No clue who this wee guy is. Found growing amongst boulders at Castle Hill.
Leaves ~10mm across, petioles <30mm
Lake margin.
I hadn't been entirely convinced that this was a different species to the common, widespread Pseudognaphalium luteoalbum, but seeing these creeping plants with woody stems has changed my mind.
Tiny spider looks spectacular with banana leaf background
I kid you not, found 1km up Gebbies Pass Rd. Unfortunately it passed away before we collected it. I work for DOC (hence the fact it’s on the back of a truck) and was IDed by another ranger because I haven’t a clue. Oddly, not the first seal blobbing up Gebbies Pass... if not a crabeater, another ID would be awesome.
Pair at Gouland Downs Hut. Both colour-banded.
Small, dull peripatus found under a rock at about 1500m asl. About 20mm long.
Kokako pair Francis & Zelah have taken up residence on private property opposite the boundary of mainland sanctuary Ark in the Park. The pair are obsessed with checking themselves out in any reflective surface, and have been spotted at neighbouring properties looking in windows, and on cars looking in mirrors.
The pair have nested on the property and produced a healthy chick which is preparing to fledge. Watched the pair feed on lawn weeds (incl. dandelion leaves), rewarewa flowers, kanono leaves and fruit, kiekie fruit and pukatea.
Fun, short video of the pair in the video link field.
Observed by CCC ranger and has been here several days this week.
Out and about on a kamahi trunk. Narrow band of century-old secondary kamahi-red beech-rimu-rata forest.
Approx. 2m long. White around face with black spots beneath. On shore but swam away after 10 mins.
Tiny flitting bird, no tail, running around trunks.
Lone bird arrived in Kerikeri Inlet. Associated with local Spoonbills.
Small group of black-billed gull at Harts creek feeding near the creek inlet to the lake. Interestingly a lone red-billed gull joined them and was promptly driven away.
Coprosma repens x robusta. I didn't even know this existed! It was growing underneath a rhododendron in a public park - I have taken it to grow on and observe how it turns out.
Yellowing off before the leaves drop
Approximately 10mm legspan and 5mm body. Found on our dogs paw-towel just inside our front door.
Location location location!
Sand coprosma has an ideal location overlooking the second creek.
Adult male noted on rawiritoa (Kunzea amathicola).
Location is obscured in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Conservation who administer Kapiti Island Nature Reserve.
Beautiful patterns but not native / endemic I bet :(
Growing on a lake margin.
Kaka gathering at a friend's house
@jacqui-nz highlighted for me these that were found down on the west coast at Karekare and wondered if they had been spotted at Otaipango - Henderson Bay. Seeing as these were spotted on the west coast I figured that the best place to find these were the Tohe - 90 Mile Beach and as I was going there that day, I kept an eye out for them and found them.
The photos that I have taken are mainly of ones still alive. I choose these photos as they highlight different parts of the animal - although somewhat blurry.
They are under 10mm in diameter, usually around 5 - 7mm. I also observed them swimming by closing the bottom and opening it, similar to how a jellyfish swims.
As we do not have an ID yet for this obs with it being a true jellyfish or maybe a Hydrozoa decided to go with Cnidarians initially as that encompases both Hydrozoa and Scyphozoa.
So here are a few more photos @clinton that may help with an ID or a difinitive class, if these in fact are the same that @jacqui-nz highlighted for me :)
Last photo (have to click the view all) shows them as blobs on the beach.
The location name is not accurate - Reason
Could this be box elder?
I see why you faved it Ed, it seems to be a spreading in Chch. How do I kill it?
Rare. At head height on Mountain Beech. Not possum browse on plant, due primarily to ongoing 1080 operations in area.
Pigeons have made their home in the earthquake shattered remains of Christchurch's Cathedral.
This is part of the recent planting done by community volunteers in Ernle Clark Reserve at the end of August this year. The Christchurch City Council paid for the plants, and now Council contractors have killed them. Yes, this is Christchurch.
I've made my observation ID totara, since that was one of the recognisable young trees killed. Several species are among the dead.
Formerly known as Iphigenia novae-zelandiae. Not seen at this site or around Christchurch for decades. About 30 plants in fruit. Another single plant was discovered a few days later at a second location. Photos taken by Kristina Macdonald.
This is a rant rather than a request for ID.
This is Hebe, planted some months ago in our local CCC managed reserve, and complete with 'plant guard'. A weed-eater has sliced through the guard and decapitated the plant. Plants without guards didn't stand a chance.
Our local reserve has had thousands of dollars spent on ecological restoration work and native planting. However, on three occasions subsequent 'weed eating' has undone some of that. Whilst restoraton is currently wining over 'destruction' this situation is not ideal, and not an isolated incident (viz Ernle Clark Reserve).
Christchurch City Council, if you want avoid bad publicity on an open forum like this then get your act together!
I do not like seeing my rate dollars being wasted in this way. Here's a few hints about what you might do to improve the situation ...
1) Ensure that at least one of the weed-eating gang know their plants,
2) ensure the foreman knows the site, and has relevent maps/plans,
3) ensure those maps/plans are kept up to date,
4) ensure the foreman recces the site and briefs the gang beforehand about the location of plantings,
5) equip the forman with a GPS/mobile data-enabled tablet or phone so they can make notes on your GIS, in the field, so repeat screw-ups don't happen.
I'm sure some of is probably SOP (at least I hope it is). If so then ensure SOP's are enacted. If these aren't SOP and are considered too expensive, then consider the balance between doing that and repeated pointless and expensive cycles of planting and destruction and bad publicity.
Found growing in thick bracken patch. Fluoro green colour.
Successfully re-floated on the full tide.
There seem to be many more pink katydids around our property this year compared to the last couple of years - has anyone else noticed this? Maybe I've just got an eye for them now.
Disturbed under the base of a tree fern. Nearest stream some 100mtrs away.
In attacking mode
From Causeway News - April 2016 edition: Visitor from the deep.
This visitor caused quite a stir when it decided to take a nap on the wharf at the Te Atatu Boat Club and is the latest in a long line of exotic wildlife we have welcomed to the project over the years. The leopard seal refused to let anyone past and for a couple of hours, people couldn’t leave or get to their boats.
Leopard seals have a disproportionately large head, massive jaws, impressive teeth and a tremendous gape that gives them a snake-like appearance.
One look at those teeth and Causeway team member Mike Ryan put safety cones in place and stayed nearby to warn unsuspecting Boaties until a DOC ranger arrived to assess the situation. As the DOC ranger pulled into the car park, the leopard seal rolled over, slipped back into the water and swam off towards the Whau Bridge.
Adult leopard seals are normally found along the edge of the Antarctic pack ice but in winter, young animals move throughout the southern ocean visiting New Zealand.
Females grow faster and larger than males and very large individuals can weigh up to 450kg.
Sitting on kiekie on the roads edge.
Had a quick spotlight along the driveway, after enjoying dinner at neighbours. Very exciting to extend the population range.
Weevils on rotting karaka and cabbage tree wood. Photos 3 & 4 show a large male guarding a female.
This is the location Chrissy Painting conducted her research at. Read her blog:
http://blog.forestandbird.org.nz/weasley-weevils/
First time a Travis Wetland Kahikatea is in full berry.
Seen routinely at this site recently.
My thanks to Mike Green for observation and photograph. Sightings are uncommon.
Small grey and black dolphin with rounded dorsal fin, as small pod was seen, including a possible calf.
I put in Allomycterus jaculiferus which is the one for NZ (Sea Fishes of NZ pg 131) and it changed to the above one and looking on the taxon page Allomycterus jaculiferus is crossed out .... so is this one that is not listed or one that has changed?
The last line for the entry in the book says The porcupine fish is widespread around the coasts and is restricted to NZ.
The WoRMS for Allomycterus jaculiferus says
Status Unaccepted: (Subsequent combination)
Accepted nameTragulichthys jaculiferus (Cuvier, 1818)
http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=343710
Egretta novaehollandiae - White faced heron.
I was lucky enough to have this fellow fly over my head and land in a tree, then having got my attention, fly to a pond and begin wading about. Most of the surface was dull at this hour, but there was a sweet spot, so I waited as he did his rounds skulking through the murk and waited for him to pass through the pools of color from the (just turning) autumnal foliage.
On silverbeet
Photo of last instar and adult
Lucky enough to catch a pair in one frame.
Almost everytime I go out in the field I hear or see these little chaps. My impression is they are doing just fine, they are just often not recognised or seen. Widespread in Nelson's scrublands.
Their call of 'ti' is so rapidly responded to by a partner that unless you are between them it seems for all the world like a two note call.
Friendly, and always curious to see who is 'invading' their territory.
Uncommon. Scattered plants growing on fine silt left by receding lake water. All parts strongly aromatic (smelling of rotting fish). Perianths divided to base, stamens 1(-2), seeds with obtuse margins. DNA voucher.
Voucher; PJ de Lange 12984 (UNITEC 7716).
Pseudoscorpion, approx 4mm long, dark brown/grey, living beneath rocks on stone wall.
Giraffe Weevil, approx 60mm long, Brown with orange markings along upper sides of shell casing. Antennae at end of long snout.Found on forest edge.
Feeding in understorey of rata-broadleaved forest
Lots of chicks and juvenile gannets at different ages.
Good number of large plants in the reserve, all showing no signs of predation
A shy brown and creamish bird, with the fern like tail. A reluctant flyer!
On runner beans. 6 mm body length
Growing on a scree slope
Sighting reported by Sharyn Smart off Paritutu
Exciting!! First time I have managed to spot two individual Archey's in one night and the second in a slightly different area this time! Fabulous foggy weather... almost a given!
Only two silver beech trees with mistletoes sighted.
Unusual mutated form of what is probably Pterostylis banksii. There were more than one plant displaying similar malformation, yet absolutely no evidence of any use of spray or poisons, bringing me to believe this is a natural mutation, one which is still fertile judging by the signs of swelling of the ovary. Such mutation of Pterostylis spp does occur naturally in a few places. eg Upper Morrison's Creek in Otago or Kellys Creek, Otira, West Coast