The Australasian Gannet’s breeding season is almost at a close. There are still some adult birds in the colony feeding up their chicks so they are ready for their great journey to Australia. Some who have hatched late in the season still with their fluffy white coats, stand out among their peers with their juvenile […]
End of the breeding season at Muriwai Read More »
The white-fronted terns also nest at Muriwai alongside the gannets. On my previous visits there two years ago, the tern population was much larger however with the gannet colony ever expanding, the terns have moved to other areas along the beach. A small number remain on the banks that are not totally stripped of vegetation.
December/January Road Trip – Part 5 Read More »
We are back at Muriwai and the gannets for this post but with a bit more of a focus on behaviour and nest building. This is where I see the biggest difference between the Muriwai colony and the Cape Kidnappers colony (I will get to them in a later post as they are further on
December/January Road Trip – Part 2 Read More »
The gannet colony at Muriwai beach is very different from what I have been used to in the past at Cape Kidnappers. The same species of bird but they adapt to their environment in many different ways. The nests at Muriwai was less decorated, made using dry grass and sticks, even bits of rope –
Muriwai Gannet Colony Read More »
While I was watching the gannets at Muriwai I noticed one that was a different colour. I was slightly confused because I had read that when the gannet chicks first fly, they continue out to sea and off to Australia in their first flight, so I knew it wasn’t a young gannet. I photographed it
Having never been to the Muriwai Gannet Colony before I had no idea what to expect. I had been told you can’t get as close to them as you can at Cape Kidnappers but I suspect that is slowly changing because the colony is obviously growing and the birds were indeed fairly close to the
Muriwai Gannet Colony Read More »
On our way North we stopped by the gannet colony at Muriwai (these will be the subjects of my next post) and I was very surprised to see nesting white-fronted terns in between the gannets on a steep bank. Unfortunately I didn’t have my extender with me so these are crops and not the best
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