of the boys.

•The discovery that in the breeding season a male hihi’s testes are big-ger than his brain.

Just as we rightly cel-ebrate the success of this important hihi popula-tion and can track its

pedigree we can do the same with those who have worked with hihi over the years. My MSc supervisor, longtime Tiritiri hihi and robin researcher Doug Armstrong, is now officially an academic great-grandparent (I am sure he will enjoy reading this!).

There is no sign of any of this slowing down. The more we learn about this little bird the more questions there are. From a conservation angle in particular we are not

LIBERATION (from left): Shaarina Boyd releases one of the first hihi on Tiritiri; Glenfield College students watch the translocation take place. Photos / Neil Davies

PUNK ROCKERS: Hihi chicks. Photo / Rose Thorogood

1995 Release of 37 hihi from Hauturu1996 Release of 13 hihi from Hauturu2003 Hihi population reaches 100 adult birds2005 Translocation of 60 hihi to Zealandia2006 Salmonellosis outbreak kills about 25% of the adult population2007 Translocation of 59 hihi to Ark in the Park2008 Translocation of 56 hihi to Ark in the Park2009 Translocation of 59 hihi to Maungatautari2010 Translocation of 34 hihi to Maungatautari, 30 hihi to Kapiti, 5 hihi to Zealandia and release of 20 hihi from Hauturu 2011 Translocation of 39 hihi to Maungatautari2013 Translocation of 44 hihi to Bushy Park.

Major milestones for Tiritiri hihi


there yet. Hihi are challenging and we truly believe they remain the acid test for ecological restoration in northern New Zealand.

Hihi means ‘ray of sunshine’ and we like the idea that hihi are just that. They epitomize the challenges and hope for conservation in New Zealand. The Tiritiri project should be proud of its contribution in this light.

And a final word from Harry:The special help those first hihi had from caring people was humbling. Students from Glenfield College along with their then biology teacher Mel Galbraith did a wonderful job of organising the first translocation. Since then we continue to be well looked after with lots of food and plenty of houses for our nests. All this is provided by DOC, SoTM, researchers and volunteers. We also get studied constantly, which is understandable, because we're really cool and interesting. I am happy about all this because for too long we were ignored and suffered from the changes that accompanied European settlement. By luck a few of us clung on in Hauturu and were protected from the changes that shaped modern northern New Zealand. But now, look at my whanau. We have spread to five new homes and Tiritiri has been the stepping-stone to three of these. Nice.

RESEARCHERS (from left): Rachel Shephard and Donal Smith; Leila Walker.

Principal field workers and researchers on site Researchers DOC contractors1995/96 John Ewen and Lynette Wilson 1996/97 John Ewen 1997/98 Lynette Wilson1998/99 Jason Taylor1999/00 Jason Taylor2000/01 Matt Low Rosalie Stamp2001/02 Matt Low Ian Fraser, Sandra Jack2002/03 Rose Thorogood, Matt Low Sandra Jack, Troy Makan2003/04 Rose Thorogood Sandra Jack, Su Sinclair2004/05 John Ewen and Rose Thorogood Tamara Henry2005/06 John Ewen, Rose Thorogood and Patricia Brekke Tamara Henry2006/07 John Ewen, Rose Thorogood and Patricia Brekke Rebecca Gribble2007/08* Rose Thorogood, Patricia Brekke and Leila Walker2008/09 Leila Walker2009/10 Leila Walker, Matt Gribble and Sandra Soeder2010/11 Leila Walker and Annette Fayet2011/12 Leila Walker, Michelle Goh and Jes van der Wal2012/13 Chris Smith2013/14 Donal Smith2014/15 Donal Smith, Victoria Franks and Rachel Shephard*Hihi DOC monitoring and research roles combined with contract to John Ewen

HIHI (from left): Stroppy male; fledgling being fed; watchful female.Photos / Geoff Beals, Simon Fordham

HIHI PHOTO COMPETITION

To mark the 20th anniversary of the return of hihi to Tiritiri we're

looking for the best hihi photo of all time. Send entries to

[email protected] by 9 November.

Results will be announced at our hihi celebration at Unitec at 6.30 pm on 16 November. See our website for details.


Flora Notes

Our striking tree fernsTree ferns, the impressive descendants of a primeval species, play a key role in making Tiritiri such a spectacular place to visit, writes Warren Brewer.

Tree ferns make a bold statement on Tiritiri Matangi as their tall trunks and wide crowns of fronds give the forest a lush primeval look. They have an ancient lineage with fossil evidence dating back over 150 million years.

The trunks of tree ferns differ from those of trees as they consist of a central core (the pith) and an outer region (the cortex) which includes bundles of conducting tissue to carry water and nutrients. Surrounding the cortex is harder tissue (sclerenchyma) which provides further reinforcement and support. The stumps of old fronds can be retained on the trunk and wiry roots which begin near the ground can grow up, fusing with stumps to increase trunk diameter and rigidity.

New Zealand has 10 separate species of tree fern and three of them are present on Tiritiri. They belong in two genera: Cyathea and Dicksonia. The three species on Tiritiri are ponga or silver fern (Cyathea dealbata), mamaku or black tree fern (Cyathea medullaris) and wheki or rough tree fern (Dicksonia squarrosa). Ponga and wheki are endemic species while mamaku is a native which is also found in the Pacific.

Ponga is easily identified by the white undersides of its mature fronds. Its species name, dealbata (from the Latin to whitewash or plaster), expresses this. Mamaku is our tallest tree fern and is recognized by its thick black stipes (midribs of the fronds). Its black trunk is also covered with hexagonal scars left after fronds are shed. Ponga and mamaku also have scales which can be found on fronds and stipes. They are thin, flat and about 1cm long. Ponga scales are red-brown in colour while those of mamaku are black.

Wheki has fronds which are harsh to touch. They are hairy but lack any scales. Ponga and wheki often host epiphytes which may include other fern species or even young plants of several tree species. Tmesipteris (meaning a divided fern) is a fern relative which has a very simple structure reminiscent of some of the earliest land plants. It is often hosted in the mesh of fine root fibres near the base of ponga.

Tree ferns also host a lot of invertebrate animals including beetles, weta and the caterpillar stage of many of our moth species. Ponga has five types of leaf roller or leaf tier caterpillars and three fern loopers feeding off its fronds. Birds can often be observed closely inspecting the trunk or probing amongst the fronds, seeking out these creatures. The caterpillar of the tiger bell moth, a leaf roller, eats the fronds of Dicksonia species.

Tree ferns provide shelter, nesting sites and nest building material for many of our birds. Kokako use tree fern scales as part of the fine plant material to line the bowl of their nest. They may also choose the crown of a tree fern as a nesting site. Bellbirds have been observed to nest under the hanging fronds of all three of our tree fern species. Their nests can be formed from a base of twigs insulated with moss and tree fern scales and lined with pale feathers.

Saddlebacks may also choose tree fern crowns to nest in. The cup at the top of the platform of sticks in a stitchbird’s nest can be made from the fine wiry roots on a tree fern trunk and be lined with tree fern scales which are interwoven with lichen and feathers. The grey warbler lines its nest with soft matter like feathers, downy seeds and tree fern scales. Morepork sometimes use tree ferns for a secluded daytime roost.

Maori used the trunks of tree ferns to line food storage houses to prevent kiore entering. They also ate the inner pith of mamaku. When cooked it was called 'pitau'.

Medullaris, the species name for mamaku, means ‘pithy’, referring to the edible pith. Cyathea means ‘little cup’, describing a structure around the spores on the undersurface of the fronds. Dicksonia honours the Scottish botanist and nurseryman James Dickson (1738 – 1822). Squarrosa means 'rough and flaky projections'.

FERNS (from top): A morepork rests under a tree fern crown; mamaku; ponga grove on Kawerau Track; tmesipteris on ponga trunk; wheki.

Photos / Warren Brewer


2015 photo competition winnersFAUNA (at left):1 Alison Forbes,two young riflemen.2 Claudine Laugrost,robin.3 Matthew Jones,takahe.

LANDSCAPE (at right):

1 Geoff Beals, night lights.

Bruce Crossan, lighthouse

at night.3 Kay Milton,

lighthouse at dawn.

FLORA:1 Malcolm de Raat, kowhai.2 Martin Sanders, clematis.3 Geoff Beals, pohutukawa.


UNDER 16 (above, from left): 1 Jake Runting, tieke. 2 Oscar Thomas, korimako. 3 Joshua Crellin, takahe.

PEOPLE (from left):1 Jo McCarthy, tieke release.2 Kay Milton, Ray Walter in the Cuvier light.3 Heidrun Schinke, guided group (not shown).


There’s not a lot of bird or reptile activity to report on during winter, so some of the usual candidates (hihi, saddleback, rifleman, Du-vaucel’s geckos) are missing from this edition of Fauna Notes. Kokako and takahe are still causing a stir, though, and there were some translocations to report on.

TranslocationsOur winter of translocations is over. Follow-ing February’s forest bird survey (see below), which confirmed that we have plenty of whitehead/popokotea on the Island, 180 have been moved.

The Ark in the Park received 100 in May and 40 were sent to the Bay of Islands in June as part of Project Island Song, which aims to return native song birds to pest-controlled is-lands in the Bay. In July 40 more whitehead were sent across the channel to Shakespear Open Sanctuary, where they were released on land owned by New Zealand Defence Force. This area is closed to the public, but the birds are expected to move around and eventually to spread throughout the Sanctuary, which

includes most of Shakespear Regional Park. The 40 birds from Tiritiri were joined by 20 from Tawharanui two days later.

Saddleback/tieke were also on the move in June, with 20 transported to the Bay of Is-lands. If this sounds as if we are giving away a lot of our birds, take a look at the figures in the table. Twenty out of 1300 saddleback and 180 out of more than 2500 whitehead will

have no noticeable impact on our population. Tiritiri is a small island so crowded with some species that many young birds may never be able to establish a territory. Apart from un-dergoing the stressful experience of being moved, some of the translocated birds will benefit from being released in a new area free from competition.

KokakoA significant event took place at the end of June when Te Koha Waiata (fondly known as TKW), the oldest kokako on Tiritiri, and certainly the most photographed, disap-peared from his territory in Wattle Valley and was replaced by Bandit, a two-year-old bird, who quickly settled in with TKW’s long-term partner Cloudsley Shovell.

We shall never know exactly how the take-over happened, but it is possible that TKW, who was seen shortly before his disappear-ance with an injured leg, was defeated in a scuffle with Bandit. He was not seen for over a week, then on 9 July he was spotted, appar-ently fit and well, by the side of Wharf Road.

Fauna Notes

A cat fight, a christening and two divorces

MOVING: Alison Bray gets to know a whitehead. Photo / Justine Sanderson

LOVE, ACTUALLY: Nohoa and Mahuika slug it out while Turutu looks on with interest. Photos / Martin Sanders


We shall want to keep an eye on him and see what he does next. Will he try to reclaim his territory and his partner? Will he settle some-where new with one of the young females? Any sightings would be greatly appreciated. TKW’s leg bands are yellow on the left and red over metal on the right (Y-RM).

In fact we would be grateful to receive sightings of any kokako, with photos and/or band combinations. The build-up to the breeding season is underway, birds will in-creasingly be declaring their territories over the next few weeks, and it is important that we start the season knowing, as far as possible, which birds can be found where. Please email any sightings to Morag Fordham ([email protected]) or Kay Milton ([email protected])

Wattle Valley seems to be the most sought-after area for kokako on Tiritiri. It was TKW’s choice 18 years ago, when he could have settled anywhere on the Island. A young pair, Tupoki and Hinerau, is also established there and Poutama spent most of last season on and around the Wattle Valley firebreak.

TakaheTe Mingi and Cheesecake have once again proved their value by producing another son. Their seven-month-old chick, recently identified as male, has been named ‘Mohio’, meaning ‘clever’. With a world population of around 260-70, any takahe is a rare bird, but males are rarer than females. Mohio has three older brothers: Wal (born 2010-11), Westy (2011-12) and Pukekohe (2013-14), who is still helping with Mohio’s upbringing.

In late July there was a shift in takahe re-lationships – not an unusual occurrence. No-

Species Mean 95% Population 95% Density/ha lower Estimate higherKokako 0.26 26 48 70Kereru 0.82 97 150 203Robin 1.98 285 360 436Kakariki 2.45 318 447 576Hihi 3.19 414 582 751Tui 5.41 708 987 1266Bellbird 5.82 681 1063 1444Tieke 7.32 1131 1337 1542Whitehead 14.48 2072 2644 3215

Preliminary results from the transect bird survey for nine endemic species.

HANGING OUT: Big brother Pukekohe (left) keeps a fraternal eye on little brother Mohio.

Photo / Karin Gouldstone

hoa attacked Mahuika while Turutu looked on. After a short battle, Mahuika walked away defeated and Turutu followed Nohoa, no doubt impressed by what he had just seen. Nohoa had been alone since Ranfurly aban-doned her early last spring and went off with Edge. It will be interesting to see whether this new pairing lasts into the breeding season.

Meanwhile, Ranfurly and Edge have moved south along the Ridge Road during the winter and have been seen near the top of the Kawerau Track. We expect them to move north again in a month or two, back to what has been Edge’s favourite nesting area.

Anatori, Edge’s daughter, is still single and often seen around the bach and lighthouse area. Perhaps she has her eye on Pukekohe.

Forest bird surveyIn the previous Fauna Notes we reported on the forest bird survey carried out in February. We are still analysing the results, but some preliminary findings are shown in the table.

The wide margin of error (the table be-low shows 95% confidence limits) means that these figures can only be treated as very rough estimates, but they are nevertheless interest-ing.

IN HAPPIER TIMES:Te Koha Waiata tucks into a feed of nikau berries a few days before his split from Cloudsley Shovell. Photo / Karin Gouldstone

Most of the figures are not surprising. The population estimate for kokako turned out to be almost exactly right, but the one for hihi is much greater than we know is possible. At present we have no explanation for this, but we plan to repeat the survey next February and in the following spring, and it will be in-teresting to see whether these surveys produce similarly exaggerated results.

Other faunaParadise shelduck have been rather scarce on Tiritiri for the past year or so but during July they were seen and heard quite often, includ-ing a sighting of seven (five females and two males) on the 8th.

It’s not often we get to report on mam-mals, but four young fur seals were seen on the rocks just south of North West Point on 10 July. The observers were walking round the shoreline, something that is not done very of-ten. Could it be that fur seals are present more often than we realise?

Compiled by Kay Milton with information from Morag Fordham, John Stewart, Duncan Stout and Justine Sanderson.


Full list of nominations for SoTM Committee

The Annual General Meeting of the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 21 September at Kohia Education Centre, Gate 1, 78 Epsom Avenue, Epsom

ChairpersonBrian ChandlerJohn Stewart has been an excellent chairman and is going to be a difficult act to follow, but after three years on the SoTM Committee I have a fair idea of how things run and am up to date with most of the pressing issues which will need to be ad-dressed over the coming years, so here goes! About myself I would firstly like to say, I don’t just mow grass and build lights. Although I am on the Infrastructure Sub-committee, I am also a regular guide and participate as often as possible in fauna monitoring and translocations. In other words I have an interest and involvement in most aspects of Tiritiri. I hope that my experience in business will help me to manage some of the pressing challenges ahead of us. These challenges include managing the changes which we are seeing within DOC (including reduced funding), competition from (and cooperation with) other excellent conservation projects and maintaining and enhancing aging infrastructure. We also have to continue to develop the visitor experience, protect and help our precious fauna and flora to flourish, continue our pre-eminent advocacy role and education programmes and of course continue the development of the historical precinct including housing our unique and precious Cuvier light. I think that we will be quite busy but I would be proud to help lead the society to achieve its aims.

SecretaryNo nominations received

TreasurerKevin Vaughan,I am the current treasurer and have a background in accounting and management. I have spent many years overseas before returning to retire in New Zealand.

Committee (nine required)Roger BrayI have served on the SoTM Committee and the Infrastructure Subcommittee for the past four years and believe that I have a detailed understanding of the needs of SoTM and Tiritiri Matangi Island. The recent past and the future present SoTM with many new and difficult challenges as a result of changes in DOC, our natural growth, and increasing pressure on the Island’s resources. As much as we might like things to stay the same, change is upon us; therefore the challenge is to embrace change whilst still retaining the aspects that make SoTM so successful. These aspects particularly include consideration of our vibrant family of supporters whose enthusiasm and valuable work enable us to achieve more than other conservation projects despite our comparatively modest operating budget. I would like to continue my support of an excellent management team for another year, especially through transition to a new chairperson.

Helen BuckseyI'm nearly finished my first term on the SoTM Committee, and keen to do it all again for the next year. A group working suc-cessfully together can achieve so much more than individuals, so let's look forward to celebrating the future achievements of our Supporters' group, building on the amazing work that has already been done. To the SoTM Committee I bring an enquiring and analytical mind, complemented by an organised, pragmatic and good-humoured approach which is invaluable for working in a team. I have useful IT skills and a passion for all that SoTM aims to achieve, but my most important contribution may just be a roll-your-sleeves-up attitude to getting the job done. Whatever the job may be.

Nominations for this year's Annual General Meeting of SoTM closed on 31 July with exactly the number required apart from the need for a new secretary. As he indicated at the previous AGM, John Stewart will not be standing for another term as chairperson, and committee member Brian Chandler is the only nomination as his replacement. Georgina Cuttance is standing down as secretary but is willing to continue until a replacement is found. Linda Worth is not seeking re-election to the committee. Kay Milton and Chris Hannent have been nominated to fill the two vacancies. The nominations are:


Hester CooperI come from a research background and the work I do with the Biodiversity and Research Subcommittee continues to be a challenge and one I love. The Biodiversity Plan now serves as a guide to future projects and allows us to set up projects which can give our volunteers a greater variety of ways to contribute to ongoing work on the Island. Amongst other projects, this year was time for our 10-yearly Tuatara Survey and we continued the Fantail Project tracking the movements of the Tiritiri fantails in summer and winter. There is a growing base of volunteers interested in helping with biodiversity projects; the response to our calls for help has been great. The work of the SoTM Committee allows me the chance to assist the bigger challenges for the Supporters, in an environment where conservation budgets are shrinking by the year. It is a pleasure and a privilege to contribute to this work.

Simon FordhamAlong with my wife, Morag, I have been involved with the Tiritiri project for over 22 years. For 15 of those years, I have been a member of the committee, four of those as chairperson. Even when not on the committee I have maintained an active role with SoTM, including membership of four subcommittees, coordination of the rifleman translocation, a period as member-ship secretary and, for seven years, editor of Dawn Chorus. As always, it is a privilege to work with a committed team as we face unprecedented challenges in our efforts to preserve what has been created and to take the project forward.

Chris HannentI first came to Tiritiri on Sunday 7 December 2014, I signed up as a Supporter on the ferry trip back to Auckand, went to my first Tiri Talk the following night and was out again on Tiritiri doing my first buddy guide the following Saturday. Tiritiri has been a very important part of my life since then. I work in social media as a day job, so it’s been enjoyable helping out with Tiritiri’s social media activities. Setting up Tiritiri’s Instagram account has been great fun and a successful way of raising awareness about how special Tiritiri is, and especially engaging and growing the youth audience. If I were on the committee, it would be my goal to find ways to build awareness of Tiritiri Matangi and grow an engaged online community. I’d bring an experience in digital channels, specifically the effective and efficient use of social media.

Carl HaysonI joined SoTM in 1989 and have had over 20 years experience on the committee, including taking on the roles of treasurer, secretary and chairperson. I now head the Infrastructure Subcommittee. I retain a strong interest in all aspects of the Island, currently with a particular interest in restoring the lighthouse precinct.

Peter LeeMy commitment and involvement with Tiritiri Matangi goes back over 25 years and includes two terms as chairperson. Among other things I’m a regular working weekender and occasional guide. I have a wide knowledge of the Supporters, its challenges and opportunities and am keen to continue to bring that wide perspective for the benefit of the Island. Currently I’m also deputy chair of the Northcote College Board of Trustees and I’m also on the Lifeline NZ Endowment Trust. In my professional life I run my own boutique financial planning consultancy. As well as financial skills, I have a wealth of marketing and communications experience, which is of increasing importance for the Supporters.

Kay MiltonI’ve been volunteering for Tiritiri for six years, monitoring several of our bird and reptile species, helping with translocations, guiding visitors, digging drains, painting walls and installing seats on working weekends. Much time in front of my laptop has been spent helping to edit the Biodiversity Plan and the Guiding Manual, writing for Dawn Chorus, proofreading and commenting on various documents. Add to this the hours spent knitting beanies for the shop, and it feels like Tiritiri has penetrated every corner of my life. Helping to shape the management of the Island by serving on the SoTM Committee and Biodiversity Subcommittee has been especially rewarding. I’m now hoping to return to the committee after a year’s break. As a volunteer, I appreciate what a strong volunteer workforce can achieve, and also the deep sense of fulfilment it gives those who take part. I shall be seeking to ensure this dimension remains strong through the next phase of SoTM’s development.

Ray WalterI wish to stand again for a position on the committee. I have been a committee member since the inception of SoTM and still hold strong feelings for the Island. I have been a member of the Infrastructure Subcommittee for a number of years and would like to continue my work as such. I have been involved with the plans to carry out the maintenance of the track network, the repair and rebuilding of some of the dams, and the development of the historical and nautical history of Tiritiri Matangi.


Day trips: 360 Discovery runs a return ferry service every Wednesday through Sunday from Downtown Auckland and the Gulf Harbour Marina. Bookings are essential. Phone 0800 360 347 or visit www.360discovery.co.nz. Call 09 916 2241 after 7am on the day to confirm the vessel is running.

School and tertiary institution visits: The Tiritiri education programme covers from level 1 (5-year-olds), to level 13 (17-18-year-olds), to 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

Supporters of Tiritiri MatangiDawn Chorus is the quarterly newsletter of the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi (SoTM). We are a volunteer incorporated society working 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 membership, guiding and our Island-based gift shop.For further information see www.tiritirimatangi.org.nzor contact P O Box 90-814 Victoria St West, Auckland

SoTM CommitteeChairperson: John [email protected] 428 4541Secretary: Georgina [email protected]: Kevin VaughanCommittee: Roger Bray, Helen Bucksey, Brian Chandler, Hester Cooper, Simon Fordham, Carl Hayson, Peter Lee, Ray Walter, Linda Worth

Guiding and shop manager: Mary-Ann [email protected] 476 0010

Membership: Annette and Malcolm de [email protected] 817 9964

Educator: Barbara [email protected]

Fundraiser: Vincent [email protected]

Dawn Chorus editor: Jim [email protected] 445 2444

Island rangers: Dave Jenkins and Jason [email protected] 476 0920

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 should go to www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/schoolvisits.htm or contact [email protected]. Bookings are essential.

Overnight visits: Camping is not permitted but there is limited bunkhouse accommodation. Bookings are essential. For information on booking overnight visits, go to: www.doc.govt.nz/tiritiribunkhouse. Bookings can also be made by phoning the Department of Conservation's Warkworth Area Office on 09 425 7812, though an additional booking fee will apply.

Supporters' discount: Volunteers who are undertaking official SoTM work can obtain accommodation free but this must be booked through the Guiding and Shop Manager at [email protected] or 09 476 0010. SoTM members visiting privately can get a discounted rate by booking through DOC's Warkworth Area Office 09 425 7812.

Coming EventsUntil 31 August

Discounted ferry rates for Supporters. To book a trip phone 360 Discovery (09 307 8005) and have your membership number

handy (it's on the label of your Dawn Chorus magazine).

5-6 SeptemberSupporters' Weekend.

21 SeptemberSupporters of Tiritiri Matangi AGM. 7.30 pm, Kohia Education Centre, Epsom. Guest speaker Matt Rayner will talk about his

research into seabirds in the Hauraki Gulf.

3-4 October Supporters' Weekend.

4 and 11 OctoberDawn Chorus Walk: an early morning walk to hear the birds in full

song. Please book with 360 Discovery.

24-26 OctoberLabour Day Working Weekend.

2 NovemberEvening talk: Massey University researcher Sam Hill will explain

his exploration of the songs of the tui which rank among the bird world's most complex. 7.30 pm, at Unitec Institute of Technology.

Check the events listing on the SoTM web page for details of the venue.

16 NovemberA celebration of all things hihi, 6.30pm gathering for a 7pm start, in

the Red Lecture Theatre at Unitec. A series of speed talks led by co-chair of the Hihi Recovery Group John Ewen.

Check the SOTM web page for details.

7 DecemberEvening talk: Graham Jones, who studied little blue penguins on Tiritiri aeons ago, will tell tales about early research work on the

Island. 7.30 pm, at Unitec. Check the web page for details.

Supporters' Weekends are led by guides who will show off the Island's special places. Reduced price on the ferry and half price in

the bunkhouse. Children welcome.

Working Weekends are your chance to give the Island a hand. Travel is free, as is accommodation in the bunkhouse. Book

through [email protected]

Visiting Tiritiri Matangi for education or recreation

Supporters of Tiritiri MatangiPO Box 90 814Victoria Street WestAuckland 1142

New Zealand Permit No. 243683

For more information see www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz ring 09 476 0010 or email [email protected]

Don't miss out on the 2016 calendarIt's time to start thinking about

Christmas presents for family and friends overseas.

Top of the list has to be the Tiritiri Matangi calendar. At just $18 it's the ideal way to remind everyone

what a beautiful place this is.

Have you ever wanted to frame the pictures but wished there was no hole? This year we've printed 200 sets of the main images which can be bought for $7 with a calendar

or $10 as a set on its own.

Our shop has lots more gift ideas like wooden Christmas decorations made in NZ that come flat as a card but can be

assembled into lovely 3D designs.

We also have nature books, ceramics, bags, puzzles, jewellery, soft toys, works of art, natural

beauty products and so much more

Come and spend a day on Tiritiri Matangi Island, see the wonderful birdlife and the unspoiled

forest, enjoy free tea and coffee, buy treasures for yourself and gifts for loved ones, and support

an amazing conservation project

Eftpos and credit cards accepted

TIRITIRI MATANGI OPEN SANCTUARY

2016 CALENDAR

By purchasing this calendar, you are supporti ng the conservati onand educati on programmes on Tiriti ri Matangi Island.

Supporters of Tiriti ri Matangi IncPO Box 90814, Victoria Street WestAuckland 1142, New Zealand

www.ti riti rimatangi.org.nzPrinted in New Zealand by Safari Print

using vegetable-based ink on paper sourced from sustainable forest.

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