Waewae
Waewae is Pakipaki’s mate and lives in and around the “Horse Paddock” in McLeod Bay. Pakipaki was released on the Leaheys’ place in McLeod Bay back in 2017.
After years of monitoring Pakipaki, we finally caught her with a boy in the pampas in May 2023. He didn’t have an ID chip so he is a wild hatched and grown kiwi (thanks to Backyard Kiwi stoat trapping, kiwi saver/1080 pulses on Manaia and good local dog control!). As it is the dads that sit on the eggs we put a radio transmitter on him and removed Pakipaki’s, thanking her for the good work that she has done to engage locals with their kiwi!
Unfortunately he dropped his transmitter in the pampas and weeds in the WDC Horse paddock at McLeods. His activity had been the usual 11-12 hours until the day the tx dropped on 7/6/24.
Has stayed in the dense pampas in the McLeod Bay Horse paddock. 11.5 hours activity.
Has stayed in the dense pampas in the McLeod Bay Horse paddock. 11.5 hours activity.
Has stayed in the dense pampas in the McLeod Bay Horse paddock after his nest failed there. 9 hours activity.
His nest in the dense pampas in the McLeod Bay Horse paddock looks to have failed. Was going well up to day 57 but his activity has increased since.
He is nesting again too! In the pampas in the McLeod Bay horse paddock. 13 days in on 9/1/24 and 4 hours activity
He is back in the Horse paddock pampas in McLeod Bay.
8.5 hours activity.
He is feeding up in the paddocks between the Horse paddock and the Manaia Club after nesting. 9.5 hours activity.
Has finished nesting in the pampas in the McLeod Bay Horse paddock. I checked his nest once his activity increased – 82 days nesting on 7/10/23, 13 days after his data stream had shown his first hatch. His first chick had left the nest, the second was still there – about 5 days old, 260g, 46.0mm, now ID chipped. Dad was down to 1875g after his nesting stint but otherwise doing well. The Manaia kiwi saver/1080 pulse was perfectly timed to protect these guys from stoats.
Waewae & Pakipaki’s chick
Nesting in pampas in the McLeod Bay Horse paddock. Hatched his first egg at 69 days nesting on 29/9/23. I am waiting for an increase in his activity and then will try to have a careful nest check in the pampas.
Nesting in pampas in the McLeod Bay Horse paddock. 41 days nesting on 28/8/23 4 hours activity.
Nest in Pampass
The male found with Pakipaki a couple of months ago. He is still hanging in the Horse paddock pampas and has started nesting there. 10 days in on 27/7/23. 5.5 hours activity.
Pakipaki has been a great kiwi to get radio data streams from the McLeod Bay roadside by the Fire Station and at the Deck Cafe so locals and visitors can experience the live story of a kiwi’s activity in their backyard. People have always been interested in her and it has been great to show people where she is as they safely walk their dogs on a lead on the road away from her home in the pampas.
The team of Landcare locals who look after the “village green” area at the front of the McLeod Bay Horse paddock named the new male kiwi “Waewae”.
Waewae was 2075g in weight, had a bill length of 99.3mm and was in good condition when we found him.
He and Pakipaki obviously hit it off as Waewae started nesting in late July 2023.
The data stream from Waewae’s radio transmitter showed that he had hatched a chick after 69 days of nesting on 25/9/23.
On 7/10/23 after 82 days of nesting his data stream showed a steady increase in his activity indicating that he was about to finish nesting so Todd had a very careful nest check. Waewae’s first chick (13 days old) had left the nest but a much younger second chick (approx 5 days old) was there. He/she was 260g in weight and bill of 46.0mm . Todd inserted an ID chip – 956000015788362 – so if she turns up again we will know who it is.
Dad was down to 1875g after his nesting efforts but otherwise healthy.
Backyard Kiwi Proud supporter Allen Howell named the chick “Jace”. Jace is part of another generation of kiwi for the Whangarei Heads area thanks to community lead kiwi recovery by Backyard Kiwi!