Enjoying the bush

Le Roys Bush is very popular with local residents of all ages. Favourite activities include:

• • Taking the family for a walk - fresh air, the tranquility of the bush

  • Exercise - jogging or a brisk walk (with or without the dog)

  • Recharging the batteries - people say there is nothing like a bush walk to improve one's mood

  • "Green Gym" - joining the group that helps keep Le Roys Bush in good shape

To find your way around the bush, the council provides entrance signs at the main entrances.

Also here is a link to a Google Map of Le Roys Bush which shows the entrances and tracks of Le Roys as maintained by the Le Roys Bush Management Committee. This shows the main tracks and entrances. We plan to experiment with this map as a way to help local people and tourists find their way through the bush tracks and linkages using their iPhones or other mobile devices.

You can also find a guide to walking routes in the Kaipatiki Local Board area at Kaipatiki_Explorer_2013 page 14.

Le Roys Bush is the general name usually used to refer to three areas of bush reserve:

• • Le Roys Bush Reserve

  • Little Shoal Bay Reserve

  • Lutners Bush

The Le Roys Bush provides a fascinating bushwalk rising from the salt marshes near Little Shoal Bay along the edge of a raupo wetland to a carex wetland.

The track then leads up to the head of the wetland where the track splits leading up through mature bush to Le Roy Terrace and the coffee bars of Hinemoa Street or past the waterfall up to Onewa Road. In 2013, this track will be extended leading to the coffee bars and shops of the Birkenhead Town Centre.

Common native vegetation you will see:

See pages 65 to 80 of the Management Plan*

Wetland

• • Mangrove

  • Raupo (native bulrush)

  • Native sedges (including bolboschoenus fluviatilis and Carex secta)

  • Asplenium species (and other native ferns)

  • Cordyline australis (cabbage tree)

  • Cyperus ustulatus

  • Native rushes (eg Juncus maritimus)

Native forest communities

• • Upper ridges and spur crests:

    • Totara

    • Tanekaha

    • Kauri

    • Kanuka

    • Tawa

    • Miro

    • Ponga

  • Middle to lower slopes:

    • Puriri

    • Kohekohe

    • Taraire

    • Mahoe

    • Mamaku and other native tree ferns

    • Karaka

    • Parataniwha

    • Putaputaweta

    • Asplenium longifolium (and other native ferns)

Birds spotted in and around Le Roys

See pages 81 to 82 of the 1997 Management Plan* or screenshot attached below

• Forest

  • • Fantail

    • Grey Warbler

    • Kaka [reported by KH 9Nov2013; single Kaka - early Feb 2014 twice - 7.15; 8.20 am] (DoC recording of Kaka song )

    • 2 kaka flew high over Wilding Ave and over the playing field, then turned up the valley (high above it) towards Highbury. Calling all the way – whistles and croaks. [reported by NP 4Aug2017];

    • Kaka reported [B&RT 7 June 2019; DS 7 June 2019];

    • I heard a kaka high in a tree by Glade Place this morning. I heard it several times (croak, and whistle) and it was quite close, but could not get to see it. Rosellas were also being noisy in the vicinity and I wonder if they were reacting to the presence of their big distant relative? [NP 24 June 2019]. Heard Kaka again early morning near Wilding Ave [NP 4 July 2019]

    • Kaka seen by 3 different people in week ending 13 Sep 2019.

    • Kaka see by SM near Wernham Place 27 Oct 2019

    • Kakariki (Red-Crowned Parakeet) [reported by BenP 14Dec2016]

    • Kereru

    • Morepork

    • Shining Cuckoo [reported by AO/KS 14Oct 2020 near bottom Le Roy Tce; SM 12 Oct 2020 near Wernham Place; reported by NP 7.15pm 2 Nov 2019 across stream from bowling club)

    • Tui (the Northcote College Biodiversity Team started studying tui "dialects" in 2014 - the "Le Roys Tui Dialect" is one of the most widespread)

    • LH reports tui more common [LH June 2019]

• Wetland

• • Spotless Crake - recently heard [reported 22 Oct - by LS, WIldlands ecologist)

  • Banded Rail - recently heard and sighted [reported by NP c 2 and 4Nov2013; possible sighting again by MX April 2017]; sighted by KP near bottom of Seaview Ave 5 Jan 2018]

• • Black shag - spotted in the mid wetland in 2013 [photo copyright by MJvR Feb2013]

• Grey duck (not crosses) - a pair (AC employee CB - date uncertain - we were advised in 2016)

  • Kotare (Kingfisher - becoming more common SC Jan 2016)

  • LH reports tui more common [LH June 2019]

  • Mallard

  • Pied Shag (relatively common SC Jan 2016)

  • Pied Stilts.(B&RT June 2019)

  • Pukeko (very common)

  • Shining Cuckoo - recently heard and sighted [reported by NP 18 Sep ... 4Nov2013]

  • Open area

    • Californian Quail [reported by NP on lawn near LSB c 27May2015; at Lutners SC Jan2016; seen 15 Aug 2019 by NP near Wilding Ave; again by NP 15Sep2019 ]

  • Shore line - Little Shoal Bay

Little Blue Penguin [reported by NP 14Apr2018 washed up at LSB among the pile of stuff bought up on the last high tide, not long dead by the look of it. It was not in poor condition, and no sign of damage.]

Other wildlife

Geckos and skinks

• • Copper skink [large adult - reported by Northcote College Jan 2015]

  • Geckos - eg this Auckland Green Gecko [reported by BS 2012]

Insects

• • Glow worms [scientific info on glow "worms" can be found at http://sciblogs.co.nz/infectious-thoughts/(glow-worms)]

• The native bush giant dragonfly - Kapokapowai (Uropetala carovei). .."Crowe says it can eat up to 20 house flies in one hour so wish it would visit my house right now!" 6 January 2012 reported by Kit H. with photo

Water life

• • Bullies - not in Le Roys [None found by KH from2009 on]

  • Tuna (Eels) [reported by KH 9Nov2013; by anon Jan 2014; by many visitors 2013-2017; 18 deaths Jan 2017]

  • Gambusia (pest fish aka Mosquito Fish) [in lower wetland last reported by MS 27Apr2014]

  • Grey Mullet [in lower wetland last reported by MS 27Apr2014]

  • Native trout

    • Inanga [regularly reported by KH 2009 onwards]

    • Banded kokopu [regularly reported by KH 2009 on]

      • Possibly two subsets (one of which climbs the waterfall - but this subset is disappearing - possibly due to erosion)

      • Baby banded kokopu about 50mm seen June 2019 - after a long period of only 4 large kokopu in the pool below 251 Hinemoa St

      • Mature banded kokopu [last reported by KH 9Nov2013]

    • Whitebait size [last reported by KH 9Nov2013] [shoal of 100 reported by KH 31Jan2014 in saline pool; lower wetland - no sign of gambusia damage]

  • Shrimps [last reported by KH 9Nov2013]

* A link to the management plan can be found at LRB Management Plan 1997