Crested grebe focus of lots of searching over the weekend

The pūteketeke Australasian crested grebe, announced the Bird of the Century in 2023 was the focus of lots of searching over the weekend.

The annual national pūteketeke Australasian crested grebe census organised by Rosalie Snoyink and Leslie Jensen from Forest and Bird was held throughout the country over the weekend and included searching in some remote parts of the Hurunui district.

 

North Canterbury Fish & Game Officer Matthew Garrick says “We were in the Lake Sumner area for a planned compliance patrol to check on anglers following the rules when the organisers asked us to help out. Grebes are relatively rare in the North Canterbury area, but they stand out quite a bit compared to other birds so we were able easily search for them whilst patrolling the lake”.

“We found four grebes on Lake Marion which is a fantastic high-country lake a short walk from Lake Sumner. Sumner and the surrounding lakes are definitely a jewel in the district’s crown and are well worth visit especially over the coming long weekend”. 

“There were a lot of people out in the area making use of the many recreational opportunities the area offers, and it was great to be able to interact with them and see them out there”. 

Angling compliance was high amongst the those checked in the area, with only one angler requiring follow up work.