Napier sailing club helps out with bird release

Napier Sailing Club's Paul "Red" Redman prepares to release the Buller's Mollymawk from the club boat "Black Heart". Photo / Supplied

Napier Sailing Club members are helping with the release of sea birds which have been nursed back to health in Palmerston North at Wildbase Hospital and Central Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery Centre.

The Wildbase staff recently called upon the Napier Sailing Club to provide a boat and crew to release a White Chinned Petrel and a Buller's Mollymawk off the Napier coast.

Wildbase, part of the Massey University Veterinary School, is comprised of hospital, research, oil response, pathology and recovery sections. They aid a diverse range of animals including marine mammals, sea and terrestrial birds, bats and reptiles.

White Chinned Petrels are New Zealand natives, and one of the larger of the petrel species. They breed in burrows on the Antipodes, Auckland and Campbell Islands.

The bird released, when it was presented at Wildbase in early June, weighed a mere 600 grams, about half its fully waterproof and healthy weight. It was blown in from the sea. After a fortnight of recuperation, and gaining 300 grams, he was ready to be released.

Buller's Mollymawks, at 750 to 800mm, are one of the smaller species of albatross. They mate for life, and can live over 20 years. The (suspected) adult male recently released was also blown in from sea and admitted to Wildbase Hospital on the same day as the petrel. He was thin, and his feet, sensitive as they spend most of their life at sea, were bruised.

At 1.9kg, he was well below the ideal adult weight of 3kg. After two weeks of recovery and a generous diet of salmon, he was rested and had the regained the energy needed for his flight to Peru or Chile, after the breeding season.

Both birds were brought up to Napier by Wildbase Rehabilitation Technician Tracie Poole.

"It was a cold trip up from Palmy in the ute", Poole said "so not to add to the stress of the trip, which in itself can add to the birds' overheating. Quiet, dark, calm, and cool is how they like it".

The birds were taken about six kilometres offshore from Bayview by Napier Sailing Club Commodore Paul (Red) Redman in the club rescue boat "Black Heart". After release from their cages in quite bleak and windy conditions, they paddled around for a short time, got their bearings, and took flight, heading north and out of sight.

"Another successful release, thanks to the Napier Sailing Club for making it possible," Poole said.

This trip follows an earlier release of a sooty shearwater and mottled petrel by Wildbase staff, and Shelly Te Uki and Mark Sheldrake of the sailing club.