Thanks to all those that attended the recent Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum AGM.

The WHLF is a crucial platform for the various Landcare groups and individuals at the Heads and it enables a heap of  positive work to be done here. At the meeting Philip King stood down after almost 20 years as chairperson.  Thank you Philip for all your hard work! Philip’s honesty, integrity and quiet leadership have enabled much of the great work that has happened at the Heads.  Danny Tuato’o was elected as the new chairperson. Along with all the local group updates, Ngaire Sullivan updated us on the Kiwi Coast and Kane McElrea updated us on the NRC proposal for increased pest control in some areas of Northland, including potentially the Heads and the area north of us for possums particularly. This NRC proposal has now gone to PF2050 to seek funding.

NRC Community Environmental Awards  BYK were proud to be 1 of the 5 finalists in the “Environmental Leadership” category and received a “highly commended” award. Congratulations to Iwi Te Roroa – Waipoua Forest for winning that section.  Other Kiwi Coast groups were well represented in the winners with FOMLI (Community Action), Puketotara Landcare (Pest Management) and Steve Allan (Innovation) – well done! Thanks to NRC for running the awards to celebrate the wide variety of community driven environmental work happening in Northland.

Kiwi Call Count Our team of kiwi call counters have been out patiently braving the cold to count kiwi.  We have been lucky to get plenty of calm nights to listen but the call counts are well down on previous years, this doesn’t mean all the kiwi have disappeared, it is just a reflection of one of the driest autumns on record. Without good rain kiwi struggle to feed up to good condition to start breeding and calling.  The cold showers of the last week will help a bit but we really need decent rain to get things going.

Backyard Kiwi Predator Control Programme :

The expected drop off in stoat catches for this time of season continues, on the other hand rat catches have gone nuts.

May :   Stoats 0, Weasels 2, Cats 2, Rats 97, Hedgehogs 20 and 7 possums.

What your radio tracked Backyard Kiwi have been up to:

The kiwi are very active at the moment – feeding up for the breeding season and having to work hard with the dry conditions to feed. Many of the kiwi are in the damper wetland areas at the moment for this reason.

• Darwin – at Lamb road, in raupo wetland south of his usual territory that he hasn’t left in many years, 12.5 hours nightly activity.
• Lambert – Taurikura Ridge, deep in the pampas in Geoff’s pines and 12 hours nightly activity. He has a complex maize of tunnels in the pampas and has become difficult to catch.  So when I finally caught up with him recently I removed his transmitter and did not replace it. He has been a great breeder with 27 chicks over the past 9 seasons and he has another 40 or so years of breeding in him! As Lambert ‘signs off’  we feature his story here 
• Whitu – in the pampas above the freezing works , Reotahi. 11 hours nightly activity.
• Moa – In the pampas above the road in McKenzie Bay  , 11.5 hours activity.
• EB – In scrub and pampas North of Kerr road, 11.5 hours activity.
• Pakipaki – in the pampas and gorse in the “Horse Paddock” opposite the fire station. 11 hours activity.
• Ross  – Still at the top end of Pepi road.  He is deep in the pampas here with 11 hours nightly activity.
• Harikoa – Still in wetland NE end of Campbell road. 13 hours activity.
• Mokopuna – In the rushes on the southern edge of the Pataua estuary- close to Wally. 11.5 hours activity.
• Wally –  On the southern edge of the Pataua Estuary at the end of Campbell road. 11.5 hours activity.

2019 Releases at Parua Bay

• Teina – He is in the wetland in Ross’s pines, beside Taruanui road,  Malaika is nearby. Activity is 12.5 hours.
• Malaika – In wetland in Ross’s pines, Taraunui road. Rolf and I did her 3 monthly check – she was 1800g, 107.4mm bill length so has only put on 100g  since her release – due to the dry conditions. Activity is 11.5 hours. (see pic)
• Pakiri – Has continued to trek north and has headed down Taraunui Road to Ross Road.  She/he is in the Coates pine block in a wetland there. I did her 3 monthly check: 1500g, 98.1mm bill length so again slow growth. Activity is 11.5 hours. (see pic)
• Awhi- After heading west to Kohinui valley (inland from the pub) she settled in a raupo wetland there. I did her transmitter change and she was 2300g and 134.4mm. A couple of days later the showers came and she moved up the valley- I haven’t had a signal this week so will have to search wider to see where she has got to.

ONE program (funded by Kiwis for Kiwi):

Rewarewa:   These guys are on better soils and have had more rain so are in better condition to start breeding soon.

• Ngutu Roa – 11 hours activity, usual area SW reserve.
• Sancho – 10.5 hours activity, usual area NE reserve.
• CFU – no signal.
• Kimposter–10.5 hours activity, usual area SE reserve.
• Nick – Usual area of Lovell’s bush,  12.5 hours activity.
• Ngaro – Usual area behind the air strip, 12.5 hours activity. Did transmitter change, 1950g in weight.

Cheers Todd

Please note that my email address has changed to: todd.hamilton64@gmail.com

Todd Hamilton.
Backyard Kiwi Project Manager,
Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum