Watch for Kiwi –  Kiwi Road Kill  May 2015

As the kiwi population expands at Whangarei Heads kiwi sightings are becoming frequent, which is exciting for everyone, however one of the more distressing indicators of kiwi around is road kill

We haven’t had a known road killed kiwi since last November but now another has been killed on the usual stretch of road – between McLeod Bay and the Nook turn off.  This guy was a wild-hatched male that had survived to breeding age (thanks to our predator trapping) and was 2200g in weight and had a bill of 106.3mm – he ran out in front of a car at 6am. Todd took the opportunity to show the kids at Manaia Kindy one of their kiwi up close – they were fascinated. Here is an account of their kiwi encounter…

Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Our Kiwi Toanga-told by Becky Manaia Kindergarten

Last week our local kiwi expert Todd Hamilton visited us at Manaia. Unfortunately a male kiwi had been hit by a car and was dead. Todd respectfully talked to the children about our beautiful taonga. The children have a great ongoing interest in birds, especially kiwi, so this was a unique learning experience where our tamariki were able to respectfully touch the kiwi and look at different features of it that they would not have been able to had it been alive.

Todd told us that years ago there was so much food around that kiwi’s lived on the ground, as they didn’t need to fly. Then when humans came they brought mammals such as stoats, which love to eat kiwi. Dogs also like our kiwi, as they are small like a little dog. Because kiwi don’t fly they don’t have a lot of muscles and so get easily hurt when a dog grabs them. We learnt that male kiwi are smaller than females. We were able to see and touch the kiwi’s large feet, which he uses to scratch and fight with. We saw the kiwi’s small wing and the tiny hook, which scientists are unsure what it is for. We found out that kiwi are the only bird in the world without a tail and the only bird you will see whiskers on, (feathers which have evolved).

Todd showed us the tiny hole at the end of his bill that the kiwi uses for sniffing and we found out kiwi’s have an amazing sense of smell. Most birds can’t smell, but kiwi has the best sense of any bird in the whole world. Also we got to see the kiwi’s ears, which you also don’t see on many birds. Kiwi also have feathers to keep themselves warm and to camouflage in the bush. Todd told us that to begin with there were 80 kiwi in this area and now after all the trapping and hard work from organisations like Backyard Kiwi there are now 500 kiwi. We are so fortunate to have such an amazing bird in our backyard.

Every 12 months people and organisations working or interested in kiwi recovery meet to share and learn about what’s happing around the country and the traps. Organized by Kiwi’s for kiwi, this year’s  Hui was held in Northland and Backyard Kiwi hosted field trip to Whangarei Heads.

At Whangarei Heads kiwi and community live and thrive alongside one another. We are bucking the national trend our kiwi population is expanding!

This is an intriguing and enviable state of affairs, we were pleased and proud to share what we have learnt. It was a beautiful afternoon and a great opportunity to explain the links between Backyard Kiwi, Friends of Matakohe – Limestone Island , and other interest groups like Bream Head Conservation Trust

Three of our BYK team along with Ngaire Tyson from Kiwi Coast were invited to speak at the conference about the phenomenally successful community driven Backyard Kiwi Project and the exciting prospect of linking kiwi strongholds with other kiwi recovery groups along Northlands east coast.

Read more about what was shared at the 2015 National Kiwi Hui on the Kiwi Coast website

http://www.kiwicoast.org.nz/national-kiwi-hui-2015/

Kiwi prints and a new reflective sign are exhibited at the Newday café Parua Bay Shopping centre. Exhibition runs through to January the 5^th.
Cafe is open Wednesday to Sunday coffee and food is superb meet the Free Range Kiwi and enjoy  six of our kiwi prints on show all together for the first time.

The Free Range Kiwi reflective sign and Kiwi Prints can also be viewed and purchased at Burning Issues Gallery, 8 Quay side,  Town Basin Whangarei: http://www.burningissuesgallery.co.nz/ and online http://www.heatherhunt.co.nz/shop
A donation is made to support kiwi recovery with every sale .

Meet Local Luminary – The Free Range Kiwi

24th November – 7pm at Newday cafe in the Parua Bay Shopping Centre

BYK are  celebrating the Manaia Landcare initiative and releasing two new kiwi prints.
Come to the Kiwi Print release and party with us!   Enjoy Newday Café nibbles and Grinning Gecko Cheese

Five years ago Backyard Kiwi emerged from the undergrowth, popping up around the district on road signs, in the news and online, at www.backyardkiwi.org.nz. The kiwi character created by local artist-illustrator Heather Hunt has become a much-loved ambassador of the Backyard Kiwi project.

Kiwi prints released over this time have proven popular locally and throughout NZ. Prints are sent all around the world and the Backyard Kiwi has become a roving ambassador for kiwi recovery.

This November, we are pleased to announce the release of the last two Backyard Kiwi prints, completing the set of six!
All six prints will be on display in an exhibition at Newday café from the 24^th of November to the 5^th of January.
To complete your collection of Backyard Kiwi prints, order prints at Newday Café or on our website.
Special thanks to Heather Hunt for her ongoing efforts to support Backyard Kiwi, proceeds from Heathers work go to the Backyard Kiwi project.

As the kiwi population on the peninsula expands, a feral Free Range Kiwi has arrived on the scene. Now you can have your own glow-in-the-dark kiwi.Printed on reflective film, these signs will shine proudly at night on your letterbox, by your driveway, in your garden, at your front door, or wherever you like!

The Free Range Kiwi has been sighted in all manner of local and international sites, possibly on a reconnaissance for suitable new homes. Heather Hunt has posted photographs of these sightings on her website.http://www.heatherhunt.co.nz/illustration/FreeRangeKiwi

Exhibition runs from: November 24 to January 05
Take your summer visitors for a coffee at Newday Café, show off our unique kiwi and learn more about the Backyard Kiwi project.

Backyard Kiwi wish to thank: Newday Café and Grinning Gecko Cheese who are are supplying stunning food and cheese at our celebration evening on the 24^th of November, 2014

Newday Cafe
Parua Bay Shopping centre
PH 09 4360 184

Grinning Gecko Cheese Co
www.grinninggecko.co.nz
PH: 09 459 6060

 Two kiwi will be returned to Tutukaka on the Kiwi Coast next Wednesday – all welcome!

If you have never seen a live kiwi up close this is an opportunity you wont want to miss!

Come along to Tawapou Coastal Natives, 606 Matapouri Rd on the Tutukaka Coast at 6pm on Wednesday November 5th  to see live kiwi released to boost the local population.

These kiwi were hatched by their dads in the Whangarei Kiwi Sanctuary reserves near Purua, then taken as chicks to Matakohe-Limestone Island – a predator-free kiwi crèche in Whangarei Harbour. On the island the kiwi chicks roam safely until they reach a key weight of 1200 grams. At this size, kiwi can fight off most predators apart from large feral cats, ferrets and dogs, and can be returned to pest controlled areas. There will be a special ceremony as the kiwi return to the mainland at 9am in front of the Onerahi Yacht Club.

At 6pm, the two kiwi will arrive at Tawapou Coastal Natives where Todd Hamilton from the Backyard Kiwi project will talk about kiwi and what it is that makes them such a unique bird. Mike Camm will also talk about the Tutukaka Landcare Coalition and the hard work that has been undertaken for more than a decade to make the area safer for kiwi and a good place for these kiwi to spend the next 50 years or so.

Todd is a trained kiwi handler and he will ensure the two wild kiwi remain comfortable during the event and that they do not become stressed. At previous kiwi releases, there have been ample opportunities for people to see kiwi up close, take photos and gain a deeper understanding of our truly remarkable national icon.

The kiwi will then be transported to their release site where they can quietly slip away…

This kiwi release has been made possible by the hard work of the three community-led projects – Friends of Matakohe-Limestone Island, Backyard Kiwi and the Tutukaka Landcare Coalition. Funding has been provided by the Kiwis for Kiwi Trust and the Kiwi Coast.

For more information contact ngaire@kiwicoast.org.nz