Beaches and coastal areas

Coast and estuary

Wildlife

Coastlines, at the interface of land and sea environments, offer a rich diversity of habitats and support abundant and varied wildlife populations. In this zone three bird communities are mixed: the true seabirds, the coastal birds, and those of the estuaries and other coastal wetlands.

The Estuary, with the meeting of saltwater tides and freshwater rivers, is rich in both bird and fish life.

Important roosting grounds for many wading birds are provided by the Southshore Sand Spit. A number of the birds here and on the estuary are international migrants from the Arctic. One such migrant is the Eastern Bar-tailed Godwit.

The sea cliffs from Sumner to Godley Head provide nesting sites for spotted shag colonies. The isolated bays and coves at the base of Godley Head are home to White Flippered Penguin’s.

Pests and predators include rabbits, cats, ferrets and rats. Rabbits consume the vegetation, especially young shoots of important sand binders such as the native pingao. The use of poison baits is difficult in some areas where children play, and dogs are walked. For specific purposes e.g. on pingao, a repellent spray is used to deter rabbit foraging. To help protect the penguin colonies at Godley Head, a predator fence has been erected. Control of pests is generally ongoing in this environment.

Plant life

Some specialised plants and plant communities exist in the coastal environment, an environment that many other plants cannot survive in.

A mixture of native and introduced species are planted in our coastal areas. Native plants are established rather than exotics, except where coastal protection requires quick and efficient growth, or when exotic species offer better amenity values or have unique characteristics such as tolerance to foot traffic, salt laden winds and sand inundation.

The restoration of the native coastal vegetation environment, provides cover, habitat, and food for birds, lizards and insect communities.

Removal of unwanted weeds is ongoing. One of these is boneseed (Chrysanthemoides monilifera). Found in coastal areas, and very tolerant of dry soils, Boneseed smothers native plants and becomes a potential fire hazard.