THE FLOCK CROSSES THE TASMAN

Very soon children along the Adelaide coast of Australia will start to make their own "Flock" of shorebirds. It will be called "Flock Oz"
We share some birds with them and Tony Flaherty, the co-ordinator, is adding some species we don't have in NZ. Like this Red-capped Plover (image J J Harrison)

You can see Tony and some of these birds in this video of the Samphire Coast  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WokMcl2yIw

Back in NZ the "FlockNZ" has grown by 83 birds. The school holiday programme at Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre has been a great success due to the efforts of Krystal, Louisa and volunteers, who willingly gave 75 hours of their time.

The "FlockNZ" has also grown in another way. Not birds this time but PREDATORS! They are the reason so many of our shorebirds are in trouble.

(Keith Woodley image of Black Stilt/Kaki)

The BRaid Group have been busy organising their "Flock" to appear in some very exciting places down in the South Island. One, though, is very significant. It is Twizel where, since 1981, great efforts are being made to save the rarest shorebird in the world, the Black Stilt/Kaki. In 1981 there were only 20 birds left! Once they lived all over NZ.

Like the Wrybill the Kaki is not very aware of predators, unlike it's close relative the Pied Stilt who survive much better.
www.miranda-shorebird.org.nz/theflock

BUDDING YOUNG CONSERVATIONISTS

We are just one week into the school holiday programme at Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre.

Each weekday children and their care givers have spent a couple of productive hours learning about our birds.

They have listened to stories of the shorebirds.

They have learned how to use binoculars and why birds carry flags and bands.

They have decorated cut-out birds to add to The Flock.

They have visited the hide and, helped by a band of enthusiastic volunteers, seen the real birds.

As you can see many new birds have joined The Flock. If this continues we will have over 100 new Flock members by the weekend. Numbers aren't everything though but we have passed our original goal of 600. The Flock has now reached four figures.

 As Jacques Cousteau said "People protect what they love". It is heartening to see that young people care.

Just yesterday we got to see the wonderful birds that had come to join The Flock from Ruru class, Oropi School, BOP.

These Wrybill are just a few of their birds. They are amazing. So much colour, creativity and care. Well done Ruru.
Young people can make a big difference. Tomairangi Harvey from Christchurch was just 11years old when she made an animated film about the conservation of the NZ Shore Plover/tuturuatu. Her film was so good that she won the "Best Young Film Maker" award at the Japanese Wildlife Film Festival of 2015.
Watch her film here http://theoutlookforsomeday.net/films/2014/009/

THE FLOCK VISITS OROPI

This week Jim Eagles went on a journey to Oropi in the Bay of Plenty. With him went "The Flock" from Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre.

Jim's daughter, Alex Eagles-Tully has been much involved in  the fledging a flock of birds from the Ruru team of Oropi School, to join "The Flock".

The welcoming of the new "Flock" members was a joyous event last week.

The students really enjoyed making these fantastic birds to join"The Flock" but more importantly they were thrilled to learn about them.

Many of these young enthusiasts will be coming along to Pukorokoro Miranda with their parents and siblings this school holidays to see the birds for real.

Thank you class Ruru at Oropi School for learning about and caring for our shorebirds, the birds you made to join "the Flock" are incredible.

THE SNOWBALL EFFECT

It all started with one Pukorokoro Miranda member and then it just snowballed. A short time ago Sietske de Jong, a Brownie leader heard about "The Flock"at the PM Shorebird Centre. She took the message to her Pippins and Brownies in Paeroa and they joined in.

They brought the beautiful birds they had fledged to the Shorebird Centre to join "The Flock".

The Pippins and Brownies also brought their brothers and sisters, their parents and their grandparents along as well. They all heard about the shorebirds and then they went down to the hide to see them for real. It is wonderful to have the new Flock members but even better that so many more people now know about our birds.YOU HAVE TO KNOW TO CARE and if you care about something you want to protect it.

This is Betty, another person who cares.She told the guys in the Mens' Shed in her retirement village, Resthaven Cambridge, all about "The Flock". Tom said "we can do that, we can make some shorebirds"

He wanted to know more about them so he and his wife took a trip up to the Shorebird Centre and he returned to Cambridge a supporter. Now he is known as "The Bird Man" Thank you Tom and the guys at the Resthaven Mens' Shed for caring about the birds.

This is a wrybill, people in the BRaid River Group down in the South Island do care too.
 http://braid.org.nz/
They need more people to know because this unique bird, with it's right turned bill is NATIONALLY VULNERABLE.
Wrybill were going along nicely in NZ until people arrived with their pest animals and plants. Before that their only predators were other birds who hunted by sight. Nesting wrybill have almost perfect camouflage.

Can you find this one? Thank you Steve Atwood and the Ashley Rakahuri Rivercare Group for the photo. Another group of folk who care https://www.facebook.com/ashleyrivercare/
Wrybill aren't used to feral cats and other predators who hunt at night using smell.Sadly many wrybill are killed on their nests and their eggs and chicks are eaten.

The Braid group do care.They would like help so they started their own wing of The Flock. It is growing which is good news for wrybills and all the other birds in the braided rivers of Canterbury.
 YOU can help by fledging a bird for The Flock. There is a great opportunity at Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre during the school holidays. Find out more.http://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2016/school-holiday-fun/auckland

The first holiday week 11-15 July the tides are good to see our shorebirds. 2,000 Wrybill in flight is a breath-taking and unforgettable experience. https://www.facebook.com/MirandaShorebirdCentre/videos/1138855132794853/ 
WE NEED TO KEEP THE BIRDS COMING! 
www.miranda-shorebird.org.nz/theflock