Phew! I just uploaded the last batch of my lowest priority photos that I took during last month's #CityNatureChallenge. While my last batches of observations don't count towards the official tally, they do help map out these species on #iNaturalist.

My personal target for this year's challenge was 700 wild taxa and 7,000 observations in the 4-days. In the end I've uploaded 7,276 observations of 963 taxa, of which 6,857 observations and 868 taxa were wild.

(I reckon 10,000 observations of 1,000 species is probably possible for one person with a lot of planning, even in a relatively low diversity city like Ōtautahi-Christchurch.)

Next week, I'll see if I can finish summarising all the important new finds made in the City Nature Challenge events in Aotearoa-NZ (there were a lot) and write a post about it on iNaturalist NZ.

In the meantime, below are three of my favourites of the photos I uploaded, and a map of my observations from the challenge.

https://www.inaturalist.nz/observations?d1=2026-04-24&d2=2026-04-27&subview=map&user_id=jon_sullivan&verifiable=any

Spider eating moth: https://www.inaturalist.nz/observations/359998244
NZ Tailed Forest Spider: https://www.inaturalist.nz/observations/357470468
Mokarakara caterpillar: https://www.inaturalist.nz/observations/360057381

#CNC2026 #iNaturalistNZ #nz #ObsessiveNatureWatching

A wonderful look at some Juniper Haircap Moss

#mosstodon #moss #CityNatureChallenge

The #CityNatureChallenge is still in full swing. While the four days of observing have passed, everyone's now uploading photos and identifying the species in all the observations, The closing date is 10 May.

Globally the CNC has already topped 2.6 million observations. Here in Aotearoa-NZ 1,715 people have so far uploaded 54,265 observations of 4,494 species, with Wellington currently our leading city.

If you took any nature photos between Friday and Monday, 24–27 April, there's still time to upload them to #iNaturalist and have them count towards the challenge.

Me, I've just finished geotagging all my photos in #darktable using my GPS tracks and need to do some photo cropping before I start uploading batches of photos to the iNaturalist website.

The event is a long way from over. 🙂

https://www.inaturalist.nz/projects/city-nature-challenge-2026-aotearoa-new-zealand

https://www.inaturalist.nz/projects/city-nature-challenge-2026

#iNaturalistNZ #nz #nature #CitizenScience

A few photos left and I still need to process my audio recordings, but I've definitely surpassed my #CityNatureChallenge totals from last year!

We also have 7 people who have submitted observations in the county this year, which is the most we've ever had, so that's pretty cool. Hopefully that might be related to the outreach & flyers I did this year, but it's hard to say.

My 2025 Stats: 322 observations, 202 species or "leaf taxa"
2026 stats: 370 observations, 252 species

A Hooded Warbler (aka "Monjita") in Prospect Park, yesterday (4/27), a seasonal migrant, like most wood warblers, but not a common bird in our area. Like most songbirds, this ground foraging warbler is in a decades-long decline, but is not considered endangered. This little guy didn't make it easy to get a clear shot, but, hey, you take what you can get.

He was one of my relatively few observations for this weekend's City Nature Challenge. The Challenge ends today, but so far, in NYC, 12,701 observations were made, comprising 1,399 species, by 665 observers. For Brooklyn, there were 2,512 observations of 670 species by 166 observers. And I am proud to say that one of our students was top dog in Brooklyn and one of the leaders for NYC, with 508 uploads and 175 species.

#birds #birding #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity #iNaturalist #CityNatureChallenge

Today is the fourth and last day of observing species for the #CityNatureChallenge. I’m out the door now taking my cameras for an all-day bike in Christchurch City’s Port Hills, and will then end my day with a moth light at our house.

What wild species can you find today?

Keep in mind that after Monday is over we have two weeks to upload the rest of our photos and audio recordings to #iNaturalist and help to identify all the species that have been found.

https://www.inaturalist.nz/projects/city-nature-challenge-2026-aotearoa-new-zealand

https://www.inaturalist.nz/projects/city-nature-challenge-2026-otautahi-christchurch/journal/129264

#CNC2026 #NZ

Submitted several hundred observations for the #CityNatureChallenge :) Currently sitting at number 3 in #wellington :) I still struggle to photograph birds at the best of times, and they seem particularly uncooperative at the moment.. but was quite pleased with a couple.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/354085653

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/354114527

#iNaturalist

There are lots of events going on around Ōtautahi-Christchurch and surrounding towns today, for Day 3 of the 2026 City Nature Challenge. See the link below. There’s something for just about everyone.

I’m heading out in a moment to lead a walk from the Sign of the Takahe in the Cashmere Hills down to the Botanic Gardens (leaving 9:45 from the bus stop). We’re scheduled to pass through the South Library (currently a building site) at 1 pm, and the Art Gallery at 4 pm.

And, the weather is looking great.

Whether you’re on an organised event or doing your own thing, any species observations you make that you upload to #iNaturalist today and Monday count towards the City Nature Challenge. Globally the challenge has already passed 900,000 observations since it started on Friday.

https://www.inaturalist.nz/posts/129161-choose-your-own-adventure-many-mini-bioblitzes-on-today

#CNC2026 #CityNatureChallenge