On Friday we spent the night on Tiritiri Matangi Island, a pest-free sanctuary in the Hauraki Gulf about 75 minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland. The island has been occupied by humans since the early 1400s. The Māori originally settled small parts of the island but fled in the early 1800s due to conflicts with neighboring iwi (tribes). Shortly thereafter, a lighthouse and signal station were built on the island and European occupation began. The island was mainly used as grazing land for sheep and cattle for nearly 100 years. As a result, much of the island was denuded of the native trees and plants. In the 1980s, a plan was hatched to replant the island with native trees and remove all predators (i.e., rats, stoats, weasels, cats) so native birds could be reintroduced to the island, giving them a safe place to flourish.
In a ten year time span, volunteers planted over 280,000 native trees on the island. Once the pests were completely eradicated from the island, various native birds were released. The presence of pests is still monitored religiously on the island because a single rat could severely impact many of the bird and lizard species on the island. Many of the birds do not fly and/or nest on the ground because they evolved in the absence of predators. Volunteers recently found evidence of a rat on the island in one of the footprint monitors they have. After a few weeks, they managed to catch the female rat - and fortunately she was not pregnant nor had given birth on the island. Whew!
Many of the birds on Tiritiri Matangi cannot survive on the mainland because of the pests, so the island is one of the few places in NZ to see these species. The first time I went to the island was in 2005, and it is quite a different place in 2018. There are many, many more birds there now, a testament to the success of the restoration project. During our 30 hours on the island, we managed to see nearly all of the species present, including a tuatara (lizard-like species from the time of the dinosaurs). The only bird we did not see was the little brown kiwi; we did hear one, though. Half credit?
In a ten year time span, volunteers planted over 280,000 native trees on the island. Once the pests were completely eradicated from the island, various native birds were released. The presence of pests is still monitored religiously on the island because a single rat could severely impact many of the bird and lizard species on the island. Many of the birds do not fly and/or nest on the ground because they evolved in the absence of predators. Volunteers recently found evidence of a rat on the island in one of the footprint monitors they have. After a few weeks, they managed to catch the female rat - and fortunately she was not pregnant nor had given birth on the island. Whew!
Many of the birds on Tiritiri Matangi cannot survive on the mainland because of the pests, so the island is one of the few places in NZ to see these species. The first time I went to the island was in 2005, and it is quite a different place in 2018. There are many, many more birds there now, a testament to the success of the restoration project. During our 30 hours on the island, we managed to see nearly all of the species present, including a tuatara (lizard-like species from the time of the dinosaurs). The only bird we did not see was the little brown kiwi; we did hear one, though. Half credit?
The cliff-side pohutukawa trees were the only
trees that made it through the island's grazing history.
This beauty is estimated to be 200 to 300 years old.
trees that made it through the island's grazing history.
This beauty is estimated to be 200 to 300 years old.
fantail (or pīwakawaka - the Māori name)
saddleback (tīeke) - one of the two waddle birds
stitchbird (hihi)
cicada - the island was humming with these
bellbird (korimako)
wasp nest on the underside of a flax frond
brown quail - a non-native species that made it to the island
red-crowned parakeet (kākāriki)
juvenile takahē - we saw seven of these birds on the
island, nearly 2% of the entire remaining population!
island, nearly 2% of the entire remaining population!
adult takahē
the original lighthouse from the 1800s
Tuatara! (it looks red because of our lights)
morepork (ruru) - it has a call that sounds vaguely like more-pork
the ever-charismatic tūī
North Island robin (toutouwai)
and a first sighting for me - the North Island kōkako
the other waddle bird of the island - and a more elusive one
Having the opportunity to stay the night on the island was great. After the throng of tourists left the island at 3:30 pm, we only had to share the island with 15 other people until 10:30 the next morning. Magical.
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