Firstly WHLF AGM on Wednesday May 10 at 7.00pm at the McLeod Bay Hall –  ALL Welcome 

Please make the effort to come if you can. WHLF is a crucial platform for the various Landcare groups and individuals at the Heads and it enables much of the positive work being done to happen. It would be great if a representative of each group could give a brief update of what their groups is up to.

Kiwi Listening is coming up

For all those dedicated kiwi call count listeners it is almost time to get organised, sharpen up your hearing and data recording skills, and find some warm gear. First period is 14 May- 2 June, backup 13 June-1 July.  With all the rain this autumn it could well be an early breeding season (there are plenty of kiwi calling hard already) so we need to be ready to get listening.  I will send out the usual email with detailed instructions soon – please let me know if you are unavailable asap so we can find and train up any replacement listeners.

Backyard Kiwi Predator Control Programme

The localised flash flooding at Manaia  and Kauri Mt a couple of Sunday nights ago has caused a bit of disruption to the trapping network. The flooding was short and sharp but some of the worst we have had for a few years. It has washed trap boxes away and filled others with silt so I’m working through the lines replacing lost traps and tidying the others up.   If any of you community trappers lost traps please let me know and I will organise some replacements.

Catches for month  in the predator traps:

Stoats 2, Weasels 4, Cats 2, Rats 42, Hedgehogs 9 and 5 possums.  With it so wet and hot still I’m changing over to eggs as a lure this month.

TJ returned safely

The dehydrated chick “TJ” found at Mckenzie Bay returned safely after being looked after by the WNBRC. read his story What a change in seasons for TJ – he left in a drought and returned to a wet season.

 

The NRC Pest Management Plan is up for feedback

The NRC are a crucial supporter of Landcare groups in Northland.  This is an opportunity to give feedback that can encourage and increase this support. The Pest Plan is wide ranging but submissions in support of the following bullet points would help keep the NRC support for effective community pest management:

Support for Non-regulatory regional pest management methods (see appendix 1)  such as biosecurity partnerships – High Value areas, Community Pest Control Areas, and / Targeted rates specifically for pest control.

Support the biosecurity partnership map (last page) which shows where NRC is wanting to support regionally significant biosecurity partnerships (e.g. Whangarei Heads and wider Kiwi Coast)

NRC could support Kiwi Coast to enable groups to carry out kiwi recovery work

More support / resourcing for community led pest control initiatives, the need for long term / sustained funding beyond 5 years for appropriate and effective community groups.

For the WDC to take responsibility for weed control on roadsides rules 6.4.2.1 and 6.4.2.2 look good and should be supported

If folks a happy for me to do so I will give positive feedback from BYK on these issues. If you can please give your own feedback too.

Other Happenings

• Lodged Kiwis for kiwi funding application.  We are once again applying to the this long-time funder of our  combined ONE programme (BHCT, BYK, TCPCA, TLC) for funds to continue the work for the next year.
• Kiwi Coast Kiwi Event and Tanekaha CPCA release on March 5 went well– see last report for details
• Pataua North Landcare are working towards a kiwi release there – hopefully on Saturday May 6.
• Completed review of CPCA (community pest control area) funding for NRC. We were funded for 5 years under this programme from 2011-2015 and it is an important to many Northland Landcare groups.
• Auckland Uni Prof Jacqueline Beggs is speaking at the Whangarei Central library at 6pm this Wednesday April 5 – see attached flyer
• Wild Kiwi multisport event – good luck to all those keen folks for Saturday.

 

What your radio tracked Backyard Kiwi have been up to:

The kiwi will be loving this wet autumn and will be feeding up to get ready for the upcoming breeding season.

• Darwin – Usual area Lamb road quarry. High activity.

• Lambert – Usual area at Taurikura Ridge. In the pampas and high activity of 11 hours/night.

• Whitu – Has moved from the freezing works to the big slip near Little Munro Bay.

• EB – In the scrub at Kerr road. Did his annual transmitter change – he was 1850g in weight. His activity is high. You can see him tucked up under a tree fern. Good camouflage but easy for a dog to smell.

• Tindall – He has moved down into Odys paddocks on the Northern end of Manaia – probably enjoying all the crickets there.  Activity 11 hours.

• Pakipaki – he seems to have settled in the “Horse paddock” –opposite the firestaion in McLeod Bay. Activity is mainly high at 10 hours with the odd lower night.

• Dudin –  at the Northern end of McLeod’s in rank kikuya and pampas there. Activity 11.5 hours

 

ONE program (funded by Kiwis for Kiwi):

The ONE dads at Rarewarewa have all but finished their second round of nesting:.

• The Acrobat -Usual area, Lovell’s’ bush high activity.

• Waimarie – Nest in the paddock below the quarry produced a single chick –LC1615 who I transferred to Limestone last week. Dad had his transmitter changed and was only 1900g after a busy nesting season.

• Ngutu Roa – has quickly renested- 8days on 31/3/17-activity down to 6.5 hours and dropping as he settles back into nesting.

• Sancho – Nest finished with successful hatch of single egg, Chick LC 1614 was transferred to Limestone on 19/2/17.

• CFU – Usual area – high activity.

• Ray – Did his transmitter change was in good condition and weighed 2350g after a decent break from nesting.

• The Boxer – Usual area NW end of reserve – high activity of 11.5 hours.

 

Cheers

Todd Hamilton

Backyard Kiwi Project Manager

Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum