Banded dotterels - precious Hutt beaches residents
At the moment there are banded dotterels to be seen on our beaches. They are quite hard to spot so you have to get your eye in - check along the strip behind the Settlers Museum. It is important not to disturb the nesting sites around Eastbourne and Wainuiomata - these are roped off, and definitely please keep your dog on a lead in the middle section of Petone Beach (as all the signage where the dotterels like to hang out says!). Not going inside the roped off areas at nesting sites is really important - the chicks and eggs are so well camouflaged that it would be easy to step on a nest before you realised it was there. Unfortunately these little guys haven't had a lot of luck with their nesting with successive generations being wiped out by predators (usually domestic cats, but sometimes hedgehogs and rats in the Hutt), they are now listed as Nationally vulnerable and their numbers are declining. I'd hate to see them go extinct, which could happen in my lifetime if we don't take better care around their nesting sites. You might notice that some of the birds that turn up on Petone Beach have little tags on them - this is so researchers can track their movements and know which birds are successfully breeding. It's how we know that some of these little guys like to go spend the New Zealand winter in places like New Caledonia. The nest photo is taken when I was helping the Mainland Island Restoration Operation (MIRO) with their monitoring programme, but the rest were taken on Petone Beach just yesterday - they don't nest there fortunately, they just come around to Petone to feed.
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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53.7% Human-centred experience and communication
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14.6% Critical thinking
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29.1% Resilience and adaptability
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2.6% Other - I will share below!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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