Dog Killed Kiwi Chick
Unfortunately a kiwi chick was killed by a dog in the Bream Head reserve recently. Someone was either illegally walking their dog there or the dog had wandered there the previous night. The 900g chick was found on the walking track on the way to the gun emplacement by locals out for a Sunday morning walk. This chick was a wild hatched chick that was getting close to stoat proof size. DoC have taken saliva samples from the body to DNA test to help identify the dog.
Here’s the May update for monitored kiwi in the Whangarei Heads, as reported by Todd Hamilton, WHLF kiwi ranger:

– Dallas is in a paddock of pampas just west of the Whangarei Heads School

– Jackie and Sprat are hanging out together at the Nook – hopefully getting ready to nest.

– Darwin has moved back to his favourite haunt in a pampas patch at the end of Lamb Road.

– Sleepy – had to catch Sleepy twice this month, once to upgrade his transmitter to a chick timer and then again a week later because the mercury switch in the new transmitter was faulty giving a mortality signal (if the tx does not move for 24 hours it trips a mortality signal). He was 2200g in weight.

– Xmas is still hanging around the edge of the recently logged horse paddock at Mcleod Bay.

– Violet is in the pampas by Bay View road- she had her 6 monthly check and was 2560g in weight and her bill was 132.9mm (she was 2440g and 126.6mm six months ago so she is still growing at coming up to 3 years old).

– Lambert is still playing hard to get in the gorse at the top of Taurikura Ridge.

– King – haven’t managed to get a signal from King this month, this is not uncommon for him as he often tucks himself down on the flax covered coastal cliffs at Kauri Mt.
It is the kiwi breeding season at present so the birds are calling each other regularly in the evening so it is good time to listen for kiwi in your backyard.