It’s Raining!

The dry late summer and autumn have made things tricky for many of our kiwi. Places like the stony parts of Manaia and particularly the islands like Matakohe/Limestone have been lacking in kiwi feed. The huge wasp populations haven’t been helping either as they consume huge amounts of insects.  Areas with better soils and moist areas have been fine for kiwi with some dads happy enough to nest 2 times this season.

The main issue has been that many kiwi have had to feed for much longer hours and venture out during the day and into places they may not normally go. This exposes them more to any uncontrolled dogs so it is very heartening that even with a record number of daytime sightings of kiwi there have been no known kiwi dog kills.

Unfortunately road kills are up with more kiwi on the roads for longer periods, another two kiwi were run over in March.  Both these were wild hatched adult male kiwi that were probably decades old and had managed to avoid busy roads until recently. Their growth and survival is testament to the local stoat and dog control.

A young kiwi chick was also found on the road at Reotahi Bay during the day – luckily the locals put it in a box for us to check before it overheated in the sun. It was skinny but once it cooled down was active enough and healthy enough to be release in a safe spot that evening away from roads and dogs after being ID chipped. The chick was named “Tiny” by his local rescuers.

Having a healthy kiwi population certainly helps withstand the effects of these droughts and also having a variety of habitats like farmland, wetlands, pine forests and native forests -which in places like Manaia are improving in their kiwi carrying capacity all the time thanks to the kiwisaver/1080 toxin pulses not only dealing to stoats but possums and rats too so the forest floor and soil is improving all the time with more and more leaf litter and nutrients. Not to mention other areas throughout the landscape of pampas. I know it is a weed but it is a fantastic kiwi habitat for food and shelter. Inside a big old pampas bush is cool in the summer and warm in the winter with plenty of bugs to eat!!!

But it all needs rain so it is great to have some finally.

 

Backyard Kiwi Release

The recent kiwi release at Parua Bay was a fantastic community event. 350 plus locals and visitors welcomed 4 new kiwi and had the special opportunity to meet them up close.

Thank you to all those involved in the huge team effort that make these community engagement releases possible. Particularly thanks to Ngati Hine and the Purua landowners and Doc where these kiwi originally came from for the gift of the kiwi, they are treasured!

We transfer some young kiwi chicks from there to the FOMLI/ Te Parawhau managed Matakohe/Limestone island where they grow up before we re-catch them for release. As mentioned this year the kiwi were working hard on Limestone in the dry conditions so it was a particularly good time to transfer them back to the mainland- leaving more room for the younger kiwi.

Community groups like Backyard Kiwi and Kiwi Link are enabling the growth of our kiwi population not only in the Whangarei Heads/Parua Bay area but now moving inland and up the coast towards Tutukaka thanks to technical and financial support by Kiwi Coast and the Northland Regional Council.

Our newest kiwi residents are:

• Kim – a 2 year old female named by Dai Morgan (NRC  Biosecurity Manager whose team work hard to help community groups). Dai named the kiwi “Kim” after Prof Kim King of Waikato Uni who is a world authority on mustelids and is a significant contributor to our understanding on kiwi recovery principles.  It is because of the scientific work that people like Kim do that we know how to help our kiwi populations recover. Kim is a very fitting name.
• Matakohe– a young male kiwi named by Te Parawhau kaumatua Freddy Tito. Matakohe is one “Sir Ed’s” many chicks. We moved Sir Ed to Limestone in 2005 from Purua.  It was Sir Ed who was killed by the ferret there last year while he was working on hatching 2 more chicks (we caught the ferret 24 hours later).  So it is good that Matakohe is carrying on Sir Ed’s productive genes (and his grandfather’s “Johnny” too who was one our first ONE dads in Purua).
• Myra – A 3.5 year old female who originally came from the Lovells’ farm at Purua from Dad “Moon Dust”. Myra was named by Jess Ogle after her grandmother. Jess’s family were previously financial supporters of BYK for many years and Jess is a key part of the BYK WHLF team, particularly with Manaia and Taurikura Ridge Landcare.
• Ping –  a young female hatched on Limestone now grown to 1550g- so about half grown. FOMLI supporters Ubernet – a fantastic local communications provider- named her “Ping”.

The crowd heard all about why uncontrolled dogs are the number one threat to our kiwi population and that we are able to release these kiwi because of the good dog control by the huge majority of our local dog owners. They also heard about local stoat control to protect kiwi chicks that involves quality trapping and the crucially effective ground based Kiwi saver/1080 pulses.

Because of the very dry conditions we released the kiwi in an area well back from roads and with plenty of wet areas.  The area already has moderate numbers of resident kiwi for them to hear calling, without the risk of them being pushed out. All 4 of the kiwi have settled in well. Thanks to Kerry for daily monitoring of their radio data streams and locations.

What your monitored kiwi have been up to for March 2025

 Whangarei Heads/Parua Bay  Radio monitored kiwi:  

• Chookie–  In his usual area of pines feeding up after two successful nests. He is spending more time down in the wetland areas there rather than up by Owhiwa Road. 11 hours of nightly activity. One of Chookie’s recent chicks has been named “Kit” by long-time BYK proud supporter Fay Evans.
• Teina– In his usual valley of pampas and pines at the north end of Martins’ pine block. 10.5 hours activity. No sign of nesting this season again .
• Beach Girl – She has returned to the back of Martins’ pine block Owhiwa Road. 10.5 hours activity.
• Murdoch  –Down in the wetter area of the valley at Halses’ (between Ross and Owhiwa roads) after finishing up nesting last month.10.5 hours activity .
• Humphries –  NE side of Martins’ block Owhiwa Road. In the pampas/pines/bush enjoying the variety of habitats.  10.5 hours activity.
• Wally –Nesting in the pine block at the end of Campbell Road. When I checked his data stream on 10/3/25 he had been nesting 73 days and had a hatch trigger 2 days previous, but his activity was high (it should stay low) so had a sneaky look at his nest in an old pampas bush. Only dad was there, there was evidence of a hatch (shell and membrane) but the chick had gone – predated by a stoat? I took the opportunity to do Wally’s transmitter change – he was 1850g and not too skinny, pretty good considering the conditions and that he has spent over 6 months on 2 nests.  Campbell Road Landcare are hoping to do a secondary toxin pulse in the area which will control any trapshy stoats.

Kiwi that have walked to the Whareora Landcare area

• Te Motu Manu Hine –  She is still settled in the usual area of the NRC pines behind the Money Factory. 10.5 hours nightly activity.

Purua ONE dads

10 chicks now transferred to Limestone/Matakohe.

Rarewarewa/Purua ONE dads:

• Moondust – 11 hours activity.  Usual area behind Lovell’s Irvine road woolshed.
• Buddha – Usual area in the paddock north of McGraths’ quarry.  10 hours of activity.
• Macio – He has come back on the radar. Back on Kauri tree ridge – south Purua reserve, 10.5 hours activity.
• Otiria – South end of the Purua Reserve. Still not nesting.   11 hours of nightly activity.
• 64 – Back from time in the paddock (probably eating crickets) to the SW side of the Purua reserve.  10.5 hours activity.
• Tahi– South-eastern Purua reserve behind Alisons’ farm.  Still not nesting. 10 hours of activity.
• Sam – SW of Purua reserve in Hawkins paddock. In rank kikuya. 11.5 hours activity.     .
• Derek – On  “Stump” Ridge South-East Purua reserve.  10.5 hours of activity. No nesting  this season.
• Fletcher – Checked by Julia from Doc. 10.5 hours activity up behind Lovells’ airstrip.
• Rua – Back of the Alisons’ farm. He has finished a successful nest with 2 chicks. LC2410 was transferred to Limestone on 7/3/25 – at the time I thought he was a very lucky chick as he was outside the nest (20m down hill) out in the sun getting cooked and wouldn’t have lasted the day.  But with the continued dry conditions on Limestone he will have been doing it hard until this rain finally came.  I did Rua’s transmitter change – 1800g in weight, understandably in poor condition after 2 successful nests. He will be feeding up now to regain condition.

Trapping/ toxin pulses

March BYK trap catches: Stoats 1, Weasels 4, Feral cats 0, rats 107, hedgehogs 7, possums 7.

Upcoming events

• Tutukaka Landcare Kiwi Release – as part of the Kiwi Coast engagement program –Tuesday April 29 see https://kiwicoast.org.nz/events/tutukaka-kiwi-release-3/ for details
• Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum AGM Tuesday May 6 – WHLF is a crucial platform that allows many of our community groups to carry out their important work at the Heads. Please come along and invite any interested friends and neighbours- more details to come.
• Kiwi Counting – Official kiwi counters will get the usual bossy email from me soon to see who is up to this important job. Counting dates: May 16 to May 31- with some decent rain the kiwi may well have got enough condition on to start calling hard for the breeding season.

Big read sorry.

Cheers Todd

Todd Hamilton

Backyard Kiwi Project Manager

Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum

M 021 1145 385

E  todd.hamilton64@gmail.com

W www.backyardkiwi.org.nz