Kiwi Happenings Update and Monitored Kiwi Map April/May 2012

A wild adult female kiwi was killed by a lifestyle block owner’s dog at Northern McLeods. Of concern is that this dog had undergone kiwi aversion training. There are ongoing questions about the effectiveness of aversion training on lifestyle block pet dogs that are in kiwi areas 24/7. Unfortunately pet dog owners often do tend to loosen up on their dog control after aversion training and the training is far from full-proof. Any dog can kill a kiwi.

Locals are noticing plenty of kiwi calls at the moment as the breeding season starts up. We are having our annual “I heard a kiwi night” on May 12 at the Whangarei Heads School – see the news section for more details.

The monitored kiwi are all doing well and the data streams from their transmitters are showing mainly high activity as the kiwi fatten up for the upcoming breeding season. The odd bird is starting to show reduced activity as they possibly start to nest.

· Jackie’s Boy – getting up at 6pm and active for 11.5 hours on average.

· Darwin – up at 6 pm and active 11 hours.

· JR- up at 6.30pm and active 10 hours.

· Waka- up at 5pm and active 12 hours.

· Charlotte- ok – travelling about a bit at Mckenzie Bay – watch out for her crossing the road.

· Lambert- up at 5pm and active 10 hours – he is due his 6 monthly check but is hiding deep in the pampas at Taurikura Ridge.

· Whitu- up at 6pm and active 8 hours

· Charlie- up at 5.30pm and active 12 hours

· Dallas- up at 5.30pm and active 11.5 hours.

· Ngakau – after being released at Hunt’s he has travelled Taurikura ridge and walked into Bream Head – he has settled way over at “Cabbage Tree Flat” by the Old Woman – his transmitter has now dropped off as planned (he only had a temporary transmitter attachment to let us know where he settled in).