Oyster Island location and what it was like before Nov. 2007 (logging) Nelson Mail article
What is it like under a pine forest?
2008
A list of the plants we found along the transect (March 2008)
Grass.... common
Nightshade... scarce
Iceplant ... scarce
Bracken ... scarce
Blackberry ... scarce
Tree lucerne ... occasional
Common = in every section, at least 25% Occasional = in some sections, up to 10 plants Scarce = not in many sections, less than 5 plants
A list of the birds we saw: Seagull, Oystercatcher, Godwits, Herons, Shag, Blackback gull, Stilts, Fantail (v. few)
[very few birds inland, almost all were shore birds]
A list of the plants we found along the transect (March 2008)
Grass.... common
Nightshade... scarce
Iceplant ... scarce
Bracken ... scarce
Blackberry ... scarce
Tree lucerne ... occasional
Common = in every section, at least 25% Occasional = in some sections, up to 10 plants Scarce = not in many sections, less than 5 plants
A list of the birds we saw: Seagull, Oystercatcher, Godwits, Herons, Shag, Blackback gull, Stilts, Fantail (v. few)
[very few birds inland, almost all were shore birds]
2009
A list of the plants we found along the transect (March 2009)
Grass ....full cover+
Bracken ...common
Tree lucerne... common
A list of the plants we found along the transect (March 2009)
Grass ....full cover+
Bracken ...common
Tree lucerne... common
2010
A list of the plants we found along the transect (Sept 2010)
Grass .... scattered
Bracken ... scattered
Ngaio .... scarce
Akeake ... scarce
taupata ... scarce
Tree lucerne ....common+/full cover
A list of the plants we found along the transect (Sept 2010)
Grass .... scattered
Bracken ... scattered
Ngaio .... scarce
Akeake ... scarce
taupata ... scarce
Tree lucerne ....common+/full cover
2011
A list of the plants we found along the transect (Aug 2011)
Grass ...scattered
Bracken ...scattered
Ngaio ...scarce
Akeake ...scarce
taupata ...scarce
Tauhinu ...scarce
Tree lucerne... common+/full cover/dominant
How does tree lucerne effect the environment? (in the first pic one looks cool, three look like they are suffering from heat stress!)
So what? (hint: it is an introduced plant, like the pines, but it has been allowed/encouraged to grow)
A list of the plants we found along the transect (Aug 2011)
Grass ...scattered
Bracken ...scattered
Ngaio ...scarce
Akeake ...scarce
taupata ...scarce
Tauhinu ...scarce
Tree lucerne... common+/full cover/dominant
How does tree lucerne effect the environment? (in the first pic one looks cool, three look like they are suffering from heat stress!)
So what? (hint: it is an introduced plant, like the pines, but it has been allowed/encouraged to grow)
2012
2013 March
August 2013
lots of native birds heard on the island this trip!
lots of native birds heard on the island this trip!
2013
A list of the plants we found
Grass ...scattered
Bracken.... rare
Ngaio ...some
Akeake ...some
Tauhinu ...some
taupata ...some
Tree lucerne ....common+/full cover/dominant
A list of the plants we found
Grass ...scattered
Bracken.... rare
Ngaio ...some
Akeake ...some
Tauhinu ...some
taupata ...some
Tree lucerne ....common+/full cover/dominant
February 2014
a few native birds heard on the island this trip!
a few native birds heard on the island this trip!
Looking cool under the tree lucerne....
August 2014
We heard a bellbird!!!!
We heard a bellbird!!!!
March 2015
A list of the plants we found
Grass... scattered
Ngaio ....common
Akeake.... common
Tauhinu.... common
taupata... common
Tree lucerne... less common
A list of the plants we found
Grass... scattered
Ngaio ....common
Akeake.... common
Tauhinu.... common
taupata... common
Tree lucerne... less common
Feb / March 2016
March 2017
A few fantails flittering & twittering about... thats cool
A few fantails flittering & twittering about... thats cool
Cyclone Fehi Feb 2018
March 2018
fantails and others flittering about
A list of the plants we found
(note this varies depending on whether covered by storm surge)
Grass... scattered in some places, common in others
Ngaio ...common
Akeake ...common
Tauhinu ...common
taupata ...common
Tree lucerne ...less common
fantails and others flittering about
A list of the plants we found
(note this varies depending on whether covered by storm surge)
Grass... scattered in some places, common in others
Ngaio ...common
Akeake ...common
Tauhinu ...common
taupata ...common
Tree lucerne ...less common
Feb 2019
no rain for ages
still few fantails and other birds
A list of the plants we found
(note this varies depending on whether covered by storm surge)
Grass ...scattered in some places, common in others
Ngaio ...common
Akeake ...common
Tauhinu ...common
taupata ...common
Tree lucerne ...less common overall, but growing back in some places
Trip(s) Feb 2020
Fantails and tui and cicadas
plant names below
Fantails and tui and cicadas
plant names below
First stop ... under the pines
Second stop
10-12 years after the start of succession (closer to the beach)
· Akeaka
· Tree lucerne
· Kānuka
· Tauhinu
· Grass
· Harakeke
· Ngaio
· Taupata
Third stop....site 1 (1 finger place)
3 years after cyclone (close to the beach)
· Taupata
· Tree lucerne
· Grass
Site 3: (2 finger place)
10-12 years (middle of the island)
· Akeake
· Pittosporum
· Kānuka
· Ngaio
· Taupata
· Grass
· Totara
· Harakeke
· Porapora
2 piwakawaka and 1 tui (2020... not 2021)
Second stop
10-12 years after the start of succession (closer to the beach)
· Akeaka
· Tree lucerne
· Kānuka
· Tauhinu
· Grass
· Harakeke
· Ngaio
· Taupata
Third stop....site 1 (1 finger place)
3 years after cyclone (close to the beach)
· Taupata
· Tree lucerne
· Grass
Site 3: (2 finger place)
10-12 years (middle of the island)
· Akeake
· Pittosporum
· Kānuka
· Ngaio
· Taupata
· Grass
· Totara
· Harakeke
· Porapora
2 piwakawaka and 1 tui (2020... not 2021)
2021 March 1
First stop ... under the pines
Second stop
about 13 years after the start of succession (closer to the beach)
· Akeaka
· Tree lucerne
· Kānuka
· Tauhinu
· Grass
· Harakeke
· Ngaio
· Taupata
Third stop....site 1 (1 finger place)
3 years after cyclone (close to the beach)
· Taupata
· Tree lucerne
· Grass
Site 3:
12-13 years (middle of the island)
· Akeake
· Pittosporum
· Kānuka
· Ngaio
· Taupata
· Grass
· Totara
· Harakeke
· Poroporo
Second stop
about 13 years after the start of succession (closer to the beach)
· Akeaka
· Tree lucerne
· Kānuka
· Tauhinu
· Grass
· Harakeke
· Ngaio
· Taupata
Third stop....site 1 (1 finger place)
3 years after cyclone (close to the beach)
· Taupata
· Tree lucerne
· Grass
Site 3:
12-13 years (middle of the island)
· Akeake
· Pittosporum
· Kānuka
· Ngaio
· Taupata
· Grass
· Totara
· Harakeke
· Poroporo
2022 Feb
First stop ... under the pines
· not much
· lots of pine needles
Second stop
about 14 years after the start of succession (close to the beach)
· Tree lucerne
· Ngaio
· Kānuka
· Tauhinu
· Grass
· Harakeke
· Taupata
Third stop....site 1 (1 finger place)
4 years after cyclone (close to the beach)
· Taupata
· Tree lucerne
· Grass
Site 3: (2 or 3 finger place)
12-13 years (middle of the island)
· Pittosporum
· Kānuka
· Ngaio
· Taupata
· Grass
· Tōtara
· Poroporo
This all pretty much applies to our 2023 trips too..... just add a year
· not much
· lots of pine needles
Second stop
about 14 years after the start of succession (close to the beach)
· Tree lucerne
· Ngaio
· Kānuka
· Tauhinu
· Grass
· Harakeke
· Taupata
Third stop....site 1 (1 finger place)
4 years after cyclone (close to the beach)
· Taupata
· Tree lucerne
· Grass
Site 3: (2 or 3 finger place)
12-13 years (middle of the island)
· Pittosporum
· Kānuka
· Ngaio
· Taupata
· Grass
· Tōtara
· Poroporo
This all pretty much applies to our 2023 trips too..... just add a year
2023 February
2024 February
These photos pretty much tell the story, more or less in order... I hope you remember the yarn that goes with each image
These photos pretty much tell the story, more or less in order... I hope you remember the yarn that goes with each image