April update
Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum – Backyard Kiwi – April Report 2014
Dog Kill
Unfortunately a pet dog on a lifestyle block at Ody road came across one of
Dallas’s chicks in a paddock and crunched her.
Kiwi dad and chick
The chick had hatched back in October 2012 beside the sewage pumping station
at the end of McDonald road and had been named “Kura” by the landowners’
grandkids.
Kura did not have a radio transmitter but we could identify her from her ID
chip – 06E6CDB0. She had grown to 1850g and would have started breeding in a
year or so.
The fact that she got to grow to 1850g in weight is testament to the
effectiveness of our stoat trapping and the good dog control of the dog
owners of Taurikura Bay.
What your radio tracked Backyard Kiwi have been up to:
Darwin – In pampas at Lamb road quarry – did his annual transmitter
change change – now CT 78, He was a health pre-breeding weight of 2250g -
His activity is high at 12 hours per night.
Whitu – His nest at Reotahi failed and his activity has climbed back
up to normal non nesting behaviour.
Dallas – At Hills’ by the Whangarei Heads School. His activity is
high as he feeds up for breeding.
Lambert – Usual area Taurikura Ridge – he is still proving very hard
to locate in the dense pampas there.
Waka – High activity at McKenzie Bay.
Lucky – still high up the ridge behind McKenzie Bay – activity high.
JR- South Taurikura Ridge on the slip above Urquarts Bay – The data
stream from his transmitter showed that he successfully hatched 1 chick in
his third nest for the season but when I visited the nest site – a big old
rotten log I couldn’t get to the chick to DNA sample or ID chip it.
Charlie – At McNamnara’s at Craig Road – high activity.
Webb – Dropped her transmitter at Fabers on the Kauri Mt coast -
this is a good safe place for her to have settled in.
Bill – Usual area on Kauri Mt coast.
Thanks
Todd Hamilton
WHLF Backyard Kiwi
021 1145 385
info@backyardkiwi.org.nz
www.backyardkiwi.org.nz
