2005 Year of the Robin.

Early in April a team of Great Barrier Island residents sailed to Tiritiri Matangi to capture North Island robins (toutouwai) for release on the Kotuku Peninsula in Port FitzRoy.

A smaller team of specialists from Auckland Regional Council ferried from Auckland and Gulf Harbour together with the cook and food supplies. The logistics of the operation were greatly assisted by Cliff Vernon making his 55 ft launch “Sieda” skippered by his son Andrew available to transport the Barrier team from Port FitzRoy direct to Tiritiri. After an overnight stay courtesy of Gulf Harbour Marina he returned the team to FitzRoy House. Fullers supplied transport for people, equipment and supplies from Auckland and Gulf Harbour to Tiritiri on the Sunday and Great Barrier Airlines flew the Auckland contingent back from the island.

image of a robin

North Island Robin

Once on the island all the gear and supplies were stowed in the bunkhouse and the equipment was taken to the garage. Here the team was introduced to Rowland Geraghty the young Irish ecology graduate who volunteered his time to spend the last three months on the island getting to know the robins and prefeeding the ones to be translocated. The boxes were then assembled for transporting the robins and Tim Lovegrove conducted a training session to induct everyone into the capture procedures. Four teams of three were organised with an experienced team leader and sent off to the various pre-designated bush areas on the island to capture adult robins. Once one or two birds were captured one of the team was despatched to deliver the birds to the aviary.

Anne Kernohan and Kevin Parker checked the bands, measured and sexed the robins before feeding and placing them in their transportation boxes. Care was taken to match pairs wherever possible. By midday on day two 27 robins had been successfully captured, only one of which was a juvenile. Unable to capture all of the females gave us an excess of four males when we received the results from the DNA tests.

On arrival back at FitzRoy House Anne, Judy and Kay fed and watered all the robins in their boxes. Early the following morning it was a tramp out to the furthest point of Kotuku Peninsula to release twelve birds, which were sent off with a short prayer for their safety.

children welcoming robins

Children welcoming the Robins

At 10 O’clock residents and visitors arrived together with the children from Okiwi School who welcomed the robins with a waiata. This was followed by a whakatau conducted by Rodney Ngawaka. After another waiata everyone proceeded up Glenfern Walk where the children released the remaining 15 birds. It was quite a moving experience. Then it was back to FitzRoy House for tea and cakes.

Rowland stayed with us till the end of May to monitor the robins and spent six days a week tramping the bait lines through Glenfern Sanctuary, Kotuku Scenic Reserve, and Orama to find and identify as many birds as possible. After he left Richard Goomes took over and by the end of June 23 of the original 27 birds released had been located. One had left the Peninsula entirely and appeared briefly at the Department of Conservation headquarters in Forestry Bay. Another was located in the bush 4 km along Mabey Road. Of the others seven pairs were identified, three in Kotuku Scenic Reserve, three in Orama and one pair in Glenfern Sanctuary.

The next stage was tracking the robins’ back to their nests after they started nesting so that the new chicks could be banded.

Tony Bouzaid