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female (unbanded) seen together with a male (zealandia banded 2020) several days in a row in the same area / looks like a new breeding territory. First time seen on Te Ahumairangi Hill

Photo by Melissa Boardman

An horrific find!

Bird dispersed seedlings of this terrible weed in the middle of a large remnant lowland podocarp sand dune forest. As far as I am aware this is THE only forest of it's type left.

The heavily browsed under story from years of cattle (gone) and deer (high numbers historically and presently) have reduced the understorey to unpalatable species only and let the light in. Now this ecosystem which in it's natural state would have been too dark for exotic plants to invade, is extremely vulnerable to bird dispersed invasive weeds spreading from the adjacent villages of Papatowai and Maclennan.

Recorded in this forest already in descending order of abundance are:

Blackberry abundant in places on edges as usual.
Himilayan Honeysuckle.

Darwin's Barberry. Common in edges and moving further in.

Rowan. Common in one corner.

Himalayan Cotoneaster abundant in edge and in clearings on landward side, seedlings in other edges.
European Holly. Only this patch of seedlings seen (but there will definitely be more especially on the Maclennan side).
Common Honeysuckle (Probably "Dutch Early Honeysuckle" Lonicera periclymenum var Belgica. One patch, on edge.
Cherry Laurel. Seedlings under beech canopy.

Probably here as young plants or seedling pioneers already (due to abundance close by) but not observed
yet in this block - unless the deer are cleaning them up:

Common Ivy.

European Black Elderberry
Spurge laurel
Chilean Flame Creeper.

Franchet's Cotoneaster.

Stinking iris.

Tutsan
Flowering currant
Bittersweet

Other bird dispersed invasive weeds (and potentials) found to date, close by in urban gardens and doc/Council land, but are still in the pioneer stage of invasion but not for much longer :

Wild Cherry
Japanese Flowering Cherry
"Wild" plum
Late Cotoneaster
Hollyberry Cotoneaster
Slender Cotoneaster
Japanese Honeysuckle
At least two "Rose of Sharon" St John's Worts
Arum lily.

Common privet.

Strawberry Tree
Korokia
Japanese Spindle Berry
European Spindle Berry
Black cherry (tbc)

Italian Arum
Gooseberry
Hardy Fuschia
Black Currant
Several other exotic fuschia
Himilayan Firethorn (tbc)
Common Yew
Wild Asparagus
Chilean Vanilla Tree

There will be more i haven't found yet. Will add information as it comes to light.

And that's just the bird dispersed ones! There are other weeds too that need attention.

COMPARISON OBS PLZ LEAVE AT GENUS LEVEL.

Comparison between:
Vespula vulgaris QUEEN.
V. vulgaris WORKER.
V. germanica WORKER.

For comparison with:
V. germanica QUEEN see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/35298484

For the two different QUEENS side by side see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/42534542

Complete set of castes germanica vs vulgaris see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/42536795

Complete set of germanica castes see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/42536794

Complete set of vulgaris castes see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/41663384

For ID of Vespula MALES see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/42040174
Also (with dissection):
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/116510663

For ID of Vespula WORKERS see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/41667758
And:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/69245344

For germanica QUEEN and MALE mating see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/42534531

The one in the cat's eye snail shell banged itself against the other one until the second crab left it's shell. Then first crab tried the other shell out for size before going back to it's original shell

Feeding in the shallows on a low but incoming tide. Was in the middle of a large number of oystercatchers and black backed gulls until the water level saw them depart. Had to fight off a couple of gulls to keep its catch. Flew off to the east after 20 min of observing.