Thank you for the all the wonderful support we got for the NZ Pride of New Zealand award.  After winning the Upper North Island Environmental award the publicity for Backyard Kiwi and Whangarei Heads cranked up.

The National award ceremony was even better publicity and was a privilege to be part of – we (myself, Helen, Heather and Martin attended) were very proud to represent WHLF Backyard Kiwi. Kathleen Mato of the Hawkes Bay deservedly won the National award for her ongoing community work on water quality and was a delight to meet.

Manaia Pest Control The combined WHLF, NRC, Doc, Kiwi Coast pest control project for Mt Manaia has been a great success – see the BYK website http://www.backyardkiwi.org.nz/manaia-landcare  for the full story –  a big thanks to Marita Hunt and Jeremy Warne for their fantastic presentation of the story of the project.  The get together at the end of the 1080 work was full of enthusiasm to continue work on Manaia as the Manaia Landcare group. A BBQ at Martin’s shed on November 6 from 6pm is planned to keep things moving along – please come along.  

Kiwi Predator Control Programme: The next few months stoat trapping is crucial for kiwi chick protection. Female stoats are current raising their litters and large male stoats are ranging widely look for mates (any female stoat) – 3 large males recently turned up in the new Kiwi Coast funded traps I service for the Kohinui Catchment Landcare group (between Owhiwa Road and Te Rongo Road). The increase in predator traps between the Whangarei Heads and Tutukaka should help keep stoat numbers down – especially when the young start dispersing in December-January but we still need to keep the pressure on them at the Heads. From a record keeping point of view the end of September marks the end of the trapping season for us. Total catches from the WHLF predator traps are shown below in comparison with last season. This doesn’t include the possum and rat work done by individual Landcare groups.  Those of you running predator traps – can I please have your catches for Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 to add to the tally.

I will do a full report some time but a couple of points of note: Stoat catches have returned to our more usual numbers after | 2012-13 being the biggest season tally for us since our knock down year of 2002-2003 Weasel numbers are way up on our usual catches – possibly due to the lower stoat numbers (stoats prey on weasels) Hedge hogs – after a steady decline to an all time low of 49 last season this year was a record total of 140 – scientists had told us that our trapping wasn’t intensive enough to control them at low numbers and they were right! I’m short of rabbits for bait – If you have any they will be gratefully

Radio Tracked Kiwi at Whangarei Heads Chicks are hatching all over the place!

What your radio tracked Backyard Kiwi have been up to:  Darwin – Nesting in pampas at Lamb road quarry.  He hatched his 1st chick after 69 days nesting on the 26 September. This chick is named “Frank” after Frank Lamb who recently passed away. I will monitor him to see if there is a second hatch. JR – South Taurikura Ridge. He hatched two chicks, the first on 1 September after 71 days nesting and the other a few days later (see photo) – we need some names for these guys – any suggestions. They have been ID chipped and DNA sampled.

Lambert – Taurikura Ridge. Nesting in the pampas in Geoff Pike’s pines. This champion dad has hatched another chick after 79 days nesting- his 18th since 2009!  I even managed to get a long over due transmitter change done on him.

Whitu – Usual area at Reotahi. Still hasn’t nested – hope he didn’t loose his mate to the big rock slide in his territory.

Charlie – Craig Road at McNamaras’. Has finished nesting with what looks like two chicks from his transmitter’s data stream – first hatch on 19 Sept after 71 days nesting. I couldn’t get close to the nest in gorse and pampas without risking squashing the chicks so have left them be.

Dallas – This guy stopped nesting after 67 days and as he had nested in a long hollow log – in rank kikuya within 5m of the main road at Taurikura.  I couldn’t see if he had any chicks. But Jack and I were lucky enough to catch up with him and his mate shortly afterwards. He was a healthy 2200g and cuddled up with “Kahurangi” – a Limestone Island bred female that we released back in 2009!  She was a healthy 2800g and hopefully getting ready to produce some more eggs.

Waka – He is moving between Mckenzie Bay and the pampas on the peninsula at the south end of Taurikura Bay – I gave him his 6 monthly check recently and he was a fat 2950g – he really does need to find a replacement mate and put that body weight into nesting!

Lucky – He has moved up to the very top of Taurikura Ridge. I caught up with him in the pampas for a transmitter change. This young wild male is still growing and is now 2350g and has a bill length of 101.3mm (compared with 2010g and 99.3mm back on 8/5/14).  

BNZONE program (funded by Kiwis for Kiwi): The ONE dad’s out at Riponui and Rarewarewa are busy hatching chicks too. 5 have been transferred to Limestone Is into Bernie’s safe hands to date.

Kiwi Kills A young female kiwi was found wandering in the garden of a house at Reotahi during the day – it was starving due to a broken bill and had to be put down.  There have been rumours of people using ground laid leg hold traps in the area, please any leg hold traps must be raised 70cm above the ground!!! Another kiwi, a large female, also had to be put down after being hit by a car – guess where? At the Craig road hotspot right by the kiwi crossing sign, the poor bugger that hit her wasn’t feeling very happy but he justcame around the corner and couldn’t stop. The up side is that both these kiwi were wild hatched kiwi that wouldn’t have even been about if it wasn’t for the trapping work being done and the driver of the car was a local trapper.  

Meetings/Reports/Happenings etc. Kiwi Coast think tank meeting 1 August WHLF Backyard kiwi meeting 3 August

Waimate North Landcare Trappers day 17 August was a great day attended by 150 Landcare folk. We made a day of it and took a car up with the BHCT rangers and Bernie from Limestone.

Northland Kiwi Forum meeting 19 September – this group continues to work for the betterment of Northland kiwi.

Martin and I attended the 50th anniversary of Rodent Eradications Symposium at Auckland University and were heartened to hear about by the research work being carried out on pest control – especially the importance of community groups. Took part in review of Kiwi Coast funding of WHLF Backyard kiwi work by external consultant.

Kiwis for Kiwi – Save the Kiwi Month To support the Kiwis for Kiwi publicity about kiwi recovery this month Bernie from Limestone has put together a “Kiwi walk and wine and cheese evening” on Limestone to be auctioned on Trade me as a combine FOMLI – WHLF event. Please bid away!!

Backyard Kiwi  are having a partyHeather Hunt is releasing two of her magnificent BYK prints “Running” and “Crouching” in an up coming exhibition at the Newday Café at Parua Bay – 24 November – 7pm. Meet the “Free Range Kiwi” making it’s first official appearance  on a gleaming black and white reflective sign ideal for the out doors – gardens, letter box and driveways – Come along! we should be able to help out with the Christmas present hassles.

Kane has been promoted Lastly I would like to thank Kane McElrea on behalf of all of us for the great work he has done for the WHLF as the NRC project manager for us over the past 4 years. He has been promoted within the NRC and he will be taking up other responsibilities.  Kane has been great to work with as he has a genuine belief in community groups and has worked hard to support plenty of action on the ground by us and other groups. Cheers Todd Hamilton Backyard Kiwi Project Manager, WHLF ph 974 8160 (home)  021 1145 385