Bird Workshop Whangateau Hall

Entry is free, but please REGISTER on the tickets link tab above…

This workshop will focus on the diverse birdlife of northern Aotearoa’s harbours, estuaries, open beaches, coastal wetlands and nearshore waters. It will bring together seabirds such as Caspian and white-fronted terns, gulls, gannets and shags; resident and migratory shorebirds; and some of our more cryptic coastal and wetland species, including bittern, spoonbills, fernbird, banded rail, spotless crake and marsh crake. We will also include species such as ōi/grey-faced petrels and kororā/little penguins that nest on mainland headlands, as well as gannets, terns and shearwaters using open bays and waters close to shore.

The aim of the workshop is to encourage people to take a greater interest in the coastal birds that many of us live alongside every day, while building knowledge and skills for their conservation. It will also provide an opportunity to connect people undertaking bird surveys and monitoring with community groups and others working to restore coastal wetlands, estuaries and catchments across northern Aotearoa.

The morning and afternoon presentation sessions will include:

• Opening and karakia
• Introducing the birdlife – a photographic journey – Edin Whitehead
• Fuelling the birds, life in our estuaries, harbours and tidal wetlands – Prof Simon Thrush (Marine Science, University of Auckland)
• Surveying coastal birds and establishing effective monitoring programmes – Adrian Riegen (Birds New Zealand)
• Update on Tara iti, Aotearoa New Zealand rarest breeding bird species – Tara iti Working Group (DOC)
• Coastal bird monitoring programmes for Caspian Terns and use of drones for coastal and wetland species (Meg Graeme and Hamish Kendal, Natural Solutions, Coromandel), shags (Gaia Dell’Ariccia, Auckland Council) and bitterns and other cryptic wetland species (Alex Flavell-Johnson, Shorebird Trust)
• Living alongside birds – Marie Ward (Omaha Shorebird Protection Trust), Karen Baird (Leigh and Ti Point Penguin Group)
• Exploring novel approaches to establishing artificial nesting and roosting areas (Shaun Lee)
• Restoring our harbours, estuaries and tidal wetlands –Tiaki Ngā Wai O Hokianga (Hokianga Harbour Care Group), Whangateau Catchment Collective, Te Ārai Ecological Sanctuary
• Conservation education (coastal birds and habitats) – Susan Steedman (NZ Fairy Tern  Charitable Trust), Yuin Khai Foong (Sir Peter Blake Marine Education & Recreation Centre),

The Seabird Trust will showcase our resources:

• Seabird ID Flip cards (NEW!!)
• Posters
• Online resources, including four webinars
• There will be an update on the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and the importance of continued awareness and vigilance

There will be displays and stands under gazebos outside the hall:

• Birds New Zealand
• Auckland Council
• The Seabird Trust
• and more to be confirmed

Website: www.nzseabirdtrust.com