Summary of kiwi monitoring for January:

Funded by Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust

• All monitored birds checked OK for the month – one unmonitored kiwi death reported.

• Have located and rechecked most monitored kiwi since the flooding and their data streams indicate that they are doing well. No doubt there will have been some chick losses with the downpour and possibly deaths of unmonitored adult kiwi in the slip areas. However the rain may also kick start another round of nesting.

• An adult female was run over on the road just north of McLeods – unfortunately this is the area that our backyard kiwi crossing sign used to warn motorists to be careful of kiwi. That sign was recently stolen – broken off above the concrete at ground level after a serious effort with a vehicle and chain by thieves. The silver lining to this kiwi death is that once again it was a “wild bred” bird with no ID chip – birds like this can only reach adulthood if our trapping network is working.

• Lionel Sands (one of our foundation sponsors) has named Whitu’s most recent chick “Wally” in honour of Captain Wally Wordley of the 28th Maori Battalion who spent time at the Heads.

• Lambert is still on his second nest at Taurikura ridge and the egg(s) are due to hatch in the next week.

• Waka –biometrics done – he is growing well 1790g (up from 1325g in September) and has settled in bush above Taurikura Bay .

• JR- above Mckenzie bay – annual tx change – 1900g

• Dan- at Kauri Mt –annual tx change -1840g.

• Violet due transmitter change but still proving elusive at Mt Aurbrey –will not replace her transmitter when we finally catch up with her as she has become to difficult to monitor.

• Sleepy due biometrics but still hanging out in various hollow Puriri.

• Xmas is due transmitter change but is also proving hard to locate in Mcleod bay and his data stream is indicating nesting behaviour.