As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Friday 7 February 2014

Large number of dead birds a concern

Why have a significant number of dead albatross washed up on Ripiro Beach?

Regular beach patroller Noel Hilliam says he saw 12 dead albatross washed up along about five kilometres of beach south of Glinks gully about two weeks ago.

"I've never seen anything like this before. You sometimes see the odd one but never this."

He says the birds appeared to have been dead for some time and were "looking pretty battered."

"I'd like to know what caused it. Was it starvation, something they ate or a big storm?"

Mr Hilliam contacted the Department of Conservation but had not heard back from them at the time of print.

A live but exhausted southern royal albatross was found on the beach in mid January and taken to the Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre where, despite initially improving, it died.

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