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What
Genus GrifolaObserver
ian_gDescription
Fruiting body about 12 cm across. Growing on fallen log of unknown tree.
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What
Deer Mushrooms (Genus Pluteus)Observer
ian_gDescription
Several mushrooms growing on decaying branch in the native bush in Dunedin Botanic Gardens. Has pink/brown spores.
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South African Mantis (Miomantis caffra)Observer
ian_gDescription
Mating pair of SA mantids found on pavement at Auckland.
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What
Spoonbills (Genus Platalea)Observer
ian_gDescription
One spoonbill seen by my dad on bank of Clevedon River.
Was beside two white-faced heron (Egretta novaehollandiae), standing on rocks in bank of river.
Observer doesn't remember as much facial contrast as is seen on P. regia with their black bill and legs, and on looking at pictures originally thought P. flavipes was better match.
Our book on NZ birds (Reader's Digest 1985) suggests P. flavipes had only been recorded once in NZ. And it looks like there are no subsequent NatureWatch observations of this species in NZ.
After discussion, confidence for having seen a spoonbill remained very high. Confidence for having seen P. flavipes was low.
Photos / Sounds
What
Kiwis (Genus Apteryx)Observer
ian_gDescription
One kiwi calling at night near Shag Bay, Coromandel Peninsula. Probably inland from where we were staying on boat (rather than the kiwi being on a beach).
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New Zealand Morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae ssp. novaeseelandiae)Observer
ian_gDescription
One morepork calling at night near Smokehouse Bay, Great Barrier.
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What
Kiwis (Genus Apteryx)Observer
ian_gDescription
Two or more kiwi calling at night near Smokehouse Bay, Great Barrier. Either on a distant beach or inland from where we were staying on boat.
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New Zealand Falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae)Observer
ian_gDescription
Alarmed bird calls in garden. Drew attention to a falcon flying overhead towards the east.
Unfortunately no time for pics.
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What
Land Planarians (Family Geoplanidae)Observer
ian_gDescription
71 pink flatworms seen on the pavement while walking around the block at night.
~40 of these outside just one ordinary looking lawn, must be a rich earthworm breeding spot.
one flatworm in the process of eating earthworm as in the first pic. Other flatworms seen with full bellies as in another pic.
pavement was wet, temp was cool 5.2 degrees, wind was moderate.
Photos / Sounds
What
Land Planarians (Family Geoplanidae)Observer
ian_gDescription
69 pink flatworms seen while walking around the block at night.
saw some poor earthworms being eaten, not how I imagined they'd do it... can eat a fair chunk of earthworm as seen in the swollen bellies of these flatworms!
pics 1 to 6 are the same individuals over about 40 minutes in a sequence running pic 2,1,3,4,5,6. pics 7 and 8 are the same individuals. the last pic is a 3rd flatworm and its prey.
pics 1 to 6 show the earthworms flesh changing colour as it is being consumed. The earthworm in question pulled itself free by leaving behind the tail that continued to be eaten. I don't know if the earthworm or the flatworm initiated this separation. But after getting their fill the flatworms seem to sever the connection with any remaining earthworm that didn't fit.
some flatworms were also drying out and were shrivelling up, but i imagine the survivors who successfully fed won't be hungry for a little while.
the ground had mostly dried out by now when it had previously been drizzling. 8 degrees celsius, low wind.
this is a later observation on the same night at the same location as this observation this observation, when I saw 66 pink flatworms several hours earlier.
Photos / Sounds
What
Land Planarians (Family Geoplanidae)Observer
ian_gDescription
66 light pink flatworms ranging from 20mm to 90mm, seen in a walk around the block.
later that night I went back and as in this observation I saw flatworms eating earthworms.
damp ground, light wind, 8.7 degrees celsius.
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What
False Widow Spiders (Genus Steatoda)Observer
ian_gDescription
2 brown spiders seen beneath different bits of driftwood at Kaitorete
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What
Hare's Tail Grass (Lagurus ovatus)Observer
ian_gDescription
a collection of seed heads that looks a bit perfect to be naturally collected beneath this hollowed log... perhaps a burrow
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What
Domestic Pig (Sus scrofa ssp. domesticus)Observer
ian_gDescription
two half pig skulls (not complimentary) found within a couple of meters of each other.
One has what appears to be a sharpened tusk?
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Katipō (Latrodectus katipo)Observer
ian_gDescription
2 female katipo found beneath their own bits of driftwood.
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Long-nosed Fur Seal (Arctocephalus forsteri)Observer
ian_gDescription
skull-less seal.
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Hoodwinker Mola (Mola tecta)Observer
ian_gDescription
sunfish. Probably the same as in previous observation one week prior: http://naturewatch.org.nz/observations/999831
Now missing a fin and has bigger hole cut in, also missing bones. Lots of bird poo around it now.
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What
New Zealand Mantis (Orthodera novaezealandiae)Observer
ian_gDescription
Liberated a male NZ mantis from a web, it essentially pulled itself off when I put my and by it. Unsure if web was occupied, but mantis does seem a bit unwell.
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What
Hoodwinker Mola (Mola tecta)Observer
ian_gDescription
Washed up sunfish (~1m length), someone has cut it open to get samples.
Apparently its the second one this year at Kaitoreti.
Fantastic how thick the skin is. The skin feels incredibly tough and very much like sandpaper.
Based on how thick and durable the skin is and how big it is, I think it'll linger here for a while
Photos / Sounds
Observer
ian_gDescription
a dead captive female thread bug in situ. didn't realize it was dead for about a week.
the second pic, shows a psocopteran that moulted on the thread bugs dead body
mated 3 or 4 weeks prior to this in these observations: one and two.
and had oviposited eggs in this observation.
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus EmpicorisObserver
ian_gDescription
thread bug eggs, from a captive pair raised from nymphs. lain from this pair
the eggs are really interesting. look well suited for being attached to webbing. they are mostly attached to psocopteran webbing. the bugs ate psocopterans, and although they weren't tested with a large range of food they didn't eat aphids, fungus gnats, scale or small webbed spiders. They seemed to have a good association with psocopterans.
one picture of an egg is really interesting, its been oviposited on what looks like an adults poo, this egg is missing most of the white hooks that the web-attached eggs have.
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus EmpicorisObserver
ian_gDescription
2 captive thread bugs mating. they had mated a week or so prior to this as well in this observation.
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What
Potato Psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli)Observer
ian_gDescription
an anystid mite being fed a tomato potato psyllid nymph
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Whirligig Mites (Genus Anystis)Observer
ian_gDescription
an anystid mite being fed a tomato potato psyllid nymph
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Subfamily TipulinaeObserver
ian_gDescription
a large cranefly, is it the native giant cranefly?
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Kōwhai (Genus Sophora)Observer
ian_gDescription
several sparrows really interested in the base of kowhai flowers. Do they rob the nectar?
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House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)Observer
ian_gDescription
several sparrows really interested in the base of kowhai flowers. Do they rob the nectar?
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Land Planarians (Family Geoplanidae)Observer
ian_gDescription
1 orange flatworm seen on pavement at night near a streetlight on a 1.5 km walk.
ground was dry; wind was low
forgot how daylight saving works, this might not have been late enough for them to be out yet. As this is an hour or two earlier than recent observations
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What
Dark-winged Fungus Gnats (Family Sciaridae)Observer
ian_gDescription
2 fungus gnats being used as food for praying mantis nymph.
one gnat was attacked and killed, but before the mantis could eat it, it was disturbed by the other gnat and so dropped its prey. the living gnat has tried multiple times to mate with the dead gnat.
