The latest Ōhiwa Harbour shorebird count in November saw the largest count since records began in 1984, of 4289 birds.

This was because the kuaka/godwit count was very high this year, with more than 3400 birds observed. Kuaka/godwits started to arrive late October, in three large flocks, and have now mobbed up into one big flock.

The birds congregate on the eastern end of Whangakopikopiko at two hours either side of high tide and can easily be seen from Ōhiwa Harbour Road.

During the count, a lone Eurasian (eastern) whimbrel was spotted amongst the kuaka/godwits, and a Pacific golden plover.

Taranui/Caspian terns and tara/white-fronted terns are struggling to find nesting sites as large sections of their previous nesting sites have been washed out by larger tides over the last year.  

A few have safe places, but there will not be the large numbers of nests, as there were last year.

Tuturiwhatu/New Zealand dotterel numbers remain steady at 33, and this year, they have been successfully hatching their chicks on Whangakopikopiko and Ōhiwa Spit, but not on Ōhope Spit, which suffered erosion during the winter.

Mithuna Sothieson, a keen observer, saw a grey-tailed tattler amongst the kuaka/godwits at Ōpōtiki Harbour, which was the first record for this species in the area.

The bird counts are now being undertaken simultaneously at Ōhiwa Harbour, Whakatāne Harbour, and Ōpōtiki Harbour.

This will help to monitor how and where the birds are hanging out, because global warming, storm surges, and coastal erosion are changing the face of the shorelines.