Observaciones de bernardsmith

Vine rooted and growing entirely amongst lawn at this stage.

Location approx. Image not so well geotagged by phone, so see second image for on the ground orientation

Location adjusted 8/11/23, in line w/ road centre marks on aerial

Dotterel pair, unsure of species. Rusty in front, but not close enough/ binos at home. One has a rustier front than the other, but not familiar enough to make a call on it & unsure if breeding plumage would be clear yet.

Edit - a third bird nearby, within 20m; maybe prev year's juv?

Nikau showing an interesting set of features. Seen within the trap network operated by Bay Bush Action - originating on nearby private land, and having expanded into Opua State Forest gradually over time

The lower trunk clearly records possum scratchings over a number of years. The claw marks left are a permanent reflection of possum densities in the areas prior history.

The upper portion of the trunk had little if any possum influence at all, reflecting the success of the trapping network in controlling possum numbers.

A flowering stalk was observed at the base of the crown, typically a valued food source for possums as the flowers emerge, and are often consumed before they flower and produce seed