I hope that summer is going well for everyone.

Things are going well for the kiwi with the good rain before Christmas helping things along. Stoat numbers are still down, probably due to the Manaia Landcare 1080 work and most visitors have been good about controlling their dogs.

Upcoming Kiwi release

As  part of our Kiwis for Kiwi BNZONE programme we are planning a Kiwi Release at McLeod Bay Saturday 14 February.  It will be at the Dudins’ property at 4.30pm.

Kiwi Predator Control Programme:
Catches for December:  Stoats 2, Weasels 2, Cats 1, Rats 52, Hedge Hogs 10 and 13 possums – stoat catches are still low for this time of year (none so far in January!), probably due to the 1080 work undertaken at Manaia.  The salted rabbit lure we use is going rotten very quickly in the hot conditions meaning that I’m chasing my butt around the traps.    I have attached the Trapping Report for the 2013-2014 for those interested in more details of the trapping programme.

 

Radio Tracked Kiwi at Whangarei Heads
Some wins and losses from the second round of nesting- see below:

 What your radio tracked Backyard Kiwi have been up to:

Darwin – He has renested in the pampas at Lamb Road quarry.  Hatch is due late February.

JR – South Taurikura Ridge- Sea Horse Farms in the kiekie there. His second nest was due to hatch about now but from the look of his signal data the nest has failed.

Lambert – Taurikura Ridge. His nest failed after 56 days of sitting which is unusual for him as he is a very reliable nester.

Whitu – Usual area at Reotahi. After finally starting his first nest back in November I lost his signal and suspected transmitter failure but I found him today above the freezing works – an area he has never been in since his release in 2005 – the land slip in his usual area may have made him jumpy.

Charlie – Craig Road at McNamaras’. He has started another nest – his 4th for the season (2 failed in their early stages)  Hatch due in March..

Waka – He is still moving between Mckenzie Bay and the pampas on the peninsula at the south end of Taurikura Bay – His activity is still varying and every time I think that he is nesting it increases again.

Lucky – I haven’t got a signal from his usual area at the very top of Taurikura Ridge. Can’t find him anywhere else either – will keep listening out for him.

Breck – Keeping busy at Kerr road – nightly activity of up to 10 hours..

Dallas – 2nd nest in a pampas bush that is within 5m of the main road McGregor’s Bay/Taurikura. After 86 days of nesting he hatched a single chick last week– named Aroha. See photos below. Aroha now has an ID chip just below her skin -00075B73A5 to identify her. Darwin is also sporting a new radio transmitter. The vehicle and pedestrian traffic past his nest has enormous over the holidays.