September Birds New Zealand magazine published
November 3rd, 2024
The September 2024 edition of Bird New Zealand magazine has been published with a cover photo of a Royal Spoonbill Kōtuku-ngutupapa by Mike Ashbee. This edition contains illustrated reports on our 2024 annual conference and AGM, and news that Natalie Forsdick is the new President of Birds New Zealand, and news of the 2024 Peter Schweigman Memorial Royal Spoonbill Colony and Nest Count.
The AGM report lists our 2024 award winners and includes the citations for Colin Miskelly, who was elected a Fellow of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand (OSNZ) and Raewyn Empson who was awarded the 2024 Robert Falla Memorial Award, both for their distinguished service to the OSNZ.
It also reports on Murray Williams, Colin O’Donnell and Dianne Johns each receiving a New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours list.
There are reports that Ian Armitage is the new Vice President, Mark Ayre and Martine Darrou are new Councillors, and Jeanette Brooker (Waikato) and Pete McClelland (Southland) are new regional representatives.
This edition contains the results of the 2023 national wader census and the 2023 annual reports for the Beach Patrol Scheme and the Records Appraisal Committee.
There are illustrated reports on our 2024 Bird Atlas expedition in the Wairarapa by the NZ Bird Atlas Team, a recent Marlborough birding weekend report by Alison Balance, and a report from Fledgling Fund recipient Oscar Thomas. Obituaries are also published for Peter Schweigman and Hazel Harty (nee Fielding).
Other news reports include the adoption of a new OSNZ Constitution, new research into the decline of the Australasian Bittern in New Zealand funded by the 2024 David Medway Scholarship, and the publication of a new book entitled Birds of the Nelson Region and where to find them funded by the Birds New Zealand Projects Assistance Fund.
There are also quarterly reports from our new President Natalie Forsdick and Regional Roundups from all of our regional representatives, plus the bi-annual Bird News illustrated report on unusual and interesting bird sightings from around the country over the previous six months.
The link to the low-resolution PDF of the magazine is here: https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Birds-NZ-Magazine43_September-2024.v4_web.pdf