Yes I have been a bit quiet on here lately. Primarily as I have spent the last 2 month on leave from the museum working as a volunteer on different conservation projects.

Here is a small selection of photos.

First ones are from Whakanewha Regional Park on Waiheke Island where I spent three weeks doing pest monitoring and checking on the baby dotterels development.

Welcome back

Awesome Pics you got there

Lyndyloo

The next set of photos are from Whatupuke island where I spent 2 weeks working on the rat monitoring/eradication project. Whatupuke island is one of the chickens of Hen and Chickens fame. Story goes that a single rat was caught so I was over there establishing tracks all over the island (so no spot is more than 150m from a trap and monitoring tunnel) to asses whether is was a single intruder or one of many on the island. While I didn't see any signs of rats there was plenty of wildlife to keep me amused. (sorry about the dirty fingernails!)

Nice pics - don't know about the Stoat, though, looks like the dog is terribly interested in it!

very nice :bounce:

8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: 8) 8) 8) :bounce: 8) :bounce: :bounce:

Sorry, I have been having a few troubles with getting the photos up, which is why the ones of the petrel and the tute are so small. In case people are interested- and Im going away at 7 am tomorrow photos are of- from top-

-Pied Stilt

-Stoat (and dog!)

-Baby dotterel

-OB YG (Adult male dotterel- father of chick)

-Juvenile saddleback

-Some small petrel (sorry I am not up with my seabird i.ds)

-holding a tuatara

-Deuvecals gecko (again being held by me)

-Mum and chick Saddleback.

-Male bell bird taking flight

Awesome photos David :bounce: :bounce:

Caper

can you keep stoats as pets?

...PS.. nice photos!

Who's been having fun then hmmm? :lol:

that geckos mad

i envy you thanks for sharing the pics

-Some small petrel (sorry I am not up with my seabird i.ds

Looks like flesh footed shearwater. Did you see any chicks, they should have hatched by now.

They often like getting in the thick flax on hill faces.

hmm na I didnt see any chicks unfortunately.

And no you cant keep Stoats!!! That one was caught in a live capture trap (the metal box it is in). It was actually flown down to Christchurch so Lincoln Uni could do some studies to improve stoat trapping techniques. Quite cool actually.

Thats a bummer

they look cute.

sorta like this guy:

only not. :lol:

do you have any more pics of the stoat?