A Small Seaside Settlement- Sandspit

Real-time

We left Shakespear Park heading north once again. We were hoping to stay at another couple of Auckland Regional Parks along the way but they were all either closed for winter, closed because of the ground conditions or had size restrictions. 

I was feeling a little despondent because I had wanted to explore some of the North Auckland area before we arrived in Northland. Usually when we travel this route, we're on a mission; it's getting from A to B and through Auckland and out the otherside- north or south- as quick as possible. This time I wanted to see a little bit more; it's been a long time since we've been in the area.

As we approached Warkworth, I was scanning the NZMCA parking app, checking the location of places available (or not as the case may be) and bemoaning the fact that I didn't really want to carry on to Northland without at least  a couple of days exploring the coastline. And that's when the Sandspit Holiday Park jumped out at me!

'Let's give that a go'. I said, just as we approached the notorious SH1 bottleneck intersection at Warkworth. We made it into the right lane just in time! 

Sandspit Holiday Park's quirky welcome- thought we ere visiting the
 West Coast's Shanty Town for a moment!

We usually stay at motor camps when we need to give the batteries a boost or do the laundry, neither was needed but it was great to have a lovely base from where we could explore for a few days.

We would have liked waterfront but those sites had just been re-grassed and then the site we thought we'd get into was very soft underfoot so we decided to back into a bigger area under the trees just off the road frontage. 

Even getting into the casual camping area was a tight fit, David had to back in from the entrance but we were very pleased with ourselves when it went smoothly and we parked perfectly! That was until I realised we'd made a rookie mistake. No TV reception! We were under the trees, even though they had no leaves. I mean, how long have we been doing this? I blame it on the two months parked in suburban Napier, we forgot one of the basics. Check reception before you unhitch! 

Well we weren't shifting so that was that, no TV for three days. Luckily we could watch TV On Demand on the iPad for the news and a couple of programmes but internet reception wasn't that hot either so in the end I gave up and processed a whole heap of photos instead.

Sandspit is a small seaside settlement on the edge of a large estuary which is fed by the Matakana River. It's also the gateway to Kawau Bay and the wider Hauraki Gulf area. Water taxis and tour boats leave the Sandspit Wharf to visit Kawau Island.

Sandspit also has a large boating community and a fairly new marina on the inland side of the spit.

There's a small wetland and mangrove swamp between the camp and the marina, and now with my newfound knowledge on Banded Rails I suspected that there would be a few hiding out in there. I got up before daybreak the next morning and crept along the edge of  mudflats beside the mangroves not 50 metres from our front door which was very cool. 

There was nothing in the first area so I moved on to the next mudflat beside the wharf carpark, not expecting anything as it was much more open. Famous last words!  I sneezed as I moved into the open and couldn't believe my eyes when not one, but three banded rail shot out from the mangroves right below my feet, streaking across the mud and disappearing into the scrub on the far side. No camera ready of course, but never mind, I was thrilled to see them. Talk about feast or famine. I went again the next morning but nothing, I even sneezed hoping for a repeat performance. 

Sandspit Holiday Park is mostly full of baches, cabins and permanent caravans; there's no doubt it would be a very busy place during the summer months. Many generations of Kiwi families would have holidayed here over the years, it's the perfect place for boating, fishing and for children swimming in the shallow waters when the tide is in.

Baches line the waterfront from the park right along the edge of the shallow estuary just above the tide line and below quite a steep bush covered hill.

There's obviously a theme going on with the bach names, a bit like the hidden West Coast fishing village of Kwitchatown which we visited near Haast. The little bach right at the entrance to the holiday park was named Starter Box; personally the Wine Box wins my vote.

I thought I'd found my dream setting a little further along, this bach was set a bit further away from the other holiday homes.

That was until I spied another bach hidden underneath a huge pohutukawa further along and around the next bend.

With no road and only low tide access, this would be a place to get away from it all. And I bet generations of the same family have spent their summers here. 

...it also had a very kiwiana sculpture in the 'front garden'; no doubt made from all the lost jandals that float in on the tide. Which reminds me of a jandal that broke while I was on a turtle spotting canoe tour in Bali, the guide paddled around in the rocks for a short time and then handed me a jandal he scooped out of the water. Of course it didn't match, it was a different colour and a different size but with my good one, it did the trick until I was able to buy a new pair a few days later.

An Open Sanctuary; Part 2- On the Rail Trail

Real-time

I wonder how many people have seen this bird in New Zealand, let alone know of this bird?

That is a Banded Rail/Mioweka and it is one very shy and secretive bird. 

And it was a  'big wahoo for me!!!' < that's me jumping up & down. I have finally been able to tick the Banded Rail off my virtual 'Bird Life List'. It's only taken me five years of scanning every saltmarsh and estuary we've ever parked near or explored to find one! I keep my 'bird list' in my head not like genuine Birders who photograph & record every aspect of a sighting but it was pretty exciting all the same.

The road to Okoromai Bay

I knew there had been quite a few sightings of Banded Rail in Shakespear Park and that the birds were a little less shy due to the number of people that visit the area, so I got a heads up from an acquaintance on one of the Facebook birding forums I belong to. She lives nearby and spends a lot of time at the park bird watching.

Once I knew where to head, it was 'just' a matter of spending some time scanning the marshes with our binos and looking out for any movement along edges of the mangroves and grasses. David went along one side, I went up another. What a job that is; it's still not easy and you really do have to keep your eyes peeled. There are plenty of Pied Stilts/Poaka who are quick to give the game away as you approach.....

...and even more so if you are near a nesting Pied Stilt.

There's a Banded Rail in the photo below (click to enlarge), you probably won't see it, it's too far away but I've arrowed the spot so you can see (or not as the case may be) how far away we were from the bird spotted. And spotted by none other than my 'bird spotter extraordinaire' David, who has a very good eye (and patience) for this sort of challenge.

It came wandering out of the mangroves following the tide line along as it searched for snails, worms and crabs, along with anything else tasty it found. They are very well camouflaged amongst the mangrove pneumatophores (aerial roots).

Once David spotted it he had to try and grab my attention as I was away off down the road. I could see this little stick figure waving his arms about so I hurried back towards him (he'd sent a text but I had my phone on silent). As soon as the rail spotted my movement (and I was a long way away from it too) it shot back into the mangroves. The nearby Pied Stilt didn't help with it's high pitched alarm call.

We quietly waited for it to venture back out into the open and then watched it weave up and down a small open patch for quite awhile. Once it had finished and moved off out of sight we searched again, along both sides of the road but failed to find another bird. Not too worry, I was more than happy to have finally seen a Banded Rail!

But then a little niggling thought kept playing in my head for the rest of the afternoon and everytime I woke during the night. So there I was, up before the crack of dawn and back down at Okoromai Bay where it was like Piccadilly Station with at least 10 Banded Rail feeding on the grass verge along both sides of the road. As soon as they spotted the vehicle they were off, some across the road, others into the nearby undergrowth (and looking like little mini road runners as they streaked across the tarseal). A couple even flew off- they are strong but reluctant fliers. I've lighten this photo alot, it was still very dark outside.

And this one has been lightened too, this rail stood still in the saltweed. That was until I moved to get a shot out the window and then he was off too.

I watched as several birds, heads down snaked their way quickly through the weed until they reached the cover of the high scrub on the far side of the saltpond and disappeared.

And then I quietly watched from inside the cab with the window down as I scanned the edges waiting for them to reappear. Some even moved back out onto the grass verges beside the road, but always far enough away that I couldn't get a good shot. And then the morning influx of daily runners/jogger/walkers and dogs started arriving which put those ones back down for good.

On the far side of the wetland, two birds came out of the undergrowth together, can you see them? Their camouflage colours work really well here too.....all the time they have their heads down and weren't flicking their tails.

I think they were a pair, they stopped to say hello to each other when their paths crossed as they worked their way back and forth through the saltweed. 

Another bird, making it's way along the back edge, went to check out a bunch of reeds and wandered into their space, it was soon chased off. 

Banded rail  were once widely scattered throughout New Zealand. They have now disappeared from almost all of the South Island and only occur around Nelson and Marlborough. It's thought that they have now disappeared from the lower half of the North Island as well.

Rails spend much of their time feeding under mangrove cover when the tide is out and when it's in, in rushes, tall grass and scrubland in the upper reaches of estuaries. Habitat clearance and drainage has had a significant impact on the banded rail population nationwide. Over 90% of lowland wetlands have been drained and cleared for agriculture since Europeans settled New Zealand. 

I was thrilled to finally be able to say I have seen a Banded Rail and not just one Banded Rail, at least a dozen! Long may they survive in this special little bay (outside the Shakespear Park's predator fence) and not far from suburbia.