Thursday 26 January 2023 Te Puia, (TP1- TP9) DOC250 traps, Hot Springs – Te Puia (370 – 411, DOC200, and CT13), Mangatainoka (W1-W15) Double set DOC200 traps It was a fine day at last, and so Grant headed out to do his monthly check of the trap lines. He rebaited an unmarked DOC200 trap near… [Read More]
Johno’s fading signal leads to a double surprise
Banner Photo: Johno S and JohnoT in their transportation carrier for the ride to the kiwi crèche. Fiona and Robyn received a message from Deb asking if they could do a nest raid on Johno. Data showed his transmitter battery was failing, he had been nesting for 88 days, and he hadn’t triggered a hatch…. [Read More]
MTT help with grass maintenance at the kiwi crèche
It was great to have Justin and his Jobs for Nature crew from Maungaharuru Tangitu Trust come to clear the lake track at the Opouahi kiwi crèche. There has been so much rain lately that the grass and other growth on the track was rampant and we needed it cleared for the summer visitors. The… [Read More]
Meeting the guardian of the fence
Wednesday 16 November, 2022 Lake Opouahi, Kiwi crèche Every month, a volunteer walks around the outside of the pest-free fence at the Opouahi Panpac crèche. They check for damage or other problems. Peter and Marilyn did this tour of duty last week on a fine and still day. They found a few minor issues in… [Read More]
Kanuka was killed by a stoat
Banner Photo: Kiwi footprints seen by the body of Kanuka Back in September, we lost Kanuka, a healthy breeding kiwi. Fi and Chris found his body under a recent tree-fall. He had some suspicious-looking puncture marks to his head and neck. DoC ranger Kahori sent his remains to Massey School of Veterinary Science for an… [Read More]
First Light sponsors Dark Ops cameras
Banner Photo: Hoover caught on camera, feeding at night We have been very fortunate to be granted funds from First Light Community Foundation for trail cameras to monitor our Kaweka kiwi. On 31 August, Greg and I placed one camera near kiwi Hoover’s nest to monitor comings and goings from his burrow and any critters… [Read More]
We’re all go at last, and have our first chick in the crèche
Banner Photo: Ari’s egg with its patch (l), and Mr JC’s egg After the sad loss of kiwi Kanuka, we have some happier news. We had two teams out last Sunday (18 September) for the first nest raids of the season and brought out our first chick and two eggs. Anna and Deb raided Mr… [Read More]
Help from a lot of friends, to scare off invaders
Top picture: The safety briefing Thousands of starlings have been roosting within the crèche at Lake Opouahi, threatening to make it an unhealthy environment for young kiwi. The starlings’ droppings carry disease. A team of volunteers, mostly from the Tutira community and led by George Christison, took on the challenge of scaring the invaders off…. [Read More]
Tom’s lucky day – great escaper wins his freedom
Tom’s territory – with Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe in the far distance Tom had been awol for about seven months. We last heard him in mid-December 2021 and, despite an extensive search by Mike and Lyn, he remained silent until early July, when he suddenly reappeared! Deb did a double take to make sure she had… [Read More]
Nesting season’s under way
Top picture: David demonstrating his kiwi tracking skills July 20 – The 2022-23 season is under way with six nests on the go. Our first hatch is due around 11 September, with a raid about 21 September. Fortnightly monitoring of Makahu Saddle and Middle Hill would be good at this stage, moving to weekly as… [Read More]
The growing threat of feral cats
Feral cats are becoming a big problem in many parts of the country. But the ‘cat conversation’ can be contentious. Save the Kiwi National Predator Control Advisor John Bissell discusses why feral cats are becoming more of a threat, and why this observation isn’t an attack on domestic cats. He says: ‘Feral cat numbers in… [Read More]
A trap line with a river view
Te Puia Track, Hot Springs and Mangatainoka trap line, Wednesday 15 June 2022 Julia recently went trap line checking with Grant, a new volunteer on the Save Our Kaweka Kiwi taskforce. Grant wants to ‘give back’ to the Kaweka Forest Park, where he spends downtime with his family camping and hunting. With recent rain in… [Read More]
