Photos / Sounds
What
Mile-a-Minute (Dipogon lignosus)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Growing in Taupata on bush edge. 5m down from park bench
Photos / Sounds
What
Blue Passion Flower (Passiflora caerulea)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Vine rooted and growing entirely amongst lawn at this stage.
Location approx. Image not so well geotagged by phone, so see second image for on the ground orientation
Location adjusted 8/11/23, in line w/ road centre marks on aerial
Photos / Sounds
What
Blue Passion Flower (Passiflora caerulea)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Previously recorded
Photos / Sounds
What
Blue Passion Flower (Passiflora caerulea)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
At top of property with prev recorded occurence. Corner of public steps, growing just inside fence in Camelia bush
Photos / Sounds
What
Northern New Zealand Dotterel (Anarhynchus obscurus ssp. aquilonius)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Dotterel pair, unsure of species. Rusty in front, but not close enough/ binos at home. One has a rustier front than the other, but not familiar enough to make a call on it & unsure if breeding plumage would be clear yet.
Edit - a third bird nearby, within 20m; maybe prev year's juv?
Photos / Sounds
What
North Island Kākā (Nestor meridionalis ssp. septentrionalis)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Courtship behaviour
3 kāka observed, feeding on pūriri nectar around dusk. One heard making soft begging calls g stance. Approached by one of the others, but missed whether fed as I dashed for my binos!
Two of the departed within 10 minutes, I've heard one roosting at this spot each night, and the other two fairly nearby.
I've seen them whenever here over the last 2 years, and been told by the landowner that the resident pair have raised young - the one who roosts at this spot appears to be last years offspring. Pines nearby, where they've previously roosted have been felled in the last 6 months, but it seems that she is confident of other nesting options!
Photos / Sounds
What
Vascular Plants (Phylum Tracheophyta)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
No photo in situ (found at night), but material collected.
Growing in a recently established garden bed, unsure whether planted or vagrant (brought in with soil perhaps?).
Photos / Sounds
What
Blue Passion Flower (Passiflora caerulea)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
location adjusted manually to precise shrub location
Prev reported c.2006, and controlled by GWRC (I presume) at the time
Photos / Sounds
What
Rewarewa (Knightia excelsa)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
First flowering of the season
Photos / Sounds
What
North Island Kākā (Nestor meridionalis ssp. septentrionalis)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Group of 5, in flight. Headed South
Photos / Sounds
What
North Island Kākā (Nestor meridionalis ssp. septentrionalis)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Sap feeding, trees opposite Civic Square entrance. Departed ul Victoria St, then hung a right into Bond St
Photos / Sounds
What
Field and Button Mushrooms (Genus Agaricus)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Common or garden field mushroom smell, brown spores, no yellow staining when base bruised/ cut
Photos / Sounds
What
Blewit (Collybia nuda)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Spores a pale buff colour
Photos / Sounds
What
Common Gilled Mushrooms and Allies (Order Agaricales)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Stipe colour mostly match pileus, but youngest one has distinctly white stipe. Spores are a matching buff colour
Photos / Sounds
Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Fairly sure it's not Lentinula. Smooth caps, largest were ~5cm, orangey-brown gills, and stipe mostly brown. Growing on fallen log, likely Cupressus macrocarpa
Photos / Sounds
What
Austral Dripping Bonnet (Roridomyces austrororidus)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Two clusters, both on pine cones
Photos / Sounds
What
Jewelled Amanita (Amanita junquillea)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
A little unsure if the species, as all specimens had very little of the annulus present.
Photos / Sounds
What
Kererū (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
In flight, heading west
Photos / Sounds
What
North Island Kākā (Nestor meridionalis ssp. septentrionalis)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Pair sighted, flying west to east from ~100m south
Photos / Sounds
What
Tataka (Melicope ternata)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Looks v close to Kohekohe, but one adjacent shows differences. Crushed leaf smell confirmed ID
Photos / Sounds
What
Nīkau Palm (Rhopalostylis sapida)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Nikau showing an interesting set of features. Seen within the trap network operated by Bay Bush Action - originating on nearby private land, and having expanded into Opua State Forest gradually over time
The lower trunk clearly records possum scratchings over a number of years. The claw marks left are a permanent reflection of possum densities in the areas prior history.
The upper portion of the trunk had little if any possum influence at all, reflecting the success of the trapping network in controlling possum numbers.
A flowering stalk was observed at the base of the crown, typically a valued food source for possums as the flowers emerge, and are often consumed before they flower and produce seed
Photos / Sounds
What
South Island Kākā (Nestor meridionalis ssp. meridionalis)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Evidence of sap feeding on totora.
Presumed South Island Kākā, but kea also present in the area
Photos / Sounds
What
Flax-Lilies (Genus Dianella)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Not sure if Dianella or not. Planted, early stages of flowering
Photos / Sounds
What
Therians (Subclass Theria)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Chew marks on Coprosma sp.
15/8/2019, photo added with scale, furrows approx 1.5mm per incisor
Photos / Sounds
What
North Island Kākā (Nestor meridionalis ssp. septentrionalis)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Heard making a racket, multiple birds at apparent roost site. Often heard in this area, and currently from about this time.
Heard again at 7:00, then two kaka heard & seen in flight from the North West, landing in pines between original roost area & tennis courts. Lots more screeching & other calls, estimate 4-5 individuals
Photos / Sounds
What
Kārearea (New Zealand Falcon) (Falco novaeseelandiae)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Male falcon observed taking a sparrow above road. Sparrow had just been clipped by a car, but recovered & almost at height of power lines. Falcon swooped out of Cupressus macrocarpa, game over.
Photos / Sounds
What
Kārearea (New Zealand Falcon) (Falco novaeseelandiae)Observer
bernardsmithDescription
Heard from >100m, approx location, harrying call
