Ferret Incursion on Limestone/Matakohoe

We had a fairly dramatic curve ball in early September when a ferret turned up on the local kiwi crèche Matakohe/Limestone Island.  Ferrets can be devastating as they are capable of killing adult kiwi  which is bad enough in any kiwi population but on an Island crèche is a potential disaster.  Previous expert advice was that ferrets could not swim to the island, unlike stoats – so the trapping network there was geared up for stoats (stoats kill only the chicks up to about 1000g) not ferrets (which are much bigger).

We would never have known the ferret was there except for a radio transmitted kiwi – Sir Ed.  We took Sir Ed as a chick from Purua to Matakohe way back in 2005 as part of our transfer program that grows chicks up for future public engagement releases in managed areas such as the Heads/ Kiwi Link /Tutukaka. He was named Sir Ed after the great man’s visit to the Heads the previous year.  The kiwi Sir Ed ended up staying on Matakohe as he found an island hatched mate there and started producing chicks himself.

FOMLI island rangers Bevan and Courtney were monitoring Sir Ed’s radio data stream even more regularly than usual as he was again nesting and on Friday Sept 6 got a mortality signal from the transmitter. On checking the nest more closely Sir Ed was found dead and his eggs cold and dead also. Kiwi experts Pete and Rolf from the NRC checked out the body and it looked suspiciously like a ferret attack!!  Bevan put a trail camera on the site that night and in the morning made the shocking confirmation of the presence of a ferret.

We sprang into action and deployed ferret traps from NRC, BYK and Kiwi Coast. Unfortunately when checking the petrel boxes for a likely trap location the ever reliable petrel nester there was also found eaten.

After a sleepless night Bevan and Courtney picked me up again with more traps and lures on Sunday morning- they weren’t needed as a check of the set traps resulted in the fantastic result of the ferret caught in a live capture box set with rabbit offal on the sandspit end of the island!!  Jeeze we were happy and relieved!  It was an adult male of 1500g and he had an empty stomach – presumably because he was caught early in the night.

The fantastic teamwork of FOMLI and Backyard Kiwi with huge support from the NRC and Kiwi Coast was rewarded with a very positive result within 24 hours of the ferret incursion confirmation!

  

Some important lessons for us:

• Be ready for ferrets! There are now ferret traps permanently on the island and the harbourside buffer area.
• Without a radio transmitted kiwi being monitored we would have remained ignorant of the presence of the ferret (which are nocturnal) for much longer with probably devastating results.
• The value of having permanent FOMLI rangers to monitor the island and react to the incursion.
• Having local teamwork and support for the rapid and effective reaction to the incursion was important – THANKS to all involved and who offered their help.

It is likely that the ferret killed a number of other kiwi on the island. The good news is that there are still live kiwi on the island – confirmed sightings, scat and print – and that the ferret was dealt with before this season’s young kiwi chicks begin to be transferred to Matakohe very shortly. 

Kiwi chicks are hatching

On a less dramatic but important note many kiwi dads are coming to the end of their first nest for the season after 80 or more days nesting and new chicks will be immerging.  The ongoing trapping networks for stoat (and ferret!) control, importantly combined with the recent pulses of Kiwi saver toxin at places like Manaia will give these chicks a good start to life.

Kiwi Skeleton found

A long dead adult kiwi skeleton was found in a garden on Tahunatapu Road at the Nook (see pic). Close scanning of the area didn’t turn up an ID chip – they are about the size of a grain of rice but can still be found on or near kiwi remains. She had a massive bill – in excess of 150mm. There were no major bone injuries so it was impossible to know the cause of death.  If you ever find kiwi remains please let us or DoC know, it is important for us to know.

 

Whangarei Heads Combined Conservation Christmas Do

If you haven’t already put Friday November 29 in your calendar for the annual xmas Do.  5pm McLeod Bay Hall. See the attached invite for details

What your monitored kiwi have been up to:

 Backyard Kiwi monitored kiwi update for September 2024

Chookie has hatched the first chick of the season, others not far away.

  

Whangarei Heads/Parua Bay  Radio monitored kiwi:   

• Chookie–  Nesting 87 days on 16/9/24 in a patch of native below Owhiwa Road on the Martins’ block.   Activity was up to 5.5 hours so we checked his nest. There was a chick – over 10 days old, 290g and 44.5mm so probably a boy. He was named Bradley (by Backyard Proud supporter Allan Howell) and transponded (ID chipped) so if he ever turns up in the future we can ID him.  The recent kiwi saver pulse there will make it a great place for him to start life and hopefully add to the kiwi population. The second egg was pushed to one side – a very rotten infertile egg.
• Teina – In his usual valley of pampas and pines at the north end of Martins’ pine block. 9 hours activity- no sign of nesting.
• Beach Girl – She is still cruising the pampas at the top end of Teina’s valley on the Martins’ and Halses’ blocks boundary between Owhiwa and Ross Roads.  Her nightly activity is 11.5 hours with the odd lower night.
• Murdoch  – On Debbie’s block between Ross Road and the end of Owhiwa Road. Nesting 66 days on 27/9/24. 2 hours of activity. His nest burrow is close to where we removed Om’s transmitter so they seem to have stuck together.
• Humphries –  Going well for a 3 year old, first time nester.  NE side of the Martins’ block nearer Tauranui Road, 35 days in on 26/9/24, good low 2.5 hours of nightly activity.
• Tanker–  This is the guy who got bowled by a milk tanker last November and recovered. Unfortunately his tx band cracked and fell off this month after only being on for 4 months!  I’ve been using a new brand of tape (Premium PVC) now that Arthur’s is out of their old quality Nitto brand and the new stuff obviously is not up to it – I will progressively replace the bands with 3M 170 tape.
• Wally– Nesting. 68 days in on 27/9/24. He stayed at home completely that night so it may be his first hatch. He is in his usual nesting area – Pine/Gum block at the end of Campbell Road. In an old dead pampas bush there.
• Manaaki –  Has dropped off the radar. Last signal 27/6/24 in pines at Martins’ Owhiwa Road block.  Big searches for no signal- still looking.

Kiwi that have walked to the Whareora Landcare area:

• Fetu mama – Lost track of her this month – she is possibly in one of her rocky caves on the southern side of the peak in the Maungatika Reserve on Mt Tiger.
• Te Motu Manu Hine – She is still in the NRC pine block between Mt Tiger and the Money Factory.  11 hours of nightly activity.

Purua ONE dads

5 nests on the go. Rua must be close to hatching.

Rarewarewa/Purua ONE dads:

• Moondust– After his failed nest I caught up with him and did his tx change. 2450g and Good condition.  He was on the edge of the Purua reserve above Lovells’ woolshed.  12 hours activity.
• Buddha – In his usual area in the paddock north of McGraths’ quarry.  He has started nesting. 16 days on 26/9/24 with 3.5 hours of activity.
• Macio– On “Kauri Tree Ridge” in south Purua reserve.  Nesting steadily – 54 days 26/9/24, 4 hours activity
• Otiria –  South end of the Purua Reserve. Still not nesting.   11.5 hours of nightly activity.
• 64– SW side of the Purua reserve.  Nesting 54 days on 26/9/24. A good low 3 hours of activity.
• Tahi– South-eastern Purua reserve behind Alisons’ farm.  Still not nesting. 12 hours of activity.
  ·        Sam – SW edge of Purua reserve.  Nesting 52 days on 26/9/24. A good low 3.5 hours of activity.
• Derek  – On  the crater side of “Stump” Ridge South-East Purua reserve.  Still high activity.
• Fletcher– After finding him last month he has dropped off the radar again – probably in the deep stoney gut up behind the Lovells’ airstrip.
•   Rua – Back of Alisons’ farm – nest burrow 5m from the boundary fence with the Purua reserve. Nesting 80 days on 26/9/24.  3 hours of activity.  Probably his second egg as the first one was kicked out last month.

Cheers Todd

Todd Hamilton

Backyard Kiwi Project Manager

Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum

M 021 1145 385

E  todd.hamilton64@gmail.com