Tucker Beach Wildlife Reserve

01/09/2026

Our friends up river have some community mahi planned for this Saturday if you can join them.

🌱 Community Planting Day is coming up on Sept 5th at Tucker Beach Wetlands - come on out and lend a hand.

The Tucker Beach Residents Society, the Department of Conservation and partners are getting around 1,000 native plants in the ground to help restore this beautiful wetland for future generations.

The planting holes are already prepped, so all that's needed is helping hands.

📍 Tucker Beach Recreation Reserve car park - meeting point: maps.app.goo.gl/BRHnTN5ZkwvG8xWU8
🕘 9.00am
☕ Morning tea provided

Bring gloves, warm layers and gumboots or sturdy footwear.

Come for an hour or stay the whole morning, whatever suits.
It's a great way to give back to a place we all love.

01/09/2026

Here's a view of early season "shenanigans" on the Cass Delta. Thanks for sharing team Kaikoura!
Locally, listen out for the high pitched "chip" calls and that chortlely skirmish call, ("chee-aree-aree") that puffed up territorial birds make... they are the sounds that indicate nesting is imminent or underway.
Please keep dogs on lead, and withdraw if you're hearing these banded dotterel calls or seeing this sort of territorial behavior.
Signs are now up..

29/08/2026

The braided river birds are back and exploring last year's nesting areas in the Tucker Beach Wildlife Management Reserve.
The recent high river has done some reshaping, but we get that, and so do the birds.
Black-billed gulls are sitting on the colony site, black-fronted tern are flying recce runs along the river and 6 banded dotterels flew off to forage somewhere else for now; they'll be back!

19/08/2026

We have an awesome team of 5 volunteers helping us to put our first tracking tunnel cards into our new tunnels today and taking them back out tomorrow! We're looking forward to sharing the results.
For our dog walkers, there is only a blob of peanut butter in the tunnels; please don't let your labradors snack!!! 😆
Thanks to Otago Regional Council for helping the Whakatipu Wildlife Trust help us!!!

16/08/2026

This post covers two Reserves. The "Frisbee Golf " is on the Recreation Reserve upstream, the Wildlife Management Reserve is on the next river bend below the Kimiakau Bridge.

16/08/2026

NOTICE : Magtoxin will be used in the Reserve from Monday 17th August.

DO NOT LET DOGS DIG
We will have Phoenix SPB Ltd working with their team of dogs & ferrets starting Monday. They will also be burying Magtox in rabbit burrows.
Please do not let your dogs dig into rabbit holes.
Active holes are marked with orange flagging tape, treated holes will be marked with green tape. Treat ALL holes with caution.
This work with be ongoing (subject to funding).
Rabbits killed using this method are NOT dangerous to dogs.

17/07/2026

The braided river birds will be making their way back to inland breeding habitats soon, and with them comes the risk that some may be carrying H5N1 bird flu. New Zealand's 2nd case has been confirmed in a Harrier. Please familiarise yourself with the symptoms of this virus and know when to report a suspected case to the Ministry of Primary Industries.

If you see three or more sick or dead wildlife, please call the MPI exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 809 966.

Signs of the spreading Bird Flu virus can include:
• Weakness or lethargy
• Difficulty standing or walking
• Tremors, seizures or other neurological signs
• Twisted neck
• Head pressing or circling
• Difficulty breathing or gasping
• Swollen eyes or head
• Sudden death, sometimes without obvious signs.

To keep yourself safe, please follow the advice given on the Biosecurity New Zealand website. This includes:
* Keep your distance. Stay away from sick or dead wildlife. Keep pets away too. Do not touch or move sick or dead birds.
* Keep clean. Wash your hands and clean your footwear, clothes and any gear when moving between outdoor areas, and especially if you've been near known or suspected cases.

Information that can be helpful for MPI investigators includes:
• An accurate location of the birds (GPS readings or precise descriptive location information)
• Photographs and/or videos of sick and dead birds
• Estimates of the number of birds affected and the species
• Descriptions of the visual symptoms of illness in sick birds
• How many sick or freshly dead birds are present
• An estimate of how long the birds might have been down.

More information is posted on the MPI website:

23/05/2026

On Wednesday last week the Tucker Beach Wildlife Trust hosted a group of local Trappers. The Southern Lakes Sanctuary and PredatorFreeNZ ran two trapper workshops with Cam Speedy sharing his knowledge with trappers from Bobs Cove to the Arrow River and 3 of our volunteers.
Thanks for facilitating this in the Tucker Beach Wildlife Reserve, we hope the second workshop at Lake Hayes was also fantastic.

05/05/2026

Tucker Beach Wildlife Reserve neighbours Robyn and Richard grew and generously donated 700 silver tussocks to aid with the creation of lizard habitat at Tucker Beach. Today, that vision became reality with a small, but efficient crew finding homes for 400 tussocks! Thank you to all involved - what a great autumnal day out.

01/05/2026

We desperately need your help!

Flash planting mob - Tuesday 5th May.

Starting 9am 282 Tucker beach road, just park at the top on the grass verge - follow your nose down to the Queenstown Trail and the signs will guide you the rest of the way. It’s a 10-15min walk to site.

Basically - we have a whole lotta tussocks to get in the ground and very little funding. Bring a spade, gardening gloves and a can do attitude. Stay as little or as long as you like.

Flick Aimee a text 021495007 if you can come!

Happy planting!