Coastal reserve wonderland

Press, 4 August 1981, Page 14

Coastal reserve wonderland

At the very tip of the New Brighton Spit there is a coastal reserve which is an absolute wonderland for the young and old. It is a park with a difference. It is a natural area that has been left just as it is — and it is not just the birdlife of the area that appreciate it like that.

interested, careful visitors can observe as many as 29 different species of birds. For hundreds of years this spit has been the destination for as many as 2000 godwits who spend the summer here after their long flight from Asia and Alaska.

They mainly feed on worms, crabs, snails and shrimps found in the soft mud of the estuary. As the days get cooler they can be seen assembling for their long journey back. The pied oyster catchers' also use this spot as their winter home when the moun-

tains have got too cold and food has become scarce. It takes a lot of food to fill a pied oyster catcher — on average 370 cockles every day.

To keep these birds happy and well fed they need an uninterrupted dinner time as the cockle beds are only

exposed by the tides for a short time each day and they have to do a lot of searching and shell opening in a very limited time. Sometimes there are as many as 4000 birds.

Many other birds live on or around the spit and need a quiet life.

Terns, shags, gulls and pied stilts are reasonably common and when food is scarce inland, many flock to the spit where they know there is plenty.

Ducks, swans and geese are also occasional visitors to the area.

This is a natural park that can be a happy place to visit for everyone — especially if you leave your dog at home.

Good conservation is sometimes just to leave nature alone and to be a very' considerate visitor.