With the help of contractors Mike and Pat from WMIL (Wildlife Management International Limited) the RDWT held its first braided river bird survey over the weekend. We had great weather and willing volunteers and met our goal of walking approximately 20 km stretches of both the Rees and the Dart rivers, finishing at the delta.

All expected species of birds were encountered in varying numbers – black billed gull, wrybill, black fronted tern, black backed gull, South Island pied oyster catcher, wrybill and banded dotterel. An unexpected sighting of a godwit on the Paradise Beach (before the start of the survey) was a bonus!