Upcoming Kiwi Release!

As part of the Kiwi Coast Engagement program we are planning to transfer kiwi to Parua Bay on Sunday March 23, 5.30pm.  Please let your friends and family know. Sorry but the event is not for tourists unless as a guest of locals.

These kiwi releases and the subsequent monitoring of the kiwi via radio transmitters are a cornerstone of our engaging locals with their kiwi and lead to good dog control and support for 1080/kiwi saver- and far better kiwi population recovery in areas fortunate to have kiwi monitored this way.  People love to see and hear about their kiwi and go home to tie their dog up.

These releases are a huge team effort, but well worth it so thanks to all those involved.

See the attached invitation for more details.

 

Please DO NOT set traps on the ground

Please do not set traps at ground level unless they are in an appropriate tunnel to keep kiwi out.  Any uncovered traps – such as leg holds or non-tunnel traps such as Timms and SA2s should be at least 700mm above ground. This is to avoid trapping kiwi!!!  The automatic A24 traps are shockers for breaking off the end of a kiwi bill leading to a slow death- please don’t use them anywhere near the ground. Recently a landowner in McLeods had rabbits in his garden so set a leg hold trap at a burrow entrance to catch the rabbits but caught and killed a young kiwi chick instead- very upsetting. If you have any questions about appropriate trap sets please let me know.

 Whangarei Heads/Parua Bay  Radio monitored kiwi:   

• Chookie–  Usual area of pines feeding up after two successful nests. 10 hours of nightly activity. One of his recently hatched chicks has been named Jade by the Kiwi Coast “follow a kiwi” supporters (see pic).
• Teina– In his usual valley of pampas and pines at the north end of Martins’ pine block. 11 hours activity. No sign of nesting this season again.
• Beach Girl – In the young pampas in the cut over pines on Halses’ Ross Road block. 10 hours activity.
• Murdoch  –He has finished his second nest of the season with some success.  His data stream showed a hatch after 66 days of nesting. Kerry and I checked his signal daily and it stayed low for another 17 days then shot up.  On checking the nest Murdoch had gone, there was egg shell and membrane from the first hatch but that chick had gone too – which is normal for a chick of this age. There was also a very rotten 2nd egg. The chick had died during hatching, it had only broken a small hole in the shell and for whatever reason was unable to get any further (see pic). Dad had obviously stuck with him as long as he could until it got too rotten.   Murdoch has moved down into the wetter ground down by the creek in his valley and was in a shallow burrow (see pic). Did his transmitter change: 1950g and understandably he is in poor condition after 2 nests – 6 months nesting! He will be feeding up now to recover.
• Humphries –  NE side of Martins’ block Owhiwa Road in the pampas and pines.  10 hours activity.
• Wally –Nesting again after one successful and one failed nest already this season. As of 4/2/25; 39 days nesting and a good low 3 hours nightly activity. In his usual area – the pine block at the end of Campbell Road. Hatch due shortly.

Kiwi that have walked to the Whareora Landcare area

• Te Motu Manu Hine – Still settled in the usual area of the NRC pines behind the Money Factory. 11 hours nightly activity .

Purua ONE dads

9 chicks now transferred to Limestone/Matakohe for the season.

Rarewarewa/Purua ONE dads:

• Moondust – 11.5 hours activity.  Usual area behind Lovell’s Irvine road woolshed..
• Buddha – Usual area in the paddock north of McGraths’ quarry.  10 hours of activity.
• Macio – No signal. I had a big search – he may be tucked up somewhere deep in the crater?
• Otiria – In the paddock South of the Purua Reserve. Still not nesting.   9.5 hours of nightly activity.
• 64 – Back from McGraths’ paddock to the SW side of the Purua reserve.  10.5 hours activity.
• Tahi– South-eastern end of the Purua reserve – behind Alisons’ farm.  Still not nesting. 10 hours of activity.
• Sam – SW corner of Purua reserve in Hawkins paddock. In rank kikuya. 11 hours activity.  .
• Derek – On  “Stump” Ridge South-East Purua reserve.  10 hours of activity. No nesting  this season.
• Fletcher – Still in a deep rocky gut up near the north side of trig. 10.5 hours activity. Heaps of radio interference not helping with his signal.
• Rua – Back of Alisons’ farm. On his second nest of the season near the NE corner of Purua Reserve.  His data stream showed that he had hatched the first chick at 72 days – LC 2409 moved to Limestone at 10 days old 25/2/25.

Grown Chicks coming off Limestone/Matakohe:  Rolf, Bevan and I had a successful evening recently using a night thermal scope to re-catch chicks put onto the island in the past and transmit them. We got  4 kiwi that have grown to over 1200g and are now ready to move.  These kiwi will be carefully tracked and caught on the morning of March 23rd for transfer.

Trapping/ toxin pulses

Feb catches: Stoats 3 – all juveniles (either end of peninsula), Weasels 7, Feral cats 0, rats 106, hedgehogs 7 and  possums 7.

Cheers Todd

Todd Hamilton

Backyard Kiwi Project Manager

Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum

M 021 1145 385

E  todd.hamilton64@gmail.com

W www.backyardkiwi.org.nz