2025-April Report
Lots happening!
A month ago we were celebrating the start of the rain after the extreme dry summer/autumn. It was much needed but with 400mm for the month (April average is 96mm) even the kiwi have had enough! The wet conditions are helping the kiwi fed up and fatten up for the upcoming breeding season but making human kiwi work and events tricky, and there is lots happening:
Upcoming events
- Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum AGM – Tuesday May 6 at 7pm at Whangarei Heads School. WHLF is a crucial platform that allows many of our community groups to carry out their important work at the Heads. Please come along and invite any interested friends and neighbours. Hear what the local Landcare groups (including Backyard Kiwi) are up to.
- Kiwi Counting – Official kiwi counters have had the usual bossy email from me and most have kindly once again put their hand (or ears) up to do this important work. We have almost all the 19 counting sites ready to go. Start date is May 16 through to June 3 (a few days longer than I have previously listed). The kiwi are fattening up quickly in the wet conditions and it may be an early breeding/calling season.
- Listen out for kiwi at home– You don’t have to be part of the official count to listen out at home on clear evenings to get an idea of how many kiwi you have at your place and where their territories are. If you live outside the Heads and want to have a listen the public area at the start of Manaia track is a convenient spot. You can even call into the club for a drink afterwards.
- Tutukaka Landcare Kiwi Release – This is as part of the Kiwi Coast engagement program. Because of the storm we had to postpone until Wednesday May 7 – we have 4 transmitted kiwi on Limestone ready to go. see https://kiwicoast.org.nz/events/tutukaka-kiwi-release-3/ for details
- Regional Pest Control Workshop – Sunday May 18
These annual workshops run by Kiwi Coast and the NRC are fantastic. This year it is at Akerama Marae at Towai. Places fill up quickly so make sure you register soon if you want to go. See the Kiwi Coast website: https://kiwicoast.org.nz/events/regional-pest-control-workshop-2025/
2 road killed kiwi in April
With the dry summer conditions most kiwi lost a lot of weight and had to feed into the daylight hours. Now even with the wet conditions the kiwi are feeding far and wide to put on weight. This combined with the busy holiday traffic over Easter and Anzac has led to at least 2 more road killed kiwi:
- 1/4/25 a mature female was run over at Whangarei Heads Road/ Little Munro Bay intersection. She was a healthy (prior to being hit) 2300g and bill of 142.0mm. No ID chip so wild hatched and grown.
- 21/4/25 Easter weekend road kill, a speeding camper van was seen running over adult male kiwi near the Nook road intersection. Skinny 1350g and 90mm bill, no ID chip .
- another road kill was reported on Anzac day morning but when I got there 30 minutes later there was no sign of it – no reports from others driving past, just a Pukekohe nearby.
- If you do see a road kill please let me know asap and if possible take some photos and pick it up.
What your monitored kiwi have been up to for March 2025
Whangarei Heads/Parua Bay Radio monitored kiwi:
- Chookie – Usual area of pines below Owhiwa road. 11.5 hours of nightly activity.
- Teina– In his usual valley of pampas and pines at the north end of Martins’ pine block. Kerry and I did his band change – Teina is still fat – 3100g. 10.5 hours activity. Hopefully he nests this season and sheds some fat.
- Beach Girl – In the young pampas in Halses’ cutover pine block at Ross road. Did her band change, she was a healthy 2700g and in Good condition. 11.5 hours activity.(see pic)
- Murdoch –With the rain he has come out of the deep valley and up on the ridge at Halses’ block, Ross Road.11.5 hours activity .
- Humphries – NE side of Martins’ block Owhiwa Road. In pampas/pines/bush. 11.5 hours activity.
- Wally –Usual area of pines at end of Campbell road. 11.5 hours activity.
Kiwi that have walked to the Whareora Landcare area
- Te Motu Manu Hine – She is still settled in the usual area of the NRC pines behind the Money Factory. 10.5 hours nightly activity.
Kiwi that were Released 23/3/25 at Parua Bay
- Myra– 3.5 year old female. We did a health check and band change on 30/4/25. She has put on 300g, now 2450g and Mod condition. She is settled for the moment in a patch of pampas between the natives and pines on the Martins’ block Owhiwa Road. 12 hours of nightly activity. (see pic)
- Ping– Young female. We did a health check and band change on 30/4/25. She has put on 450g and is now 2000g and in Mod condition. She has been travelling around from her release spot and is currently on the ridge at the back of Martins’ pine block. 12 hours activity. (see pic)
- Matakohe –Young male. Did a health check and transmitter change 24/4/25. He had put on 225g since release and is now 1325g. Bill 92.5mm. He is just below the central skid site in Martins’ pines. 12.5 hours nightly activity. (see pic)
- Kim –2 year old female. This is the kiwi that was really struggling in the dry conditions on Limestone and was active 16 hours night and day. She has really benefited from a soft release in a damp area – with follow up rain also a big help. She was 1150g and very skinny on release, at a health check 14 days after release she was up to 1350g and by a month after release she was 1625g. She had only moved a few 100m from her release site but is obviously doing well there. Her activity is much more normal now at 12.5 hours. (see pic).
It is pleasing to see that a well managed, gentle transfer to an appropriate release area has not checked these kiwi but in fact benefited them.
Purua ONC dads
10 chicks now transferred to Limestone/Matakohe for the season. The dry autumn will have been very challenging for them.
Rarewarewa/Purua ONC dads:
- Moondust – 11 hours activity. Usual area behind Lovell’s Irvine road woolshed.
- Buddha – Usual area in the paddock north of McGraths’ quarry. 12 hours of activity.
- Macio– South Purua reserve, in a gut south of Kauri tree ridge – 10 hours activity.
- Otiria – South end of the Purua Reserve. 14 hours of nightly activity.
- 64 – In an old stack of totara slash in Hawkins’ paddock just SW of reserve. 11.5 hours activity.
- Tahi– South-eastern Purua reserve behind Alisons’ farm. 12 hours of activity.
- Sam – SW Purua reserve. 13 hours activity.
- Derek – On “Stump” Ridge South-East Purua reserve. 12.5 hours of activity. No nesting this season.
- Fletcher – no signal this month. He is probably tucked away down a deep rocky gut above Lovells’ airstrip.
- Rua – Back of Alisons’ farm. Activity 12 hours.
New potential ONC dads found 1 May:
We monitor 10 adult male kiwi dads at Purua as part of Kiwi Coast “ONC” (Operation Nest Chick) program there. To ensure a good variety of genetics in the kiwi chicks going to Limestone Island we rotate through the dads replacing some each year with different males. To find these new males Lesley Baigent of Kiwi Coast and her clever kiwi finding dog “Yagi” spent a few hours in Purua recently. They found 3 great candidates that we put transmitters on. Ngati Hine are naming these kiwi – more details next month.
Trapping/ toxin pulses
April catches in predator traps: Stoats 1, Weasels 8, Feral cats 1, Rats 146, Hedgehogs 14, Possums 6.
Cheers Todd
Todd Hamilton
Backyard Kiwi Project Manager
Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum
M 021 1145 385