Kiwi Predator Control Programme:
A very big month for stoats compared to our usual September catches with 5 stoats, including 2 mature females on the western side of Mania – catching a mature female in spring is great because it also means that you have also nailed her litter of up to 8 kits!

Traps for September: 5 stoats, 0 weasels, 1 cat, 36 rats, 33 possums and 2 hedge hogs.
Tally for season: 42 stoats, 15 weasels, 18 cats, 421 rats, 148 possums and 49 hogs.

Kiwi monitoring:

Waka won the race for the Dad to hatch the first chick of the season. Lambert also hatched a chick in September.

What your monitored kiwi are up to in September:

Darwin – He is nesting at Lamb road – 3 hours nightly activity – nest will reach 65 days approx 27 October.
Whitu – Usual area Reotahi, activity dropping – possibly renesting after his first nest failed.
Dallas – At Hills’ by the Heads school. A kiwi was reportedly seen during the day (3pm) in Dallas’s area in the storm of 24/9/13 and it ran under a car before running up the bank. I checked Dallas’s signal – and yes he was active during that afternoon!!!! – otherwise his activity has been ok since then.
Lambert – Usual area Taurikura Ridge – nesting – transmitter data stream shows first hatch.
Waka – Takes the title of first recorded hatch of the season- 1st hatched 13/9/13 and a second a week later. Both chicks were in the nest late September and I caught up with them to DNA sample and ID chip.

Charlotte – (Proud mum of Waka’s chicks) Usual area of McKenzie Bay.
JR – South Taurikura Ridge above Urquarts Bay – Still Nesting – 3 hours activity – nest 65 days on 1 October.
Charlie – At McNamnara’s, Craig Road – finally nested for the first time.
Kiwiana – At Blicks’ at the southern end of Mt Manaia. Activity up to 13.5 hours per night, which is very high.
Webb – After much searching for this young girl’s transmitter signal I found her over on the Kauri Mt coast at the Fabers’ place – a reasonable big move from Kerr road!
Clover – Still high up on eastern Manaia