Please help us find our missing bittern!

Please help us find our missing bittern! By Emma Willams PhD researcher on bittern 4 June 2015 Last Spring we put transmitters on six male Australasian bitterns at Lake Whatumā, near Waipukurau, Hawkes Bay. When the breeding season finished in January, and the water levels on the lake dropped, all six bitterns left the area. We have been able to re-find five of these birds but the sixth bittern, Tama Tomoana, is still missing! Can you help us find him? We’re asking anyone with access to telemetry gear to check any wetlands, streams, farm ponds, drains and small lakes in their area. We believe he is still in the Hawkes Bay area but in reality he could be anywhere in the country. Recently an Australasian bittern carrying a satellite transmitter in Australia travelled 550 Km, across two state borders, within 11 days!…We don’t know if our bitterns travel the same distances. We’re assuming that Tama could be anywhere! Join the national hunt…and if you find him please contact Emma on 0272462274,bittern.wills@yahoo.com.